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Defining Spirituality
When speaking about spirituality, one may be better suited to think of spirituality in terms of a verb rather than an idea or static statement: “One of the basic premises of any spirituality is that our nonphysical selves also thirst….We long to be loved, to love, and to live in a universe characterized by love. Yet we discover by experience that our longings are never completely fulfilled on the human level” (Holt, 2005, p. 1). So, in other words, life experiences have as much to do with our longings to be connected to something other than ourselves—a highly motivational factor with which one finds value and meaning throughout a lifespan. Thus, this perennial, human element forges through the complexities of life:
Spiritual development, then, is an ongoing, dynamic, and sometimes difficult interplay between one’s inward journey and one’s outward journey. It presses us to look inward to accept or discover our potential to grow, contribute, and matter, and to look outward to connect with life, including being in relationship with family, community, the world, and, for many, the sacred, divine, or some form of universal reality (Benson & Roehlkepartan, 2005, p. 20).
It is no wonder that youth express spirituality as being an aspect of the heart, especially if such an interplay highlights one’s inward feelings with one’s life experiences. Benson and Roehlkepartan (2005) go on to state that such an interplay involves at least three processes:
Awareness or awakening. Being or becoming aware of or awakening to one’s self, others, and the universe (which may be understood as including the sacred or divinity) in ways that cultivate identity, meaning, and purpose.
Interconnecting and belonging. Seeking, accepting, or experiencing significance in relationships to and interdependence with others, the world, or one’s sense of the transcendent (often including an understanding of God or a higher power); and liking to narratives, beliefs, and traditions that give meaning to human experience across time.
A way of living. Authentically expressing one’s identity, passions, values, and creativity through relationships, activities, and practices that shape bonds with oneself, family, community, humanity, the world, and that which one believes to be transcendent or sacred (p. 21).
It becomes apparent that when spirituality is used within the framework of youth development, it becomes a multi-layered stratum of experiences and reflections on those experiences that in turn provide an ever-changing stream of consciousness that, in most instances, blur or intimidate youth professional’s understandings of youth spiritual development. Because youth professionals are not sure what the guidelines are on addressing youth spiritual development (much like sexuality), they tend to stay away from either spirituality all together or, at least, labeling activities as such (Pittman, Garza, Yohalem, and Artman, 2005). Such a lack of understanding or clarity perpetuates a superficial understanding of spirituality, if that. But, in all fairness, youth professionals (secular youth professionals in particular) have reason to be cautious when spirituality sounds much more like religious indoctrination. In other words, spirituality or spiritual development is still considered, in many arenas, religious education or catechesis (Strommen, Jones, and Rahn, 2001). It is at this juncture, that the author attempts to define religion.
Defining Religion
The word religion is a peculiar word. In fact, its definition depends upon the lens in which one views religion—through the eyes of the theologian, philosopher, psychologist, historian, anthropologist, etc. And though it has many interpretations, one factor seems to be at the core—religion as a human experience:
Yet all agree that religion has to do with universal life experience and the ways in which sense is made of those experiences and meaning is attached to them. These universal experiences constitute the field from which the perennial human effort to make sense of the world (or deny that sense in some instances) arises: birth, death; joy, sorrow; knowledge, ignorance; success, failure; love, hate; suffering, relief; and body, spirit. This list includes that matters of primary concern to religion are universal, because of the fact that no human anywhere past, present, or future lives without experiencing them (Wiggins, 2003, p. 418).
Thus, religion or religious experience finds its bearings within the constructs of everyday life—the rituals, reflections, meditations, and pauses that give life meaning. But in defining religion as such, the author must take into account how religion has become the embodiment of vast beliefs and values, which have found shape and form throughout various houses of worship—churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, etc. These venues help define a community as well as the individual. So, when one does not wish to become a part of the religious community or hold similar beliefs and values, and yet is making meaning from life experiences, “being spiritual” becomes the default classification for most:
Perhaps most comforting to professionals, parents, and perhaps faith leaders is that the distinction between spirituality and religiosity seems to be clear to young people. Wilson conducted focus groups, interviews, and surveys of adolescents in researching her book A Part of You So Deep. Her findings: ’90 percent of youth said that a person could be spiritual without being religious—a finding consistent with research showing that while interest in organizational religion may dwindle during adolescence, interest in spirituality itself does not.’ Spirituality for these young people was more about finding and maintaining an inner compass than holding a set of shared beliefs (Pittman, et al., p. 32).
If the above-mentioned statement reasons to be true, then the dichotomy of being spiritual or religious is but the negation of religious systems or institutions. And that is a clarion call to all of us that religious institutions have the potential to hinder positive human development.
Within the Protestant Christian Church, the Swiss theologian, Karl Barth, re-emphasized this cautionary bulwark in ubiquitous fashion as the Protestant principle:
The ever-moving searchlight that the Reformation trains on all religion as it warns that religion may be as dangerous as it is necessary…All religion is in daily need of reformation because all religion, in both blatant and subtle ways, seeks to make itself and its creeds, codes, and cults more important than the revelation and experience it is meant to serve and pass on (Knitter, 2005, p. 55).
Even the most rudimentary reading of Church history portrays this divisive nature religion can play within the lives of people; consequently, youth professionals, working with youth of many religions or religious persuasions, may be leery when discussing how religion plays a part in youth development:
Doctrinal distinctions between secular and sacred, reinforces in the United States by (mis)interpretations of the First Amendment religion clauses, have led youth workers to a fearful avoidance of all things religious and spiritual in other than faith-based organizations. The rise of evangelical Christianity in the United States in the 1980s, with its powerful political infrastructure and its passion for youth ministry, reinforced the idea of equating spirituality in youth work with proselytizing. Today residual fear is regularly aggravated by news of growing global fundamentalism in Islam, Judaism, and Christianity (Kimball, 2008, p. 112).
Although there are potential negatives associated with religion in general, the term religion as an embodiment of everyday life experience(s)is much more analogous with the term spirituality. And yet, a spiritual person or young person need not be religious, so to speak.
One final cautionary note needs to be made though. When we discuss institutions such as churches or synagogues, we need to remember that they are "jars of clay"--they are made up of people (like you and me) that exhibit imperfections and,though their intentions may be good, act in such a way that can be a hinderance in our and youth spiritual development. That being said, religious institutions do provide a spring board affect which allows youth to begin a process of developing a religious lexicon and religious symbolism that has the potential to permeate and give meaning to their life experiences. Yes, there is a light at the end of the tunnel for us religious educators. In the face of all that can be negative with religious institutions, we can help youth forge meaning and purpose through the symbols and rituals that we hold sacred and, hopefully, they will too.
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