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Very Short Introductions #336
Spirituality: A Very Short Introduction
It is a striking aspect of contemporary western culture that, alongside a decline in traditional religious affiliations, there has been a growing interest in spirituality and the use of the word in a variety of contexts. Indeed, spirituality is sometimes contrasted favorably with religion, which many people see (for good or ill) as an off-putting amalgam of dogma, moralism, institutions, buildings, and hierarchies. This Very Short Introduction, written by one of the most eminent scholars and writers on spirituality, explores the historical foundations of spirituality and considers how it came to have the significance it has today. The notion of spirituality, Philip Sheldrake notes, expresses the fact that many people are driven by goals that concern more than material satisfaction. Broadly, it refers to the deepest values and sense of meaning by which people seek to live. Sometimes these values are conventionally religious. Sometimes they are associated with what is understood as "the sacred" in a broader sense--that is, of ultimate rather than merely instrumental importance. Looking at spirituality in religion, philosophy, anthropology, and psychology, Sheldrake sheds light on the concept of the spiritual "experience" and considers the impact and transformation it can have on individuals and on society.
133 pages, Paperback
First published November 29, 2012
28 people are currently reading
463 people want to read
About the author
Philip Sheldrake
42 books7 followersPhilip Sheldrake is a theologian who has been closely involved with the emergence of Christian Spirituality as an academic field. Sheldrake is Past President of the International Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality, and was Leech Professor of Applied Theology at Durham University. His publications have focused on the interface of spirituality, theology, and religious history, and he has also written on religious reconciliation.
Sheldrake trained in history, philosophy, and theology at the universities of Oxford and London, and later taught at the Universities of London and Cambridge. Sheldrake is Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Senior Research Fellow, Cambridge Theological Federation, and Honorary Professor, University of Wales. He has also regularly been a visiting professor in the United States.
Sheldrake trained in history, philosophy, and theology at the universities of Oxford and London, and later taught at the Universities of London and Cambridge. Sheldrake is Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Senior Research Fellow, Cambridge Theological Federation, and Honorary Professor, University of Wales. He has also regularly been a visiting professor in the United States.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 25, 2013
Philip Dryasdust Sheldrake writes like a person drives if there’s a live bomb perching on the bonnet of their car or if they don’t want to wake granny who’s just nodded off in the back seat. We could call Philip Sheldrake “Dr Tedium” except that having a cool nickname would be far too exciting. He would have to take the day off to stare at a small crack in the corner of his garden shed to help him calm down. No, I didn’t care for this book. It was so dull I had to keep jabbing myself with an apple corer to stay awake. This was happening three times per page. He repeats things. It’s like he’s in a trance. He has absolutely no sense of humour. He has his spiritual categories – the ascetical type, the mystical type, the active-practical type and the prophetic-critical type (guess which one I am – yeah, critical, that’s right) and he cycles through the three monotheistic religions then Buddhism then Hinduism then secularism and then cycles again through these various diffuse aspects of life – spirituality as experience, spirituality as a way of life, spirituality in society, spirituality in 1950s doo wop – no, not really, that would be too interesting – and it’s like eating flavourless candyfloss. I always pick up these Very Short Introductions in the hope I might learn something, like you do, otherwise what are they for, but in this case I know less than I did when I began it. Philip Sheldrake’s favourite breakfast : reduced-sugar Alpen and one boiled egg with the yolk removed and no salt.
February 22, 2013
Spirituality is one of those things that everyone has some idea of what it is but it’s prohibitively hard to define. Leading a spiritually fulfilling life is arguably one of the overarching goals for most people, whether they acknowledge or accept it as such or not. In recent years there has been a trend, particularly in the west, for the term spiritual to designate people who have abandoned most affiliation with organized religion, yet don’t consider themselves to be strictly speaking “atheists.” On the other hand there is a trend even among the atheists for a more systematic approach to the transcendental questions and aspirations in life that don’t fall under the officially recognized secular practices.
This short introduction aims to explain spirituality and introduce the reader to various spiritual practices. It is an interesting overview of many different “spiritualties,” from those that derive from organized religions to those that seem much more contemporary and at first divorced from any spiritual concepts.
Even though this book is a nice introductory overview, it leaves a lot to be desired. For one, after reading it I don’t understand any better what spirituality as such is than before. It leaves me feeling that spirituality is a very vague notion to begin with, and almost infinitely malleable. A few attempts to systematize variety of spiritual approaches leave some of the most prominent aspects out – ritual observance, prayer, and theological study. Granted, some of these are mentioned in the book, but more as an afterthought and in passing. Furthermore, the author subtly and not-too-subtly characterizes various spiritual practices with value judgment that are obviously tainted by his own intellectual and moral persuasions – those of a post-modern European academic intellectual, with all of the secular pieties that this entails. From this perspective spirituality seems like little more than a way of imbuing the prevailing western liberal ideology with some deeper transcendental meaning.
