Religion and Social Change: Exploring Spirituality's Role and Impact

This essay delves into the distinct concepts of religion and spirituality, exploring their definitions, functions, and contexts within society. It contrasts religion as an organized system of beliefs, rituals, and practices with spirituality as a more personal and individual search for meaning and connection. The essay examines how religion, often through its ceremonies and structures, can both prevent and facilitate social change, while spirituality emphasizes the individual's relationship with something greater than themselves. The document highlights the differences between the two, emphasizing that spirituality is a broader concept that incorporates aspects of religion but is not confined to it. It further analyzes the functionalist perspective on religion's role in maintaining social order and provides insights into the search for the sacred in both religion and spirituality. The essay concludes by discussing the ways in which both concepts can evolve and impact individuals, exploring their potential for positive and negative influences depending on how they are practiced. This essay, available on Desklib, offers valuable insights into the interplay of religion, spirituality, and social dynamics.

Religion and Social
Change

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Religion is defined as social cultural system that is liable for designating behaviour,
morals, worldviews, sanctified places, ethics and prophecies. These aspects are associated with
humanity to transcendental, spiritual and supernatural elements. Basically, it is organised
gathering of cultural system and beliefs that are related with humanity for an existence (Watts,
F., 2017). Religion is liable to prevent social change that assists individuals along with society to
cope up with disruptive events that might threaten the existent social order (Park, Dizon and
Malcolm, 2020). This renders series of ceremonies that will help to preserve existent class
structure and this serves to justify existent, unequal social orders as well as prevention of social
changes by considering virtue out of suffering and poverty. The essay will provide an insight into
concept of spirituality and the manner in which it is different from religion. This will be
addressed by making use of secondary research where different works of author will be
illustrated.
MAIN BODY
Spirituality refers to the broad concept that leaves room to different perspectives. This
involves sense of connection for something bigger that comprises of search for meaning within
the life. Spirituality implies aspect of humanity that implies ways in which individuals seek as
well as express rationale, meaning and the way in which experience is connected with the
moment, to others, self and nature. Basically, it is the experience that is anticipated to bring
experience to have contact with the divine (Singleton, 2020). The spiritual dimensions tends to
be within the harmony with Universe for having answers associated with infinite as well as lay
emphasis when individual goes through certain emotional stress, death and physical illness.
Spirituality is talked a lot but this generally misunderstood. Individuals think that both these
terms are like and this leads them to formulate beliefs along with prejudices related with religion
for discussing about spirituality. In this case, religion will lay focus on spiritualism that is
regarded as part of faith (Streib and Klein, 2016). An individual might be a spiritual and for this
it is not necessary that they have to be religious or be a part of any organised religion.
Spirituality is liable for incorporating entities of religion and this is a broader concept.
Both of them are not identical but are neither different from each other. For this, it becomes
important to address the queries that takes place so that proper understanding can be developed.
1

For understanding this aspect, it becomes important to acknowledge or seek response to distinct
questions. In case of spirituality, from where an individual can find out meaning, how they are
connected and how they must live. On the other hand religion comprises of what rituals,
practices or rites they need to follow, concept of right as well as wrong and what is true along
with false. This provides insight into different aspects associated with spirituality as well as
religion. Both the terms emphasise on comfort, ethics, belief, awe and reflection (Thomson,
2020). It is often recommended that cultivating spirituality is identical to improvisation of
emotional wellbeing as there is a close connection among these two terms that is emotional as
well as spiritual wellbeing and creates a relevant impact on one other. Spirituality denotes having
meaningful relationship with something that is bigger than an individual and leads to creation of
affirmative emotions like gratitude, acceptance, peace and contentment. Emotional health is
associated with cultivation of affirmative state of mind that will further broaden outlook for
recognising as well as incorporating connection for something that is larger (Vieten and et. al,
2016).
Religion implies peculiar set of organised practices and beliefs that are shared via a group
or community. Spirituality is individual practice that has to do with sense of purpose and peace.
This is also related with process for development of beliefs associated with meaning of
connection as well as life with other without any kind of spiritual values. Spirituality is liable to
recognise that role of individual within life possess greater value with reference to what they do
each single day (Usunier and Stolz, 2016). In addition to this, it will further relieve from
dependence on any kind of material things that will enable within understanding related with
purpose of life. Spirituality enables them within coping up with uncertainty or alterations. The
functionalists have argued that religion have prevented social alterations by assisting individuals
as well as society to cope with the disruptive events that might lead create an influence on the
social order (Watts, 2020). Religion is liable for providing series of distinct ceremonies that will
enable individuals to deal with different situations.
There are five different concepts associated with religion, they are religion as culture
along with religion as identity, and these two aspects are accountable for dominating social
scientific work. Religion as relationship has laid significance on sociology in which social
relations are emphasised on as well as super social beings have also introduced (Davis and et. al,
2017). Religion like a practice is central concept within anthropology and is regarded as serious
2

