What does “I’m spiritual, but not religious” really mean?
When I started thinking about the differences between personal spirituality and religion, the problem I had was not finding information, but of choosing among the many and diverse areas that have published academic papers which consider ‘spirituality’, often from a very specific viewpoint (for example from hospital chaplaincy, religious institutions, occupational therapy, or even management consultancy). My initial search of the literature began with papers by well-known voices in the field, particularly Sandra Schneiders ( e.g. Schneiders, 1986) and Philip Sheldrake (e.g. Sheldrake, 2013), as well as review papers that gave an overview of a large number of other researchers and writers (e.g. Knoblauch, 2008, and Principe 1983).
But I think revisiting my vocation to academic study, and trying to get back to the basics of discernment are helping me find a better way. It’s all about making a container for what needs to be done, or coralling the calves! So I’ve gone back to basics, making a ‘to-do’ list and then planning when I’m going to do what is necessary and setting a time limit on how long I can give to a task. I note down everything that comes in that needs an action. This stops me from wasting time e.g. reading a long email that arrives when I don’t have the time to complete the actions that it requires. I just note it onto the list, and leave it for when I have time and energy to deal with it. I’m also not dealing with things as quickly. I’ve found that nothing is really ‘that’ urgent, and taking time for a considered response is often better.