If you want just a basic overview of some main spiritual approaches that are relevant today, then this book has some value. However, it’s neither a very critical nor probing look at the subject of spirituality.
This short introduction aims to explain spirituality and introduce the reader to various spiritual practices. It is an interesting overview of many different “spiritualties,” from those that derive from organized religions to those that seem much more contemporary and at first divorced from any spiritual concepts.
Even though this book is a nice introductory overview, it leaves a lot to be desired. For one, after reading it I don’t understand any better what spirituality as such is than before. It leaves me feeling that spirituality is a very vague notion to begin with, and almost infinitely malleable. A few attempts to systematize variety of spiritual approaches leave some of the most prominent aspects out – ritual observance, prayer, and theological study. Granted, some of these are mentioned in the book, but more as an afterthought and in passing. Furthermore, the author subtly and not-too-subtly characterizes various spiritual practices with value judgment that are obviously tainted by his own intellectual and moral persuasions – those of a post-modern European academic intellectual, with all of the secular pieties that this entails. From this perspective spirituality seems like little more than a way of imbuing the prevailing western liberal ideology with some deeper transcendental meaning.
If you want just a basic overview of some main spiritual approaches that are relevant today, then this book has some value. However, it’s neither a very critical nor probing look at the subject of spirituality.
August 26, 2025
Spirituality (2012), part of Oxford University Press’s Very Short Introduction series, offers a broad and insightful overview of spirituality: what it is, the various forms it takes, the role of experience, spirituality as a “way of life,” and much more. Sheldrake does not limit himself to spirituality within a particular tradition (Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, secular, etc.), but instead explores how spirituality manifests across different cultures and belief systems.
In his introduction, Sheldrake outlines the “frameworks of understanding” that guide his exploration: religious, historical, philosophical, sociological, and psychological. From these perspectives he approaches the phenomenon of spirituality. Because “‘spirituality’ has always reflected its surrounding contexts” there can be “no single generic definition” (p. 2). Rather than attempting to impose one, Sheldrake instead draws attention to the multiplicity of spiritual forms and expressions. Spirituality can manifest as a “way of life,” yet it never fully coincides with it, since other elements such as ethics and beliefs inevitably shape it. The book invites the reader to engage with spirituality from different angles of interest, highlighting both the diversity of religious spiritualities (Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist) and the equally diverse expressions of secular spiritualities (philosophy, psychology, gender studies, aesthetics, science).
Sheldrake identifies four “types of spirituality,” which he describes as “styles of wisdom and practice with shared characteristics” (p. 24): (1) ascetical, (2) mystical, (3) active-practical, and (4) prophetical-critical (p. 25). These types, which often overlap, aim to address three questions: where does transformation take place, how does it take place, and what is the ultimate purpose or end-point of transformation? The typology recurs throughout the book as a helpful way of categorizing different spiritualities, offering readers a conceptual map of the terrain.
Chapter 6, Spirituality and Religion, is particularly compelling. Here Sheldrake is rightly critical of the sharp distinction often drawn between “spirituality” and “religion.” He observes: “Such a polarized viewpoint is too uncritical if we take into account the broader picture” (p. 97). The situation is indeed ambiguous: while institutional religion has declined in the West, others are “turning to very conservative forms of ‘religion.’” Universal claims about the decline of religion are, therefore, unsustainable: “the universal decline of religion is culturally questionable” (p. 98). Sheldrake also dispels the misconception that spirituality can exist in complete distinction from belief. On the contrary, “all approaches to spirituality rely on ‘beliefs about life.’” Equally important, he critiques the reductionist view behind the sharp distinction and its caricature of religion. “A more nuanced view,” he argues, “reveals that all religions are fundamentally based on spiritual vision” (p. 99).
This nuance is crucial. Too often, the literature presents “spirituality” as if it were simply an alternative to religion. Sheldrake reminds us that all authentic religion has a spiritual foundation, just as many forms of “secular spirituality” implicitly carry religious dimensions. Chapter 6 also introduces criteria of judgment for distinguishing authentic spiritual teachings from “anti-spiritualities” and includes a thoughtful discussion of interreligious dialogue.
The book concludes with a chapter titled Leading a Spiritual Life. Sheldrake writes: “What follows from all this is that spirituality is fundamentally concerned with cultivating a spiritual life rather than with simply undertaking certain spiritual practices isolated from values and commitments” (p. 120). Following Kieran Flanagan, he affirms that “the spiritual” is inherent to human nature itself. Spirituality, he argues, will not disappear: it has accompanied humanity for millennia, and “new forms of spirituality” and “creative reinvention of classic traditions” continue to emerge.
