But Is It Spirituality?

Spirituality is constructed in different ways by various religious traditions, spiritual movements, belief systems, cultures, and contexts, and not least by particular individuals in specific circumstances. All may use the term ‘spirituality’, but each may well be using it in quite different ways.

– John Swinton and Stephen Pattison ¹

Below are six definitions of spirituality used in nursing care and end-of-life care. These six definitions share several themes in common with themes found in spiritual humanism.

• “Spirituality refers to that dimension of our lives that deals with values—truth, meaning, love, integrity, joy, and happiness, in essence, with how and why we live.” – William Murray ²
• “Spirituality is the aspect of humanity that refers to the way individuals seek and express meaning and purpose and the way they experience their connectedness to the moment, to self, to others, to nature, and to the significant or sacred.” – Christina Puchalski, Robert Vitillo, Sharon Hull, and Nancy Reller ³
• “Spirituality means to be concerned with one’s own existence, the role in one’s own life and the lives of others, as well as to see a meaningfulness in that.” – Piret Paal, Cornelia Brandstötter, Reinhard Grabenweger, Kate Jones, and Megan Best ⁴
• “By spirituality I mean a sense of compassion, nonviolence, truthfulness, lovingkindness, being connected to the whole, and living a simple, peaceful harmonious life.” – Mehrdad Massoudi ⁵
• “Spirituality is a personal search for meaning and purpose in life, which may or may not be related to religion. It entails connection to self-chosen and or religious beliefs, values, and practices that give meaning to life, thereby inspiring and motivating individuals to achieve their optimal being. This connection brings faith, hope, peace, and empowerment. The results are joy, forgiveness of oneself and others, awareness and acceptance of hardship and mortality, a heightened sense of physical and emotional well-being, and the ability to transcend beyond the infirmities of existence.” – Ruth Tanyi ⁶
• “Spirituality is a way of being in the world in which a person feels a sense of connectedness to self, others, and/or a higher power or nature; a sense of meaning in life; and transcendence beyond self, everyday living, and suffering.” – Elizabeth Weathers, Geraldine McCarthy, and Alice Coffey ⁷

Based on share themes with the definitions above, one may reasonably view spiritual humanism as a spirituality.

U.S. national surveys reveal how people in the U.S. think and talk about spirituality. Spiritual humanism shares many themes in common with these surveys. I offer two surveys as examples.

FETZER SURVEY ON SPIRITUALITY

In a 2020 survey by the Fetzer Institute, researchers identified 10 main themes in people’s views about spirituality.⁸ The 10 themes included:

1. Internal and external – the relationship between people’s inner selves and their outer experiences or actions.
2. Connection – connections to other people, the natural world, or a higher power.
3. The natural world – being in or engaging with nature or the universe.
4. Love – love as a feeling, experience, or expression.
5. Seeking – a search for answers or attempt to make sense of the world.
6. Relationships – connections with family, friends, and strangers.
7. Peace – peace as a feeling or experience.
8. Energy – a force emanating from within or outside a person.
9. Divine being – belief in or relationship with a higher power of some kind.
10. Religion – religious practices.

The first 7 themes above are also themes in spiritual humanism. The 8th theme of “energy” and the 9th theme of “divine being” are optional in spiritual humanism, since people are encouraged to rely on their own views about the supernatural. The 10th theme of “religion” is also optional in spiritual humanism, since participation in an organized religion is not required and depends on personal preference.

PEW SURVEY ON SPIRITUALITY

A 2023 survey by the Pew Research Center identified 10 themes that people said were essential or important to their personal sense of spirituality.⁹ The 10 themes are listed below along with the percent of people who said they were essential or important:

1. Being connected with something bigger than myself (93%)
2. Being connected with my true self (89%)
3. Being open-minded (86%)
4. Being connected with other people (85%)
5. Being connected with nature (81%)
6. Finding a set of beliefs that I make for myself (68%)
7. Being connected with God (86%)
8. Being connected with loved ones who have passed (66%)
9. Following a religious faith (69%)
10. Continuing family traditions (71%)

The first 6 themes are also themes in spiritual humanism. The 7th theme on being connected with God and the 8th theme on being connected with deceased loved ones are optional in spiritual humanism, since people are encouraged to rely on their own views about the supernatural. The 9th theme on following a religious faith is optional in spiritual humanism, since participating in an organized religion is not required and depends on personal preference. The 10th theme on family traditions is also optional in spiritual humanism, since the quality of an individual’s family experiences can vary greatly.

Based on shared themes with the two surveys above, it is reasonable to think of spiritual humanism as a spirituality.

My personal sense of spirituality may also be summarized by a paragraph from the Dalai Lama’s book Ethics for the New Millennium. Paraphrasing the Dalai Lama: ¹⁰

• Practicing spirituality does not require a temple, church, mosque, or synagogue. It does not require a complicated doctrine or philosophy. The temple is the mind. The doctrine is love, compassion, and respect for the rights and dignity of others regardless of who they are. The vow is to help reduce suffering and promote well-being for the benefit of all.

Spiritual humanism helps me bring this sense of spirituality to life.

1. John Swinton and Stephen Pattison (2010). Moving beyond clarity: towards a thin, vague, and useful understanding of spirituality in nursing care. Nursing Philosophy, 11: 226–237. Quote taken from page 230.
2. William Murry (2011). Becoming More Fully Human: Religious Humanism as a Way of Life. Published by Religious Humanism Press. Quotes taken from page 5.
3. Christina Puchalski, Robert Vitillo, Sharon Hull, and Nancy Reller (2014). Improving the spiritual dimension of whole person care: Reaching national and international consensus. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 17: 642–656. Quote taken from page 643.
4. Piret Paal, Cornelia Brandstötter, Reinhard Grabenweger, Kate Jones, and Megan Best (2023). Spirituality is “sometimes just a hug”: A conceptual analysis from the perspective of nursing students. Palliative and Supportive Care, 1-8. Quote taken from page 5.
5. Mehrdad Massoudi (2003). Can Scientific Writing Be Creative? Journal of Science Education and Technology, 12: 115-128. Quote taken from page 118.
6. Ruth Tanyi (2002). Towards clarification of the meaning of spirituality. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 39: 500–509. Quote taken from page 506.
7. Elizabeth Weathers, Geraldine McCarthy, and Alice Coffey (2016). Concept analysis of spirituality: An evolutionary approach. Nursing Forum, 51: 79-96. Quote taken from page 93.
8. Veronica Selzer, Gillian Gonda, & Mohammed Mohammed (2020). What Does Spirituality Mean to Us? A Study of Spirituality in the United States. Kalamazoo, MI: Fetzer Institute. See page 13 for the list of themes.
9. Pew Research Center (2023). Spirituality Among Americans. Report written by Becka Alper, Michael Rotolo, Patricia Tevington, Justin Nortey, and Asta Kallo. See page 29 for the list of themes.
10. Dalai Lama (1999). Ethics for the New Millennium. New York, NY: Riverhead Books. Paraphrased from page 234.