This website predominantly highlights neuroscience-related resources and references found amongst educators of the Association of Theological Schools of the United States and Canada.
What is Spirituality?
Spirituality is not synonymous with religion. Each person’s understanding of spirituality is unique, shaped by life-experience, and practiced outside the domain of formal religious doctrine. Spirituality is the way people experience, express, and/or seek meaning, purpose, and transcendence. It is the way people connect to the moment, self, others, nature, the significant, and/or the sacred. We all yearn for the meaning of life and death. Religion is a set of specific creeds, rituals, and traditions that creates a unified understanding of the nature of God or Ultimate Reality. Others may define spirituality or religion differently. It is important to remember there is much diversity in how people approach both spirituality or religion.
The resources on this site are a means for us to dialogue and learn even amid our differences. If we can accept that which is best from those who are different from us, we can grow, encourage, and inspire one another. Understanding other people different from ourselves can help us understand our own beliefs and practices. Below are several additional resources with background on different faith traditions.
World Religions
Traditions in Brief – Short video introductions of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism from the Harvard Divinity School Religious Literacy Project.
The World’s Religions – by Huston Smith is an excellent primer for understanding different faith traditions.
Global Religious Landscape – The Pew Research Center provides extensive demographic studies on faith throughout the world.