Sheldrake closes with three “critical features of the concept of ‘spirituality’” (p. 122) (1) “Spirituality expresses the reflective human quest for identity and meaning beyond a purely pragmatic approach to life.” (2) “It suggests that a full human life needs to move beyond self-absorption to a sense of the greater good and service of others.” (3) “Spirituality relates to a process of unlocking the creativity and imagination that enables us to touch the edge of mystery.”
In just 122 pages, Spirituality: A Very Short Introduction manages to provide a remarkably comprehensive overview of the phenomenon. Given such brevity, one cannot expect exhaustive nuance on every page. Sheldrake necessarily makes choices—focusing on broad outlines and interpretive paradigms such as his typology of spiritualities, rather than offering in-depth treatment of particular traditions or eras. At times, this leads to a certain blurring between past and present. Although he lists “historical” as one of his frameworks, the historical dimension is perhaps the book’s weakest element. Neither classical history, nor modern history, nor contemporary developments are explored in sustained detail. One might wish that Sheldrake had chosen a specific historical moment—say, spirituality in late modernity or in the 21st century—as a lens through which to provide greater nuance.
Nonetheless, this limitation does not diminish the value of the book. Sheldrake succeeds in what the Very Short Introduction series aims to achieve: offering a concise and accessible introduction. For readers seeking a concise yet wide-ranging introduction—one that employs different frameworks of understanding to approach the complex phenomenon of spirituality, whether religious or secular—this book can be very helpful.
In his introduction, Sheldrake outlines the “frameworks of understanding” that guide his exploration: religious, historical, philosophical, sociological, and psychological. From these perspectives he approaches the phenomenon of spirituality. Because “‘spirituality’ has always reflected its surrounding contexts” there can be “no single generic definition” (p. 2). Rather than attempting to impose one, Sheldrake instead draws attention to the multiplicity of spiritual forms and expressions. Spirituality can manifest as a “way of life,” yet it never fully coincides with it, since other elements such as ethics and beliefs inevitably shape it. The book invites the reader to engage with spirituality from different angles of interest, highlighting both the diversity of religious spiritualities (Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist) and the equally diverse expressions of secular spiritualities (philosophy, psychology, gender studies, aesthetics, science).
Sheldrake identifies four “types of spirituality,” which he describes as “styles of wisdom and practice with shared characteristics” (p. 24): (1) ascetical, (2) mystical, (3) active-practical, and (4) prophetical-critical (p. 25). These types, which often overlap, aim to address three questions: where does transformation take place, how does it take place, and what is the ultimate purpose or end-point of transformation? The typology recurs throughout the book as a helpful way of categorizing different spiritualities, offering readers a conceptual map of the terrain.
Chapter 6, Spirituality and Religion, is particularly compelling. Here Sheldrake is rightly critical of the sharp distinction often drawn between “spirituality” and “religion.” He observes: “Such a polarized viewpoint is too uncritical if we take into account the broader picture” (p. 97). The situation is indeed ambiguous: while institutional religion has declined in the West, others are “turning to very conservative forms of ‘religion.’” Universal claims about the decline of religion are, therefore, unsustainable: “the universal decline of religion is culturally questionable” (p. 98). Sheldrake also dispels the misconception that spirituality can exist in complete distinction from belief. On the contrary, “all approaches to spirituality rely on ‘beliefs about life.’” Equally important, he critiques the reductionist view behind the sharp distinction and its caricature of religion. “A more nuanced view,” he argues, “reveals that all religions are fundamentally based on spiritual vision” (p. 99).
This nuance is crucial. Too often, the literature presents “spirituality” as if it were simply an alternative to religion. Sheldrake reminds us that all authentic religion has a spiritual foundation, just as many forms of “secular spirituality” implicitly carry religious dimensions. Chapter 6 also introduces criteria of judgment for distinguishing authentic spiritual teachings from “anti-spiritualities” and includes a thoughtful discussion of interreligious dialogue.
The book concludes with a chapter titled Leading a Spiritual Life. Sheldrake writes: “What follows from all this is that spirituality is fundamentally concerned with cultivating a spiritual life rather than with simply undertaking certain spiritual practices isolated from values and commitments” (p. 120). Following Kieran Flanagan, he affirms that “the spiritual” is inherent to human nature itself. Spirituality, he argues, will not disappear: it has accompanied humanity for millennia, and “new forms of spirituality” and “creative reinvention of classic traditions” continue to emerge.
