What do religion and spirituality have in common?

Answer 1

I don't think "spirituality", whatever it may mean to different people, requires religion to support it. For me, as an atheist, it means a sense of wonder, awe, and a kind of adoration of the universe, simply because it is there, and beautiful (and terrible if one lost one's footing). That extends from the stars etc to everything from weeds to blowflies (but doesn't prevent me killing either of them). I assume religionists experience something similar, when they stop reading their Holy Books or mumbling prayers learned by rote, and look at what they regard as their God's Creation (whatever his religion). But I think my awe is greater precisely because I have no explanations outside my own knowledge of present science (which is only the measure of our ignorance) - and no ready-made agenda or dogma to guide me, beyond my own intelligence and whatever wisdom I have learned from experience, study, and reflection.

Answer 2

'Authentic spirituality involves loss of self, displacement of the ego, and sacrifice... it always comes at considerable cost to our self-centred lives and our innate narcissism'.

What is happening is that because the word 'spirituality' has become so popular, everyone is using it to describe absolutely everything, so there is a danger of the word spirituality meaning nothing at the end of the day. I think the way a lot of young people, especially teenagers, use it as synonymous with the search for meaning, and that search for meaning does not necessarily involve a transcendental God or a redeemer. So I think we need to refine spirituality now that it has become such a popular term. That's why I'm interested in talking about true and false spirituality, and I call false spirituality the 'add-on' spirituality where you just want to add it on to your life.


I think that priests should give up trying to bring the people to the church and instead try to bring the church to the people, and that requires of the Church great humility and greater attentiveness to the presence of God in unofficial or informal ways. I think that if churches are really to bounce back they have got to show the people that they are prepared not just to condemn but also to redeem - and to enliven and spiritualise the ordinary, rather than make the ordinary spiritual. We have got to see the spiritual in the ordinary. I think that's the future of church.




I think churches will go even further into decline than I think they already are before people start to wake up to the fact that it is important to bring the church to the people and to re-sacralise their lives. I think it's going to be very hard and very challenging, but I think it's got to work because of the fact that we are not only religious beings, but are also communal beings. We can't just have private spirituality, and we all can't be just on private spiritual journeys. It's not going to be enough.

We must pray for our brothers and sisters around the world, we must learn to love like our Lord Jesus Christ!

They both have Jesus Christ in common, His Love and kindness...

Answer 3

Religion incorporates and needs spirituality, but spirituality does not need religion to exist. The deity belief is the only thing totally in common, though I suppose spirituality does not HAVE to have a deity in it...

Answer 4

Religion and Spirituality only have something in common when a believer moves his faith from his head to his heart. Then they become a single driving force that compels the individual to praise God and honor his people.

Answer 5

Religion is a system of social coherence based on a common group of beliefs or attitudes concerning an object, person, unseen being, or system of thought considered to be supernatural, sacred, divine or highest truth, and the moral codes, practices, values, institutions, and rituals associated with such belief or system of thought. It is sometimes used interchangeably with "faith" or "belief system"[1], but is more socially defined than that of personal convictions.

Spirituality, in a narrow sense, concerns itself with matters of the spirit. The spiritual, involving as it may perceived eternal verities regarding Man's ultimate nature, often contrasts with the temporal or with the worldly. The central defining characteristic of spirituality is a sense of connection to a much greater whole which includes an emotional experience of religious awe and reverence. Equally so, spirituality is concerned with sanity and psychological health. As with some forms of religion, the emphasis of spirituality is often on personal experience. It may be an expression for life perceived as higher, more complex or more integrated with one's worldview, as contrasted with the merely sensual. In Eastern traditions, spirituality (adhyatma) is also defined as that which pertains to the soul (atma).

Answer 6

A person can be spiritual but not religious. That is, the person believes in God's existence and his faith is intact; but he just doesn't go to church often and practice his faith. So spirituality is the faith while religion is the practice or the act of worship.

Answer 7

Religion is a belief, spirituality would be to dwell into the beleif.

Answer 8

They are both necessary in life. You live them, religion is your teaching tool and spirituality is how you live.

Answer 9

I thought you wanted a punch line. Darn I got some good ones

Spirituality is people trying to figure out God.

True religion is this, taking care of widows, and orphans. (bible)

so not much

Answer 10

"Religion is for people trying to stay out of hell...Spirituality is for people who have already been there."

Peace.