BASIC FOUNDATIONS OF SPIRITUALITY  According to Oman (2013) he compiled a list of past

and present selected definitions of spirituality from

various scholarly contexts:
DEFINITIONS OF SPIRITUALITY
 Oman (2013, p. 28) also noted that “in the late 20th
 The word “spirituality” can be traced from its origin century, the word spirituality began to acquire an
in the Letters of St. Paul especially in 1 Corinthians additional English usage as something that can be
2:14-15 explicitly pursued not only within a formal religious
 By the 5th century words spiritus and spiritualis (Latin tradition, but also outside of traditions.”
translation of pneuma and pneumatikos) has come to - “Spiritual But Not Religious”
signify those individuals whose mind, will and heart
were ordered and led by the spirit over against those
egoistically attached to things of the world.
 In Hebrew, spirituality can be traced from the concept
of “ruach” which means “breath, spirit or wind,”
which is the one that animates.
 Spirituality can also refer to the organized study and
teaching of the varieties of personal and communal
spiritualities that have appeared in history and are
appearing at this moment (Woods, 1989).
 Spirituality is viewed primarily as a subjective, “inner”
pursuit that includes the inclination to perceive the
self and others as “spiritual” and an existential search
for meaning and transcendence (Astin et al., 2011).
 The term spirituality can be understood depending on
the kind of thought it is being expressed. The Western
thought has a different understanding of spirituality
over the Eastern/Asian thought.
Fisher (2011) proposed points of agreement on the
nature of spirituality:
1)innate
2)emotive
3)related to religion
4)subjective
5) dynamic
 Spirituality can be defined in various perspectives.
Spirituality is often defined more broadly than
religiosity, with a focus on seeking the sacred or
ultimate truth without the institutional boundaries of
organized religion (Newberg & Newberg, 2008 as  Other scholars cite the interconnectedness of
cited in Brandenberger & Bowman, 2013). spirituality and religiosity as a single scientific
 Spirituality is also often connected with the concept construct (Good & Willoughby, 2014).
of religion and religiosity. The foregoing history shows The interrelatedness of spirituality and religiosity
how religion and spiritualty have carried many shifting (S/R) can be understood in the institutional and
and sometimes opposed connotations, underscoring personal levels (Good, 2011as cited in Baring et al,
the need to clarity their meanings (Oman, 2013). 2016).
 In a recent article published by Baring (2018) on the MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS
emerging transitions of meanings on religious
 Major world religions also present certain kind of
constructs. Because of the shifts on diffused spiritual
spirituality depending on their emphasis and
religiosity and the emergence of the communal-
meaning making. It can be said that spirituality is not
personal poles in understanding religion (Figure 1)
owned by any religion nor movements. Each religion
and the sacred (Figure 2), he proposed a new shift
has its own unique way of expressing and
towards “ethical spirituality” (Figure 3) which
strengthening their members’ spirituality.
highlights the ethical character of the diffused
 Bowen (2018) provided the latest religious
condition of spirituality and religiosity.
demographics in the world. According to him,
Christians are the majority group (31.5 %) of about
2.2 billion people followed by Islam (22.3 %) with 1.6
billion people, no religion (15.4 %), Hindu (14 %),
Buddhist (5.3 %), Sikhism (0.3 % ), Judaism (0.2 %)
and others (11 %).
Islam
- Founded :610 CE on the Arabian Peninsula by the
Prophet Mohammed.
- estimated 1.6 billion members.
- Holy places such as Makkah (Mecca) and Madinah in
Saudi Arabia.
- Holy book is Qur’an
- Holy symbols are the crescent and star.
Hinduism
-Founded and developed gradually in prehistoric
times.
- Around 1 billion followers.
- Sacred places such as River Ganges especially at
Varanasi (Benares) and other places in India.
-Holy Books: Vedas, Upanishads, Mahabharata and
Rarnayana
- Holy Symbol: Aum
Buddhism
-Can be traced its beginnings in 535 CE in Northern
India.
- It has 576 million followers.
- Holy Places: Bodh Gaya, Sarnath in Northern India
– Holy Book:Tripitaka
- Holy Symbol: eight-spoked wheel
Sikhism
-Founded in Northwest India in 15th Century CE.
- 23 million followers
- Holy Places: they consider takhts, or seats of high
authority in Amritsar, Patna Sahib, Anandpur Sahib,
Nanded and Talwandi
 -Holy books include the Guru Granth Sahib and their
holy symbol is the Khanda, the symbol of the Khalsa
Judaism
-Founded in what is now Israel around 2,000 BCE
-Around 14 million followers.
- Jerusalem is considered to be a holy place especially
the Western Wall.
-Holy book includes the Torah, Nebiim and Ketubim
(Tanak)
- Holy symbol is the seven branched menorah (candle
stand).
THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF SPIRITUALITY
 Religion brings together people of diverse beliefs.
It requires distinctive format and traditional
organizations. Religion embraces the 3 C’s
Code
Creed
Cult
SPIRITUALITY
covers the entire range of man’s faculties: intellect,
feeling, will, and all the attributes of personality.
is the state of a soul vitalized by the Divine Spirit and
made alive unto God.