I’m Religious, Not Spiritual

Yes, you read that correctly. It is the opposite of a phrase you've probably heard from friends or the media. Among the college students I taught for many decades,  one of their rallying cries was! “I’m spiritual, but not religious.” The idea behind the phrase is that I believe in God, and I have several spiritual disciplines that I practice. However, I do not want to be involved with organized religion because it is too hypocritical. This sentiment became even more pronounced as the Evangelical church in the USA became increasingly aligned with extreme rightist ideology.

While listening to a podcast featuring an Episcopal Priest, he stated: “I’m religious, not spiritual.” From his statement, I got the title for this blog post. At first I was brought up short by his proclamation, but after he briefly explained his position, I had to admit that he had a point. 

He claimed that the quest for spiritual enlightenment is a very individualistic endeavor, lessening the need for community and gathering together for worship. This fits all too well into the individualistic culture of the USA. Although he was not against spiritual practices, he wanted to make a point about the need for organized religion to properly maintain connections to other people, along with providing important rituals. 

The Catholic Church has always had a certain focus on spiritual practices, often only for certain people Forms of meditation and other spiritual practices have recently become very popular in Protestant circles, including Mennonites. In the Salt & Light materials prepared by Herald Press for Sunday schools, each lesson includes a section called "Spiritual Practice." I personally have been on an inward journey and even wrote a book about spiritual practices titled: “The Spacious Heart: Room for Spiritual Awakening." Through these practices, I have become more aware of myself, deepened my relationship with God, and even learned how to relate better to others. I affirm individual practices of devotion. 

I have lived in collectivistic cultures where most individual quests, like spirituality,
are suspect. Seemingly the only way to connect to God is through corporate worship, and services are provided almost every evening to fulfill that need. Their worship is lively spontaneous and meaningful. They are relational and committed to community.  This is certainly a good dimension of spirituality. 

"I am spiritual but not religious." "I am religious but not spiritual." I find both of these expressions to be an inadequate expression of spirituality and religion. They set up an "either/or" dichotomy. Life is more ambiguous than that. I think both an individual quest and a corporate expression of spirituality are necessary for a healthy spiritual life. In the aforementioned book, borrowing from Ronald Rolheiser's book "A Holy Longing," I outline four essential practices for a healthy spirituality. They are equally divided between individual and corporate quests.

    1. Contemplative prayer or meditation. Individual quest

    2. Belong to a community of faith. Corporate quest

    3. Social justice. Corporate quest

    
4. An open, spacious, mellow heart. Individual quest

Therefore, I am both spiritual and religious.