Spiritual but not religious dating

Spirituality plays a huge role in the so-called "New Age" movement, since by-and-large, very little if anything in New Age is organized, and the experiences are very individual and tend to all be in this vague area of "self-awareness", " self-improvement " and generic "fulfillment". Books, tapes, crystals , retreats and conferences are sold by the thousands to "help" individuals "get in touch with their unique spirituality". Individual practitioners may or may not believe themselves to be of a higher "spirituality", but their general views and belief in magical thinking leaves them open to woomeisters who sell spirituality to anyone willing to pay. Like all woo, spirituality in a New Age context has its share of idiots claiming "scientific" evidence regarding the benefits of their particular woo.

These are statements most of us have probably heard. The question for today is this — are these Christian statements? I think about spirituality and religion like driving and a vehicle — one drives the other, but not vice-versa. Spirituality requires religion the same way driving requires a vehicle car, truck, motorcycle, speedboat, bicycle, etc. It can take many forms, but the ideas behind the spirituality come from somewhere.

But what does it actually mean? Can you be one without the other? The twin cultural trends of deinstitutionalization and individualism have, for many, moved spiritual practice away from the public rituals of institutional Christianity to the private experience of God within.

I talked to people who have spent a lot of time mulling it over, and came away with some important context for the major shift happening in American faith. If you missed our call with Emma Green, you can find the transcript and recording here. But does he identify with a particular religion?