Spirituality: A Working Definition

In response to the question I posed a couple of days ago, here’s something I’ve come up with. I am heavily indebted to Sandra Schneiders' understanding of spirituality; she is one of the important figures in the study of Christian spirituality (and a professor emeritus at my school). And she's much smarter than me.

I’ll start with her definition: “Spirituality is…the experience of conscious involvement in the project of life-integration through self-transcendence toward the horizon of ultimate value one perceives.”[1] I like this a lot. To unpack a bit, if that seems a little puzzling…

Spirituality is conscious. Authentic spirituality is not accidental, but a result of a choice and will. One practices spiritually intentionally in response to some particular motivation.

Spirituality involves life-integration. Spirituality understood as merely a private, inward experience is incomplete. Rather, spirituality is holistic and thus includes one’s relationship to others, to work, to play, to society, to the earth.

Spirituality is self-transcendent. Spirituality takes people beyond merely self-centered interests to concern for things outside of oneself. A spiritual person is caught up in something more significant and far-reaching than his or herself.

Spirituality is directed toward a horizon. Spirituality aims toward something, with a compelling goal drawing one toward itself while informing the journey along the way, where the destination need not be reachable but nonetheless pulls us toward it.

Spirituality is shaped by our ultimate values. Whether this reality is God or something else, spirituality is shaped by that about which we care most deeply and understand to be of greatest importance

Another way of putting Schneiders' definition (which is not really that different conceptually but only linguistically) is that spirituality is the intentional ordering of life through practices, applied holistically and informed by a truth or ultimate reality toward which one is oriented. 

At this point, I’m not so sure that defining spirituality is really about uncovering the universal, exact definition that completely captures the essence of what spirituality is. I think there’s room for opinion. So what do you think? You may feel that this definition is lacking…but how so? For example:

• Do you disagree that spirituality is conscious? Can you be "doing" spirituality or "being" spiritual without trying or knowing?
• Can spirituality just be private, about your inward life, or must it also encompass the whole of your life and activities and relationships?
• Can you be spiritual and not concerned with something beyond yourself? Do you need a goal?
• For it to be spirituality, must it be shaped by our greatest value(s)?
• Can true spirituality be defined without mentioning Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

I'd also add that studying spirituality is distinct from studying theology, differing in that it is more about the lived experience of the individual, whereas theology tends to emphasize underlying beliefs. Spirituality is heavily informed by theology but tends to use individual experience as the starting point.

Part of the goal of defining what spirituality is involves knowing what I’m studying, for one. But the goal is also to uncover what authentic spirituality is and to be able to eliminate what it is not. For example, I don't think spirituality is solely about the interior life or belief in God. It's not just mysticism, works-righteousness, something monks do, new age thought, meditation, religious enthusiasm, and so on.

In getting closer to understanding what it is, I think I can then better encourage others and discover myself what it means to live out the fullest experience of being human. Because I think that’s a key goal in the spiritual journey: not simply becoming more spiritual but becoming more human.

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[1] Sandra Schneiders, “Approaches to the Study of Christian Spirituality,” in The Blackwell Companion to Christian Spirituality, ed. Arthur Holder (West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011), 16.

What is Spirituality?

The name of my area of study at GTU is "Christian Spirituality." This is actually a rare program, and GTU and its scholars have received a lot of recognition for advancing the field of Christian Spirituality. This is a focused study, yet because the topic is inherently interdisciplinary, it is allowing and will allow me to explore a number of different topics in theology, interreligious dialogue, the sciences, and the lived experience and practice of Christians.

But part of the learning process for myself and other new students is understanding what "the field" actually is. And a component of this is understanding what is meant by the term spirituality. One of my first assignments was to write a definition of "spirituality", informed by a variety of assigned pieces by scholars in the field with some overlap but some nuance in their definitions.

Which leads me to my question: what do you think spirituality is? Like a recent query I posted here, I'm interested in your responses, unless you really like a particular author's version of it (e.g., you love the way Rick Warren or Richard Rohr articulates it). I'd rather, at least for the moment, not share my answer, so as not to influence any responses. I'm not looking for the right answer, just your actual impressions. You could respond (or just think about) any of the following questions:

• What is spirituality?
• Is spirituality a good thing? Why or why not?
• Are you engaged in spirituality? (i.e, are you "spiritual"?)
• What is it that demonstrates you are spiritual or not spiritual? (i.e, how do you know you are spiritual or not?)
• Some people talk about being "spiritual but not religious." What do you think of that phrase? Is it true for you?

The Lost Virtue of our Era

The following was penned by the amazingly brilliant and inspiring Joan Chittister...a text with which I’ve begun my morning, along with a slice of homemade pumpkin bread and Mark Johnson’s home-roasted coffee.

