Secular Spirituality
Spirituality here refers to experiences of awe, mystery, humility, compassion, the feeling that life is more significant than one’s own practical concerns or pleasures, and a sense of oneness with others and the universe.
The phrase "secular spirituality" has been used as a general term by a number of people including the Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra, and Daniel Dennet. Sometimes it has been associated with the spiritual perspective of Einstein and used to distinguish his view from traditional religious perspectives. Richard Dawkins calls it "sexed up atheism." Some theologians use the term to descibe what they see as a New Age subjectivism that is a poor substitute for "real" spirituality.
This site will be devoted to the systematic exploration and development of secular spirituality and its implications for personal fulfillment, social values, education, and psychology.
Although this web site is just getting started, I've been working on this topic since the 9/11 attack. This event prompted me to think about the role of religion in contemporary society and led to the launch of beliefnet.com. The site was designed as a resource for inter-religious dialogue. Within a year I was contacted by an investment group that wanted to purchase the domain name and develop a web site with a similar purpose. I sold the domain and with the greater resources, it became the wonderful and useful web site it is today.
But now I am returning to the issue of spirituality after much reflection and research. Watch for information and opporunities for sharing perspectives on this important topic. Email me with questions or suggestions about what you think this site ought to include.
My professional background is in philosophy and psychology teaching and research.
Mick Presnell, Ph.D.
mick@mickpresnell.com