within the sociology. Last is religion like a power that is critical for survival. Spirituality is
searching for sacred. In this case, sacred not only implies to concept that is associated with God
and power but also comprises of other aspects which are perceived like manifestations of imbued
with divine such as qualities that involves immanence, transcendence, ultimacy and
boundlessness. Affirmatives, pessimistic, nature, relationships, war, art and experiences can be
endowed as a sacred status. The term search implies ongoing journey or a process that initiates
with discovering something sacred that is being followed up by attempts for building up as well
as conserving relationship with sacred as per the requirements.
The search for significance that takes place in context of established institutes that have
been formulated for facilitating spirituality is defined as religion. With reference to this search is
defined as ongoing journey to discover, conserve as well as transform. Significance covers
different goals that are being possessed by religion that aid people within pursuing life journey in
terms of social, psychological, spiritual and physical destinations. There are certain aspects that
are identical within these terms that are sacred acts as a core and without this it will be difficult
to distinguish between fields of community, well being, authenticity and hope (Shaw, Gullifer
and Wood, 2016). Religion long with spirituality are searching and dynamic processes which
means that both can change as well as evolve over certain frame of time during conservation,
transformation and discovery. In addition to this, both the terms possess the potential to yield
individuals with both good as well as bad aspects depending upon the ways in which they deal
with any particular situation. Spirituality is directed forward to sacred destinations and religion
that is directed towards attaining goals that have to be sacred within the nature (Streib and Hood,
2016).
Religion and spirituality are identical in critical aspects but there is also a difference on the basis
of two dimensions that is there context and functions. Here, a function implies significant goals
that are related with both these terms (Park, Dizon and Malcolm, 2020). In this context, religion
is directed toward wider set of significant goals than spirituality. Religion is accountable for
facilitating spirituality but this also serve different functions that involves physical, social and
psychology. On the other hand spirituality emphasise on searching one peculiar significant
destination that is sacred. Context implies larger social environment in which religion and
spirituality is unfold. Religion is restricted with respect to spirituality (Hodge, 2018). This
concept is embedded in institutional and established context. Here, established is long-standing
3

firm and institution denotes those whose mission is facilitating members to have link with
sacred. In contrast, spirituality acts like a critical aspect within traditional religious life that can
also be specified in form on non-traditional contexts. Religious as well as spiritual beliefs differ
in the manner they are being practices by individuals (Singleton, 2020). Along with this, each
practice acts like a vehicle that is accountable for leading them closer to the truth that individual
is seeking further depending upon the path they have to follow to awaken their journey.
Religion can be most commonly referred to as the institution consisting of a chain of well
defined practices as well as a structured belief system held by and among the individuals that are
members of that institution (Watts, F., 2017). The ideologies and beliefs of such individuals are
usually known to be transcendental, are generally transferred from the members to converts, and
are generally dependent on creed documented in a formal manner or already established cultural
practices as well as activities (Michaels and et. al, 2020). On the other hand, spirituality is mostly
concerned with a person’s soul as well as their inner self. Being spiritual is mainly related to
possession of a person set of practices as well as beliefs by an individual along with seeking for
the purpose of carrying out life. The definition of spirituality may vary from person to person. In
addition to this, the definition held by an individual may also evolve with the passage of time as
they continue to adapt to new experiences by virtue of self reflection along with personal study
(Streib and Klein, 2016). It is therefore determined that the main goal of spirituality as against
religion is to recognise the inherent power held by one for dealing with the biggest challenges
thrown by the life and connecting with something much bigger than oneself.
It is analysed that there exist professionals within every religion that act in the pursuit of
leadership and consequently illustrate the formal elements of that institution. In this relation, the
leaders generally conduct some rituals concerning the core beliefs of a religion that lay down the
foundation to the manner in which one should carry out one’s life (Vieten and et. al, 2016). As a
group of individuals possessing and sharing the common beliefs as well as ideologies, religion
serves as an extremely supportive social network. This tends to generate practical implication for
the behavioural patterns exhibited by the individuals who are bound by the religion (Corbett,
2019). These implications are usually guided by virtue of rituals, beliefs and practices held by
the group. As opposed to this, spirituality is known to be a personalised and universal
experience. Hereby, the experience of every individual is new and completely unique (Usunier
4

