22 January 2004, 05:25 PM
Phil
Well, I guess every now and then it's good to get back to basics and your question invites that.
For me, spirituality pertains to orienting one's life to a higher meaning and purpose. Religious traditions convey a content concerning that meaning and purpose, but spirituality is concerned with how one actually engages that meaning--how to break out of the shell of the confining concerns of the Ego and awaken to a higher sense life. Christian spirituality would be doing this with the focus being to grow in union with Christ in the Spirit. Christian spiritual formation deals with the process of this growth, including the disciplines and "how-tos" of its ongoing development.
That's a quick and very general answer. Please feel free to follow-up with other questions and comments.