In Search of the Sacred: A Conceptual Analysis of Spirituality

Abstract

Spirituality has captured experiential educators' attention primarily via researching lived experience and exploring implications for programming. This article seeks to complement empirical study and pedagogy with conceptual inquiry. Drawing on religious studies, a conceptual analysis of spirituality reveals “the sacred” to be fundamental to understanding spirituality. The article discusses the two notions of broad and specific spirituality, and considers modes of human consciousness and functioning that make spiritual experience possible The article, further, alerts experiential educators that spiritual education is, in part, religious education. Issues this raises are addressed.