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What Does Spirituality Mean to Us?

Description

This report helps congregations understand the spectrum of spiritual identity in the U.S. and how spiritual identity affects people’s community and political engagement. Published in 2020, the findings are based on research that the Fetzer Institute conducted to understand people’s intrinsic spirituality and to help build a spiritual foundation for a loving world.

To research spiritual beliefs in the U.S., the Fetzer Institute reached out to people inside and outside religious institutions through focus groups, in-depth interviews, and a national survey. The findings are organized around guiding questions, such as “ How do people describe spirituality for themselves?” and “ How does a sense of accountability inform the way people connect to inner spirituality and outer action?”

Features

  • 122 pages
  • 6 key findings
  • Graphs and illustrations of data
  • Quotations from respondents
  • Expert Insight sections

Recommended Audience

Congregational leaders looking for a deeper sense of what "spiritual but not religious" means

Cost

Free

Practical Applications

  • Discuss a guiding question or graph with a study group to gain insight into spiritual practices within and beyond your congregation.
  • Compare and contrast your congregation with the research findings to understand how your congregation reflects spiritual beliefs in the U.S.
  • Discuss the research with your congregational leadership to determine how your congregation might engage in civic action.

About the Contributor

Contributor
Tim Shapiro

President

Tim Shapiro is the Indianapolis Center’s president. He began serving the Center in 2003 after 18 years in pastoral ministry. For 14 years, Tim served Westminster Presbyterian Church in Xenia, Ohio. Prior to his pastorate at Westminster, he was pastor of Bethlehem Presbyterian Church in Logansport, Indiana. He holds degrees from Purdue University and Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

Tim’s interest in how congregations learn to do new things is represented in his book How Your Congregation LearnsAfter his extensive work on the Center’s Sacred Space initiative, Tim co-authored the book Holy Places: Matching Sacred Space with Mission and MessageHe has also authored several articles, including Applying Positive Deviance and The Congregation of Theological Coherence.

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