Spirituality/Religion

Michael J. Donahue

Traditionally, the word spirituality has been used for concepts and experiences that either are religious or are analogous to it. More recently, there has been controversy concerning the meaning and application of the term spirituality as it is differentiated from religion and religiosity . Inasmuch as the largest body of research relevant to issues in counseling and religion has concentrated on what can be defined as “religion and mental health,” this entry begins in that context and then addresses other understandings of spirituality. The relation between religion and mental health can be divided into two separate, but related issues: the influence of religion on mental health and the place of religion in the counseling session. For centuries, some of the most brilliant minds in the world's cultures pondered the nature of the human condition in the context of religion. In general, these individuals took religion as a given, and presumed ...

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