Definition: Spirituality

1. “the experience or expression of the sacred” (Adapted from Random House Dictionary of the English Language, 1967).

2. “…the search for transcendent meaning” – can be expressed in religious practice or …expressed ”exclusively in their relationship to nature, music, the arts, a set of philosophical beliefs, or relationships with friends and family” (Astrow et al. 2001).

3. “individual search for meaning” Bown and Williams 1993).

4. “the search for meaning in life events and a yearning for connectedness to the universe” (Coles 1990).

5. “a person’s experience of, or a belief in, a power apart from his or her own existence” (Mohr 2006).

6. “a quality that goes beyond religious affiliation, that strives for inspiration, reverence, awe, meaning and purpose, even in those who do not believe in God. The spiritual dimension tries to be in harmony with the universe, strives for answers about the infinite, and comes essentially into focus in times of emotional stress, physical (and mental) illness, loss, bereavement and death” (Murray and Zentner 1989:259).

7. …refers to a broad set of principles that transcend all religions. Spirituality is about the relationship between ourselves and something larger. That something can be the good of the community or the people who are served by your agency or school or with energies greater than ourselves. Spirituality means being in the right relationship with all that is. It is a stance of harmlessness toward all living beings and an understanding of their mutual interdependence.” (Kaiser 2000)