Religion AND Spirituality – or – Religion VS. Spirituality
By Ellen Johanson with Pastor Alice Hedges
The Pacific Northwest Annual Conference welcomes Diana Butler Bass as she presents two teaching sessions focusing on hope, the perceptions, change, and developing community relationships.
Diana Butler Bass presented a picture of the church in America in two teaching sessions held on Friday. She talked about religion, spirituality, church decline, opportunities for awakening the church and said that “Hope is elusive. Hope is not just a word. It is something we have to work on. It is something we do together.” According to Bass, “people love to talk about decline but fear talking about awakening” which she defined as “the breaking in of God to our lives.”
She spoke about events that occurred in the last decade which have changed Americans’ perceptions of religion. Since 9/11, the Roman Catholic child abuse scandal, mainline church disagreements over homosexuality, and the marriage of Evangelical beliefs with the Republican Party, many people have negative associations with religion. Violence, abuse, incivility/exclusion, and political partisanship are now tied to faith beliefs.
Bass also said that religion is associated with “institutional church” while spirituality is associated with experience and relationship. The basis of the institutional church is believing (creed and dogma), behaving (rules and techniques) and belonging (membership and choice). All of this results in people thinking that Christianity is about getting the answers right, living by the rules, and passing the test.
When talking of spirituality the three B’s (believing, behaving and belonging) are still important but their emphasis changes from what you believe to how you believe, from what you do to how you act and from what is your membership to who are you? This change results in a focus on relationships and community.
People in the Pacific Northwest are comfortable with a “both-and” focus on spirituality and religion rather than pitting the two against each other. Bass sees this as hopeful. Based on the standing ovation she received, the engaging questions posed by the audience and the many positive comments from laity and clergy who said they “loved” the presentation, “enjoyed her stories” and thought her delivery was “entertaining” her message was a highlight of the day.
Ellen Johanson serves as the Regional Media Center Manager.
how beautifully written! here is my STANDING O!!!
methodist friends, i challange you to print this out and ask your pastor to read it from the pulpit.
how about it, PasTor Wes Stanton! i will read it if you prefer. this is the most moving, inspiring, hopeful, succinct piece so far. heaven applauds you, as well as do i!