Glossary

 Here are words you may occasionally encounter on this web site or on your personal spiritual journey:

Agnostic (weak or soft)

Someone who has persistent doubts about the existence of a supernatural, transcendent being or force, but who is not entirely closed to the idea and is interested in exploring the possibility (Source: Elizabeth Drescher)

 Agnostic (strong or hard)

Someone who believes it is not possible for anyone to know whether there is or is not a supernatural, transcendent being or force and who is not particularly interested in exploring the question further (Source: Elizabeth Drescher)

 Atheist

Someone who does not believe in a supernatural, transcendent being (God or gods) or force that governs the universe (Source: Elizabeth Drescher)

 Contemplation 

The mystical process of cultivating union with God, or the inner realization of ultimate awareness. These experiences are further developed through study and discussion (Source: Wayne Teasdale)

 Dualism 

A theory that considers reality to consist of two irreducible elements or modes;

The quality or state of being dual or of having a dual nature;

A doctrine that the  universe is under the dominion of two opposing principles, one of which is good and the other evil;

A view of human beings as constituted of two irreducible elements (such as matter and spirit)

(Source: merriam-webster.com)

 Inter-faith 

Involving persons of different religious traditions (Source: merriam-webster.com)

 Inter-spirituality

Points to the realization that, although there are many spiritual paths, a universal commonality underlies them all. It is not about eliminating the world’s rich diversity of religious expression but an attempt to make available to everyone all the forms the spiritual journey assumes. People are not encouraged to reject their own traditions but rather to build upon them (Source: Wayne Teasdale)

 Liberal

Not literal or strict; not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or traditional forms (Source: merriam-webster.com)

 Meditation 

A discourse intended to express its author’s reflections or to guide others in contemplation (Source: merriam-webster.com)

Mindfulness

 The practice of being fully present and alive, body and mind united (Source: Thich Nhat Hanh)

Mysticism 

This refers to the direct, immediate experience of ultimate reality, the types and descriptions of which are dependent upon the specific tradition.   All forms of mysticism are inherently part of spirituality, but not all kinds of spirituality are intrinsically mystical. (Source: Wayne Teasdale)

 Nondualism

Any of various monistic (reality is one unitary organic whole, with no independent parts) or pluralistic (reality is composed of a plurality of entities) theories of the universe (Source: merriam-webster.com)

 Non-theist 

A person who does not believe there is a god or gods; a person who is not a believer in theism (Source: merriam-webster.com)

 “None”

Someone who answers “none” or “none of the above” when asked about religious preference, affiliation, or identity (Source: Elizabeth Drescher)

 Most “Nones” are not dismissive of God or spirituality but simply find religious labels and affiliation too narrow and constraining. (Source: Rami Shapiro)

 Panentheism 

A doctrine that God includes the world as a part though not the whole of its being (Source: merriam-webster.com)

 Pantheism

A doctrine that equates God with the forces and laws of the universe (Source: merriam-webster.com)

 Perennial wisdom (perennial philosophy)

 This wisdom is called “perennial” because as a perennial flower cycles through periods of birth, growth, death, and rebirth, this wisdom keeps appearing and disappearing in almost every human civilization. The heart of this wisdom is that everything is a manifestation of the One Thing, called by many names - God, Tao, Brahma, Krishna, Allah, Great Spirit, etc. (Source: Rami Shapiro)

 Religion

Religions stem from the primary mystical experiences of their founders. Mystical spirituality underpins all genuine faith traditions. Religions can serve as valuable carriers of these traditions within  communities.  Religious people without authentic spiritual paths, however, may merely go through the motions of being part of a church, synagogue, mosque, or temple  (Source: Wayne Teasdale)

 Spirituality

“Spirituality is a broad concept with room for many perspectives. In general, it includes a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves, and it typically involves a search for meaning in life. As such, it is a universal human experience—something that touches us all. (Source: Louise Delagran, from the article, “What Is Spirituality?”)

Refers to an individual’s solitary search for and discovery of the absolute or the divine. It involves direct mystical experience of God, or realization of vast awareness. It carries with it a conviction that the transcendent is real, and it requires some sort of spiritual practice that acts as a catalyst to inner change and growth. It is primarily personal, but it also has a social dimension.  Spirituality, like religion, derives from mysticism.  (Source: Wayne Teasdale)

 Spiritual-But-Not-Religious (SBNR) 

 Describes someone who generally believes in some form of supernatural, transcendent being or force, and may engage in a variety of practices from traditional religions and/or metaphysical teachings  (Source: Elizabeth Drescher)

 Spiritually fluid

Describes someone who is shaped by, or maintains bonds to, more than one spiritual or religious community at the same time (Source: Duane R. Bidwell)

 Spiritually independent

Describes someone who shares the same existential questions as most people but who does not confine the search for answers to any one religion or spiritual community (Source: Rami Shapiro)

 Theism 

Belief in the existence of a god or gods; 

A belief in the existence of one God viewed as the creative source of the human race and the world who transcends, yet is immanent in the world

(Source: merriam-webster.com)