Groeschel explores how different personalities seek God and explains that the spiritual quest is as unique as the person: for example, people may experience God as oneness, truth, goodness, or beauty. Despite the differences in each person’s journey, an understanding of the patterns and possibilities in the process of spiritual growth can assist those nurturing a flock as well individual seekers.

Spiritual Passages examines the three stages of spiritual growth—purgation, illumination, and unity, and considers how a Christian striving to answer the call of God may find support and insight in a psychological perspective on her own development.