According to the Oxford American Dictionary, Heald Colleges Ed., the status/act of being spiritual is “of the human spirit or soul, not physical or worldly” as well as “of a church or religion”. Therefore, one can speculate that to be spiritual may equate as having faith. This does not necessarily represent the more doctrinal structure of the church or an established religion. Fundamentalism is defined as “strict maintenance of traditional orthodox religious beliefs…such as the literal truth of the Bible”. Fundamentalism, in many ways, may be seen as polar opposite of spirituality; it contains rules, obligations, and direct adherence to the truths taken from the Bible, the cornerstone of many religions.
Throughout this semester I will explore the different aspects of Spirituality and Fundamentalism, providing books, book reviews, newspaper articles, journal/news sources, and perhaps visual media. Added to this, I will also tie the topic in with other ideas and/or issues brought up in my class. The class pertains mainly to sexuality, gender, race, and class. This is the first time I have blogged and I am not that proficient at things that involve computers. I hope you enjoy what I discuss and take it as just that, a discussion. Talk to you soon!
Work Cited
Ehrlich, Eugene, Flexner, Stuart Berg, Carruth, Gorton, Hawkins, Joyce M. Oxford American Dictionary, Heald Colleges Edition (New York, New York: Avon Books) 883, 353.
Spirituality vs. Fundamentalism 