On one level, I notice a theological statement embedded here about how the church might best understand its role in society. But on a much simpler and more personal level, I sense my pride being challenged, along with my anxiety, my insecurity and tendency to compare, my desire to control, my indifference to others’ needs, and my blindness to where God can be found. Perhaps it will speak to you as well…

“If we reach out and meet God here where God is, if we accept God’s will in life where our will does not prevail, if we are willing to learn from others, if we can see ourselves and accept ourselves for what we are and grow from that, if we can live simply, if we can respect others and reverence them, if we can be a trusting part of our world without having to strut around it controlling it, changing it, wrenching it to our own image and likeness, then we will have achieved “perfect love that casts our fear” (I John 4:18). There will be nothing left to fear—not God’s wrath, not the loss of human respect, not the absence of control, not the achievements of others greater than our own whose success we have had to smother with rejection or deride with scorn.

“Humility, the lost virtue of our era, is crying to heaven for rediscovery. The development of nations, the preservation of the globe, the achievement of the human community may well depend on it.”

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From Joan Chittister, The Rule of Benedict: A Spirituality for the 21^st Century (New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 2010), 98-99.

Citizenship According to Jesus and Barack

Warning: very light politics ahead. Proceed with a light heart.

Joann and I listened to Obama’s speech in the car last night while driving through north Oakland searching for Fenton’s Creamery, an ice cream place that had been highly recommended to us. It was empowering.

The ice cream, I mean.

Obama made two Biblical appeals I caught, one intentional and one either accidental or at least informed by Biblical thinking or maybe just inclusive of the thrust of the Biblical narrative.

The first seemed characteristic of a political candidate seeking to be well-versed, or maybe poetic, or maybe just win the Christian vote. Obama said something like, “as the Scripture says, ‘our hope remains strong.’” I’m sure I’m misquoting him, but he didn’t reference the Scripture, and it sounds very Biblical, so if he just made it up, I’ll give it to him as being close enough.

His method may have been a bit “fortune cookie-ish,” as if the best way to read Scripture is to assume every Biblical phrase is a context-less “nugget” that probably applies directly to your situation. Which isn’t always a bad to way to use Scripture, though it often is.

But I admire his appeal to “hope” as a reminder not just of my own beliefs about the future of humankind, but of the value of holding to hope for this life—a hope that believes in the human ability to work for the common good, to live selflessly, to be driven by love, rather than an emphasis on our frequent human inability—also very real and obvious—to advocate for others in need and to live righteously. Talk about hope and you’ll get me every time—it’s a bit of a pet theme for me. J

(Side note: as Joann pointed out, very little of the audience cheered at his Biblical reference, probably indicative of the fact that this was the DNC and not the RNC).

The second reference to the Bible was indirect or perhaps not at all intentional as much as an appeal to ancient Greece and classic social ethics. After exhorting people to personal initiative as a means of economic recovery—perhaps his attempt to disallow Republicans from claiming “personal responsibility” as their party’s virtue—he then, as those of you who listened heard, called us to citizenship.

Now I recognize citizenship is one of those words that can be adapted to fit your agenda, and that what citizenship really involves—and what level of government involvement in our lives and business really encourages good citizenship and human flourishing—could be debated ad nauseum with no resolution between people with opposing political views.

But the way Obama was using the word seemed to emphasize our compassionate obligation to one another. And, maybe it’s just his super smooth voice, or George Clooney’s even smoother voice in the introductory video, but…it was kind of inspiring.

Though not an explicit appeal to Jesus’ most ultimate call—“love your neighbor as yourself,” an axiom echoed by many other religious traditions as well—the way Obama was using it seemed connected to this same common religious sentiment. Now, Obama may just have been using that word politically to encourage us toward the same goal that Romney would if he used the word....just from a different path.

But regardless of their intentions, it touched me on a more personal level: as a follower of Christ, what does it mean for me to be a good citizen? What kind of character should I possess and what kind of choices should I be making that most embody the message of selfless, compassionate love?

As a devoted Christian who will vote for Obama and generally sides with the Democratic party, it’s easy for me to be biased about what citizenship looks like toward a more liberal approach—i.e., supporting the right of gays to marry one another, or recognizing the enormous challenge of many to “help themselves” and thus the need for strong government intervention through, for example, taxes.

But it’s even more personal for me than that. I’m challenged by this thought—do I love others in ways that are convenient or that are also inconvenient as well? And, should I be willing to do good for others, regardless of how they respond?

Some of Joann’s and my Christian friends have used the great sounding board we call Facebook to vent about various political and economic issues. One such sentiment we’ve observed is an annoyance among many at having to help people that aren’t trying to help themselves. Essentially, people don’t like their tax dollars going to people they deem “lazy” or “irresponsible.” Frankly, I see a disconnect between their Christ-centered spirituality and the tenor of their statements, often said with a great deal of disgust and accusation. Is this real compassion?

I don’t think so, and admitting that is convicting, as I know I’ve repeatedly made judgments about people without knowing their story, the chain of events that led them to their current situation, or simply just the bizarre way in which the "god of luck” has chosen them to be less fortunate than me. It’s too easy to be dismissive of other people.

I am challenged to give more respect to those who struggle, emotionally or financially. I am also challenged to show compassion and generosity to others, simply because this is what good people do, what Jesus did; and I am challenged—while not abandoning practicality and strategy and big-picture thinking—to be willing to help others even when I can’t control the outcome, how they will be impacted by it. I’m challenged to do my part, even if the reactions of others to my acts of goodness are not ideal.

