The novel delves into a key theme: the challenges faced by marginalized individuals in defining their identities. Take Fanny, for example, who is torn between two unappealing roles—either as a victim of racism and sexism or as someone who might resort to retaliatory violence. Like many other characters, she seeks a new role. Fresh ideas don't seem to emerge from traditional books. Consider Suwelo, a college history instructor, along with Carlotta and Fanny, literature professors who feel spiritually lost. These insights seem to come from alternative sources, especially the experiences of women—particularly those with past life experiences like Lissie and Zede, or from dreams containing archetypal memories, as seen in Franny's dreams. These sources offer more effective guidance for developing a sustainable identity. Walker highlights the importance of these knowledge sources by stating, "a people's dreams, imaginings, rituals, legends . . . are known to contain the accumulated collective reality of the people themselves." In The Temple of My Familiar, the wisdom drawn from these origins encourages the characters to discover their identities in the interconnectedness of all things rather than in opposition to anything.

In Walker's novels, forming a new identity is unattainable without assistance. There are no lone heroes. Those who overcome oppression or find themselves again do so within a nurturing community. The family is the primary source of support. Fanny returns to Africa to seek her father's guidance. She consults her mother for advice and builds connections with her sister. She also reads works by lesser-known female authors, joins consciousness-raising groups, and engages in therapy. Carlotta makes peace with her mother and, demonstrating she no longer competes with women for male attention, befriends Fanny. Through Fanny's massage sessions, Carlotta reconnects with her body, from which she had become estranged while trying to attract men. Suwelo, who lost his parents in a car accident, finds guidance from surrogate parents, Lissie and Hal, who help him realign his values. Arveyda, who lost his mother early in life, falls in love with his wife's mother, reigniting his passion. He also finds a new "spiritual mother," as he terms her, in Snug. The novel concludes with the four main characters living together in a communal setting.

In a novel where the central theme is the necessity of recreating the world, it is appropriate that the importance of artistic vision is highlighted. Artists, after all, are the architects of new worlds. The main characters in the novel immerse themselves in various creative arts as they strive for a deeper understanding of themselves and their relationships with others.

Hal and Lissie, both painters, create portraits of each other, symbolizing how they transform one another within their relationship. Arveyda sings to his wife, Carlotta, aiding her in "understanding her mother." Initially a costume designer like her mother, Carlotta transitions to painting and eventually becomes a musician, a bell chimist, to perform with her husband.

Fanny, inspired by her father, explores playwriting and collaborates with her sister on a play about their father's life. Together with her husband, Suwelo, who has taken up carpentry, Fanny designs their home, symbolizing their newly revitalized relationship. Equally important is the fact that all the characters are storytellers, an art form that Walker considers essential for recreating the world.

In all of Walker's novels, the main characters undergo a spiritual journey, moving from states of depression and ignorance to those of hope and understanding. Grange Copeland evolves from being self-centered to becoming compassionate. Meridian Hill transitions from illness to achieving both physical and spiritual well-being. Celie transforms from being impoverished and demeaned to becoming financially independent and respected. Tashi changes from victim to martyr. The theme of spiritual transformation is also key in The Temple of My Familiar, with each character embarking on a quest for wholeness.

The characters find themselves in a world torn apart by chaos, divided by race, gender, religion, political ideologies, and other factors. The novel proposes that by seeking identity, community, and artistic expression, individuals can evolve into whole human beings.