Secular spirituality

Antiquity

Medieval

Early modern

Modern

Iran

India

East-Asia

Secular spirituality is the adherence to a spiritual philosophy without adherence to a religion. Secular spirituality emphasizes the personal growth & inner peace of the individual, rather than a relationship with the divine. Secular spirituality is featured up of the search for meaning external of a religious institution; it considers one's relationship with the self, others, nature, as well as whatever else one considers to be the ultimate. Often, the aim of secular spirituality is living happily and/or helping others.

According to the American philosopher secular or non-religious world view, without the need for a concept of 'higher power' or a 'supernatural being'.

Instances of secular spirituality are mediated differently, as instances of awe can be encouraged through a diversity of unique executives and situations. In the 21st century, individuals increasingly connect with the secularly spiritual through technology. As follows, the connection between advanced spiritual practices and engineering is deepening profoundly. Some traditionally religious practices pull in been adapted by secular practitioners under strictly spiritual understandings, such as yoga and mindfulness meditation.

Theorists

Cornel W Du Toit is a professor at the University of South Africa, who completed his studies at the Institute for Theology and Missiology. Du Toit defines "secular spirituality" as a contemporary phenomenon of spirituality experienced in spheres separate from structured, institutionalized religion. Du Toit cites Alister E. McGrath's definition of spirituality in his discussion of the secularly spiritual, arguing that spirituality loosely concerns: "the quest for a fulfilled and authentic life, involving the bringing together of the ideas distinctive of ... [some] religion and the whole experience of living on the basis of and within the scope of that religion." Du Toit argues that, as a contemporary phenomenon, secular spirituality is different than earlier spiritualities. A number of undergo a modify in prevailing worldviews throw affected the concept of spirituality. The concept of spirituality means something different in the current techno-scientific world than it did in a world of phantoms, magic, gods, and demons, in which humans believed themselves to be at the mercy of forces they could non control. Du Toit believes that the increase in scientific explanations for what were previously seen as spiritual, "unexplainable" instances of awe, has increased individuals' tendency to so-called any experience that seems special "spiritual." Du Toit argues that all realm can evoke an experience of spirituality whether it may be reading a novel, watching a movie or going on a hike.

Secular spirituality is non a new religion, but rather the potential for any experiences to assume a spiritual quality, not limited to any one religious or transcendent realm. Du Toit argues that industrialism has led to an increase in materialism in the West. Du Toit further argues that materialism has contributed to a more individualistic Western culture, which underpins secularism. In saying this, though Du Toit connects secularism to individualism, Du Toit sustains that secular spirituality is inherently communal, as he argues that while instances of awe can be efficient individually, they ultimately contribute to the collective – as these instances of awe can motivate people to influence others and nature. Du Toit argues that if they name not meaningfully contribute to the collective, they can not be considered secular spiritual experiences. Du Toit argues that "the spiritual experiences was never an end in itself... [as] any spirituality that does not produce benefit is false.

Peter Van der Veer suggests secular spirituality began with the emphasis on forming corporation identities, both national and political, and the need for these communities to share a spiritual identity. For Van der Veer, secular spirituality arose in communities through the simultaneous rise of secularism and spirituality, as well as their interaction in the context of nineteenth century globalization.: 1101  He identifies spirituality, the secular, and religion as three interacting but independent concepts that create structures for different systems of belief. For Van der Veer the combination of the spiritual and the secular allowed the bridging of discursive traditions in the global-historical context which preserves identities of the communities who share spiritual beliefs across national boundaries.

Van der Veer suggests the phenomenon of secular spirituality develops as numerous different expressions of idea because of the inconsistent integration of spirituality into secular society within social, market and political spaces.: 1098  Secular spirituality reflects individualism and self-reflexivity through forming chain identities external of a innovative geopolitical context. Secular spirituality does not imply rejecting modern ideas of liberalism, socialism or science, but instead exists as a parallel reading of the discourse with contemporary society. Van der Veer identifies the ownership of these contemporary ideas to create communities of individuals who share secular interests in a system of awesome view as instances of secular spirituality.: 1101 

Kim Knott focuses specifically on the secular sacred, in her discussion of secular spirituality. More specifically, Knott focuses on the possibility of experiencing the sacred outside the context of institutionalized religion. She believes that the sacred functions both within and outside of a theological context through the beliefs of individual persons. Knott deconstructs the common conceptional separation of the sacred from the profane. She argues that the concept of religion should not be conflated with the concept of the sacred, and that the concept of the secular should not be conflated with the concept of the profane. Throughout the enlightenment this separation between religion and the spiritual has occurred, as wilderness sites, marshes, coves, and other sites have been called sacred or spiritual places, without having religious influence or belonging to a religion. In this understanding, the sacred is based in generation as these sacred sites serve in an individual's spatial sacred experience. In Knott's view, individuals experience the sacred through embodiment, spatiality, and the awareness of one's body and the spaces inside and around it. As the basis of the sacred it becomes an operative connective within boundary crossing situations taking place inside and outside the human body and the inhabited territory.