And I’m challenged to love in ways that aren’t simply convenient. It’s easy to do good for strangers and loved ones when there’s some benefit for you involved, when it doesn’t involve going out of your way, when it requires little abandonment of your own will and plans. But to be inconvenienced by others—for their good—is much more of a challenge. Heck…I can practice this at home. J

I feel obligated to the "Jesus way" (any Jolliff fans out there?); and Jesus did not simply say love your neighbor, but to “walk two miles” and “bless those who persecute you.”

Obama and I are probably defining "citizenship" slightly differently, though there are connections. I’d like to be a good “citizen” in the coming days by inconveniencing myself for others and doing good for others in ways that require some sacrifice; and also, by doing good for those who can’t return the favor, without judging them for their inability to repay me.

That probably means tackling some items on my wife's “honey-please” list and changing a few extra diapers. J

Pics of Our Bay Area Beginnings

Classes began yesterday. As I say goodbye to the "preface" of our California life, here are some pics of what we've been up to these past two weeks. So amazing how many transitions we've made these past months, but so enriched by and grateful for all of the new beginnings in our life!

All pictures from the master photographer herself, Joann Renee...

These were Clara's initial and secondary reactions to finding out we were moving to California the next day. My interpretation: "Wow!" then, "come on daddy, my cognitive abilities are too limited at this stage in my development to have any idea what you're saying."

 Myself, Bryan, Brad, and Pat. Bryan and Brad were my moving help, making the road to trip to California with me. Pat's a cool guy, so I made him a hat too. Our hats, from L to R: "I heart cool whip"; "1 1/2 out of 4 stars"; "Muffins"; "Bad credit". Immensely grateful for my fabulous, generous friends!

 Exploring the area near our condo with Clara. There are some great trails where I live, incredible views, and a nice cool breeze most days. And that obnoxious toll bridge in the distance that I cross 3-4 times a week. All bridges are toll bridges here. Boo. Unless I'm aiding in job creation with my tolls, in which case, not "boo" but "tolerable."

Victor Sneed! One of my all-time favorite people who I've spent far too little time with in my life, now only an hour and a half away. He's got a nice face, even though his son is blocking the shot. Just so it's known.

  The living room, kitchen, and dining areas in our new place. We're renting a condo in the Glen Cove neighborhood of Vallejo.

 A shot of my home office. 

Serenading Clara.

Exploring Berkeley.

Hanging out with Grandma.

My new normal...bottle feeding Clara on outings.

At a school BBQ with some of the other new doctoral students.

Wine tasting in Napa. Genuine or posed???

Smooching my sweetheart in the vineyard. And, trespassing, probably.

Mandie and Shaun, fellow Christian Spirituality PhD student and her husband, joining us on our tour through wine country.

In San Fran for the day.

Clara with her cool new hat, in San Fran. Such a hip baby.

After dinner at pier 39 in San Francisco with the family.

What’s an Evangelical? Are You That?

The Saturday before last was my second day of orientation at the GTU. It actually had little to do with introductions to the school, faculty, and programs. We instead spent the day discussing the concept of "service-learning" prior to going out and doing some actual work in the community. I spent several hours in a creek bed, cleaning up garbage and fallen debris that was either hindering the flow of the stream or detracting from its beauty (pardon the implied spiritual metaphor).

There was a very brief conversation that has stuck with me, in which several of us were discussing our similar college experiences at Evangelical schools. At some point a fellow student asked me if I was an Evangelical. I gave him my answer...which provoked a brief discussion about the scope and boundaries and marks of Evangelicalism.

So what does it mean to be an Evangelical Christian? I’m not convinced there’s one definitive answer, as I sense this descriptor means different things to different people in different contexts. Maybe for you it’s a political term, maybe a spiritual term, maybe a negative or positive term, maybe more a personality descriptor than a theological/religious one, or maybe just a redundant phrase, as for you perhaps true Christians, if they are good Christians, are necessarily Evangelical.

I was curious to hear from any of you—you who venture to this blog regularly or have done so for the first time—your response to any (or all) of the following questions:

• What's an Evangelical Christian (as opposed to any other kind of Christian)?
• What characterisitics—beliefs, practices—do you associate with Evangelicalism?
• Are you an Evangelical Christian? Why or why not?
• Are there specific things which you believe or practice that you think indicate you fall into the Evangelical "camp?" Anything that you think indicates you fall outside of the camp?
• If you don't consider yourself a Christian at all, what do you think of when you think of an Evangelical Christian?
• What do you find most admirable or praiseworthy about Evangelical Christianity?

I’d love to hear your responses to one or all of the above questions, whether you are Christian or not, Evangelical or not, human or not (non-human responses welcome). Don't go read a Wikipedia article for info...I'm less interested in what such sources say and more intrigued by your perception/opinion of the term. Would love your feedback!

And it probably goes without saying, but...please be as kind as you can. Honest, but kind. :)