Spirituality is the feeling or belief that life has a deeper, non-physical meaning, often involving a connection to something greater than yourself. It may involve religion, but it does not have to.
From “spiritual” + “-ity,” ultimately from Latin “spiritus” meaning “breath, spirit.” The modern sense grew to describe the personal, inner side of believing and feeling, rather than official religious systems.
Spirituality is about questions like “Why am I here?” and “What really matters?” more than about rules or rituals. That’s why someone can say “I’m spiritual but not religious”—they’re focusing on inner experience, not institutions.
Institutional accounts of 'spirituality' often centered male clergy and philosophers while relegating women’s practices to the private or domestic sphere. At the same time, women and gender‑diverse people have historically sustained spiritual communities through caregiving, ritual, and informal leadership that went under‑recorded.
When discussing spirituality, avoid assuming it is practiced or led primarily by men, and acknowledge diverse gendered experiences and leadership in spiritual communities. Use gender‑neutral language for spiritual roles unless a specific individual’s gender is relevant.
Women have been key innovators in spiritual movements, from monastic reforms to contemporary interfaith and social‑justice‑oriented spiritualities, even when their names are absent from canonical histories.
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