It is often observed that for increasing numbers of people today, there is a clear distinction to be drawn between 'spirituality' and 'religion', certainly in the cultures of Britain and north America. The terminology might be slightly different in other parts of Europe, but the reality is still to be found there. On this understanding, 'spirituality' is generally seen as something life-giving, holistic, enriching, and open-ended, while 'religion' is characterized by the opposite qualities, being perceived as oppressive, exploitational, and hierarchical, quite probably because it is seen as male-dominated. Even when the language is not overtly used, these understandings have been accepted by significant numbers of people, and can readily be found in the popular media. Shirley Maclaine neatly summed up the contrast when she wrote in her spiritual autobiography: 'Your religions teach religion, not spirituality'.From a seminar delivered by John Drane to the Henry Martyn Centre in 2001 entitled "Unknown gods, declining churches, and the spiritual search of contemporary culture". There are a few other interesting papers here including; "Freedom as development: Christian Mission and the definition of human wellbeing" by Stephen Plant and "Lesslie Newbigin: A Postmodern Missiologist" by Paul Weston.
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