and Stolz, 2016). One can describe a spiritual experience to be scary or a true feeling of
interconnectedness or liveliness.
In regards to religion, it is also found that members of a particular religion (especially the leaders
of the religions) are known to abide by distinct dress codes and moral codes that are laid down
by a supernatural being. In this regard, it is further acknowledged that a religious individual is
dedicated to abiding by the guidelines set for their religion (Davis and et. al, 2017). They are
seen to observe the practices as well as rites. For example: Daily attending the services of the
church on a particular day of the week for Christians, fasting for Muslims during the time of
Ramadan, making observations of the Sabbath for the Jews, and so on. Now, spirituality is a
broader as well as a more abstract concept as compared to religion (Shaw, Gullifer and Wood,
2016). In this relation, it is known that religion maintains a well defined along with tangible code
of ethics. On the contrary, spirituality is considered to be an extensively indefinable concept as it
is vast and becomes difficult to have precise understanding related with this (Khalsa, Kalinowski
and Howard Ecklund, 2020). Yet, both of these methods underpin belief in something that helps
the individual to carry out their lives happily as well as meaningfully.
The set of beliefs of a spiritual person undergo evolution as they carry out learning by
virtue of their personal study of own spirituality. As against this, with reference to religion, it is
determined that the belief system is generally predefined (Streib and Hood, 2016). The
recognised authorities of any religious group or community tend to communicate or reinforce the
alterations relating to ideologies complied with by the members of a specific religious group
(Jung and Park, 2020). In this way, it can be said that religion tends to require people to
demonstrate obedience to their ideologies as well as beliefs, keeping them aligned in the long run
with what is imparted to them by their religious leader.
CONCLUSION
In accordance with the above discussion, it is concluded that religion are spirituality are
two different concepts. They basically have a common origin yet differ from one another on
several bases. Concerning this, it is mainly held that religion discourages individuals from
listening to their beliefs as well as instincts and rather teaches individuals to approve what is
imparted to them without raising any question against it. In addition to this, spirituality is seen to
5

teach people to increasingly take into account their inner voice and using it as a route map for
carrying out a good and meaningful life.
6

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Corbett, L., 2019. Psyche and the sacred: Spirituality beyond religion. Routledge.
Davis, D.E. and et. al, 2017. Humility, religion, and spirituality: A review of the
literature. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 9(3), p.242.
Hodge, D.R., 2018. The evolution of spirituality and religion in international social work
discourse: Strengths and limitations of the contemporary understanding. Journal of
Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 37(1), pp.3-23.
Jung, G. and Park, H., 2020. Bridging sociology of religion to transition to adulthood: The
emerging role of religion in young adults’ lives. Social Compass, p.0037768620920172.
Khalsa, S., Kalinowski, B.D. and Howard Ecklund, E., 2020. Indian Scientists’ Definitions of
Religion and Spirituality. Religions, 11(7), p.355.
Michaels, J.L. and et. al, 2020. Thinking at a higher level? Religion and spirituality contribute
more to global cognitive patterns among Eastern Europeans and Americans than among
Western Europeans. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality.
Park, J.J., Dizon, J.P.M. and Malcolm, M., 2020. Spiritual Capital in Communities of Color:
Religion and Spirituality as Sources of Community Cultural Wealth. The Urban
Review, 52(1), pp.127-150.
Shaw, R., Gullifer, J. and Wood, K., 2016. Religion and spirituality: A qualitative study of older
adults. Ageing International, 41(3), pp.311-330.
Singleton, A., 2020. Religion and spirituality in contemporary Australia. Public Sociology: An
introduction to Australian society.
Streib, H. and Hood, R.W., 2016. Understanding “spirituality”—Conceptual considerations.
In Semantics and psychology of spirituality (pp. 3-17). Springer, Cham.
Streib, H. and Klein, C., 2016. Religion and spirituality. In The Oxford Handbook of the Study of
Religion.
Thomson Jr, R.A., 2020. Bringing Back the Social into the Sociology of Religion: Critical
Approaches.
Usunier, J.C. and Stolz, J. eds., 2016. Religions as brands: new perspectives on the marketization
of religion and spirituality. Routledge.
Vieten, C. and et. al, 2016. Competencies for psychologists in the domains of religion and
spirituality. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 3(2), p.92.
Watts, F., 2017. Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality. Cambridge University Press.
Watts, G., 2020. The religion of the heart:“Spirituality” in late modernity. American Journal of
Cultural Sociology, pp.1-33.
7