It often puzzles me when these two concepts are used
interchangeably. When Chaplains confuse
the two, it really causes a raised eyebrow.
With that in mind, I will present some of the best and thorough-going
definitions of the term ‘spirituality’.
“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.” National
Consensus Panel Report, Improving the Quality of Spiritual Care as a Dimension
of Palliative Care: The Report of the Consensus Conference, October, 2009.
“We can define “spiritual” as a life force that awakens us
to healing, wonder, community, trust, deep emotions and authentic hope. What is “spiritual” within a person informs
our understanding of identity, our place in the world, our purpose and our
values. This, in turn, inspires
creativity, mutuality, morality, and serving the good of all. This can be achieved through faith in a
religion, of course, but by defining it this way, it need not be limited solely
to the religious realm.” Spiritual
Health Therapy: New Nomenclature for Spiritual Care Provision at William Osler
Health System, Plainviews, February 17, 2016
Volume 13 No. 2.
“Spirituality is the culmination of a person’s quest to
discover the ultimate and transcendent meaning and purpose of his/her life. Spirituality
reflects the essence and substance of that person - the values, thoughts,
emotions, motivations, dreams, experiences, assumptions and relationships that
make the person a unique individual. Spirituality provides the individual with
the vitality, drive and determination to develop and function as a fully
actualized person. Spirituality is not static; it changes over time in response
to external events and the person’s ever-developing and evolving sense of self.”
Hillel Bodek, MSW, LCSW-R, BCD
I encourage all members of the IDT to review the above in
order to recognize the depth and breadth of spirituality and to recognize it
may include religious expression, but that religious expression is not required
for a person to be spiritual.
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