A sample of forty-three “life stories” collected from elderly African-Americans residing in Southwestern Virginia is analyzed from the perspective of Continuity Theory. The focus is on the “theme” which religion plays as a bulwark of continuity in the lives of the respondents. The data reveal that religion serves at least seven significant and positive functions in the normal aging process of Black-Americans. As is customary, all names of respondents have been changed to protect their anonymity.
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