Spiritual Directions, Religious Ways and Education

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Joseph McCann

Abstract

In his discussion of religion and spirituality, sociologist of religion Robert Wuthnow explains two mentalities, one interested in stability and security and the other which moves towards exploration and transition. Many individuals now are looking for the sacred and the meaningful elsewhere than in traditional churches or religious institutions and finding it in places not usually regarded as sacred. Building on Wurthnow’s concept, this article maps out the movement of spiritual seekers as they travel from their familiar locale in different directions by unknown paths to spiritual “fresh woods and pastures new.” This article also employs an extended metaphor of journey or passage, that is, someone goes from one place to another, chooses a route, makes discoveries on the way and arrives at a destination. The journey is the inner journey of a person seeking, looking and finding a new spiritual home. The paper provides a framework or map, to enable one to observe where the journey may be headed.

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