About Spiritualities
We have many ways to experience God and to live in response to God. In spiritual direction and occasionally also in supervision, the subject of someone's spirituality may sometimes be worthwhile for us to consider. A "spirituality" is simply a way of life that includes knowing, doing, and being. Lots of attempts have been made to identify the various spiritualities that people can have. Keep in mind that:
With those caveats, here are some typologies I’ve found useful.
Richard Foster, an American evangelical writer of Quaker and Ojibwa heritages, outlines 6 spiritualities in Streams of Living Water: Celebrating the Great Traditions of Christian Faith, (HarperSanFrancisco, 1998).
Philip Sheldrake, a British Anglican writer, outlines 5 spiritualities in The Spiritual Way: Classic Traditions and Contemporary Practice (Liturgical Press Academic, 2019).
Corinne Ware, an American Protestant, in her book Discover Your Spiritual Type: A Guide to Individual and Congregational Growth (Alban Institute, 1995), offers a basic chart. This version comes from Dave Rogalsky, “Experiencing the Good News: The Church’s Primary Job Is Growing Relationships with God,” in The Canadian Mennonite, https://canadianmennonite.org/stories/experiencing-good-news, accessed May 30, 2023.
Additional types I sometimes notice include kinesthetic, intellectual, and creation spiritualities; or any of the spiritualities associated with the Enneagram (reformer, helper, performer, artist, thinker, loyalist, enthusiast, challenger, and peacemaker).
Historically, the western Christian tradition has birthed many spiritualities (this isn’t a complete list).
We have many ways to experience God and to live in response to God. In spiritual direction and occasionally also in supervision, the subject of someone's spirituality may sometimes be worthwhile for us to consider. A "spirituality" is simply a way of life that includes knowing, doing, and being. Lots of attempts have been made to identify the various spiritualities that people can have. Keep in mind that:
- No typology includes everyone.
- People usually draw from a variety of spiritualities.
- Our culture and context shape whatever spiritualities we choose to live.
- Our spiritualities can shift over time.
- Our free and joyful yes to God matters more than our spirituality.
With those caveats, here are some typologies I’ve found useful.
Richard Foster, an American evangelical writer of Quaker and Ojibwa heritages, outlines 6 spiritualities in Streams of Living Water: Celebrating the Great Traditions of Christian Faith, (HarperSanFrancisco, 1998).
- contemplative (prayer-filled living)
- holiness (virtuous living)
- charismatic (Spirit-empowered living)
- social justice (compassionate living)
- evangelical (Word-centered)
- incarnational (sacramental living)
Philip Sheldrake, a British Anglican writer, outlines 5 spiritualities in The Spiritual Way: Classic Traditions and Contemporary Practice (Liturgical Press Academic, 2019).
- the way of discipline
- the contemplative-mystical way
- the way of practical action
- the way of beauty
- the prophetic way
Corinne Ware, an American Protestant, in her book Discover Your Spiritual Type: A Guide to Individual and Congregational Growth (Alban Institute, 1995), offers a basic chart. This version comes from Dave Rogalsky, “Experiencing the Good News: The Church’s Primary Job Is Growing Relationships with God,” in The Canadian Mennonite, https://canadianmennonite.org/stories/experiencing-good-news, accessed May 30, 2023.
Additional types I sometimes notice include kinesthetic, intellectual, and creation spiritualities; or any of the spiritualities associated with the Enneagram (reformer, helper, performer, artist, thinker, loyalist, enthusiast, challenger, and peacemaker).
Historically, the western Christian tradition has birthed many spiritualities (this isn’t a complete list).
- African-American/Canadian
- Anabaptist-Mennonite
- Ascetic
- Asian-American/Canadian
- Augustinian
- Benedictine
- Carmelite
- Celtic
- Charismatic
- Dominican
- Eastern Orthodox-Byzantine
- Episcopal-Anglican
- Evangelical
- Feminist
- Franciscan
- Holiness
- Ignatian
- Latino/Latina
- Liturgical
- Lutheran
- Methodist/Wesleyan
- Monastic
- Mystical
- Native American/First Peoples
- Pentecostal
- Pietist
- Quaker
- Reformed
- Salesian
- Womanist