Sheldrake closes with three “critical features of the concept of ‘spirituality’” (p. 122) (1) “Spirituality expresses the reflective human quest for identity and meaning beyond a purely pragmatic approach to life.” (2) “It suggests that a full human life needs to move beyond self-absorption to a sense of the greater good and service of others.” (3) “Spirituality relates to a process of unlocking the creativity and imagination that enables us to touch the edge of mystery.”
In just 122 pages, Spirituality: A Very Short Introduction manages to provide a remarkably comprehensive overview of the phenomenon. Given such brevity, one cannot expect exhaustive nuance on every page. Sheldrake necessarily makes choices—focusing on broad outlines and interpretive paradigms such as his typology of spiritualities, rather than offering in-depth treatment of particular traditions or eras. At times, this leads to a certain blurring between past and present. Although he lists “historical” as one of his frameworks, the historical dimension is perhaps the book’s weakest element. Neither classical history, nor modern history, nor contemporary developments are explored in sustained detail. One might wish that Sheldrake had chosen a specific historical moment—say, spirituality in late modernity or in the 21st century—as a lens through which to provide greater nuance.
Nonetheless, this limitation does not diminish the value of the book. Sheldrake succeeds in what the Very Short Introduction series aims to achieve: offering a concise and accessible introduction. For readers seeking a concise yet wide-ranging introduction—one that employs different frameworks of understanding to approach the complex phenomenon of spirituality, whether religious or secular—this book can be very helpful.
April 12, 2017
Interesting and wide-ranging, but too broad to be particularly deep or detailed. It seems to me that this subject is best engaged with from the inside and directly than in so dry and academic a style.
July 2, 2023
Somewhat interesting, but remains vague. Sheldrake seems convinced that there is such a thing as “spiritualism” and that it manifests itself differently in different times an cultures. So he relies too much on the “family resemblances” theory to explain the diffuse use this term. This is sort of like assuming there have always been automobiles, and looking for who “automobileness” manifests itself in primitive cultures. Spirituality is a human practice, and just is what we say it is.
It would have been more interesting to see a “short introduction” done from outside the belief in the universal nature of the spirit. Perhaps explain how the term “spiritual” serves, in our century particularly, as a floating signifier, shifting meanings to cover gaps and contradictions in hegemony. That would be a short introduction worth reading!
It would have been more interesting to see a “short introduction” done from outside the belief in the universal nature of the spirit. Perhaps explain how the term “spiritual” serves, in our century particularly, as a floating signifier, shifting meanings to cover gaps and contradictions in hegemony. That would be a short introduction worth reading!
May 1, 2023
If you combine it with their Virtues book, then it makes a nice set. I feel the book should have focussed a bit more on the practical applications and what spirituality is, but it focussed a bit more on the religious aspect. And in such a short book this meant that what was discussed of the religious brought to par was far too superficial to be of much value. It should have remained focussed on spirituality, what it is, how people harness it or attempt to obtain it.
The book is a little pricey where I live for what it is. If you can get it online digital for maybe $6 then it'd maybe be... Ok to whet one's appetite before getting into deeper stuff. Alan Watts, Bertrand Russell, Zen Budhism etc.
The book is a little pricey where I live for what it is. If you can get it online digital for maybe $6 then it'd maybe be... Ok to whet one's appetite before getting into deeper stuff. Alan Watts, Bertrand Russell, Zen Budhism etc.
June 5, 2025
Read this/reading this as part of my latest academic advancement, in a program integrating SPIRITUALITY with PSYCHOTHERAPY. Here is a nice pocket-size (thank you) overview of some of the main themes and concepts involved in spirituality and religious practice over the last seasons of human history.
I took a summer course in my undergrad on World Religion, and this kinda felt akin to that. I did, however, appreciate its attempt to put more language on the places where spirituality is surprisingly found, in architecture, in sports, in art.
It's a pocket book, it's a "brief introduction to" but it also, I felt, gives you plenty of opportunity to find rabbit holes to wander down, and many of us will, for as long as we're given to do so.
A happy introduction indeed.
I took a summer course in my undergrad on World Religion, and this kinda felt akin to that. I did, however, appreciate its attempt to put more language on the places where spirituality is surprisingly found, in architecture, in sports, in art.
It's a pocket book, it's a "brief introduction to" but it also, I felt, gives you plenty of opportunity to find rabbit holes to wander down, and many of us will, for as long as we're given to do so.
A happy introduction indeed.
September 19, 2017
Covering a wide range of perspectives about spirituality (from those rooted in religious tradition to the more idiosyncratic and eclectic), Philip Sheldrake clearly and helpfully surveys key ideas, movements, practices, and issues regarding spirituality; and he does so in a very economical book (one among many "very short introductions" published by Oxford University Press).
December 14, 2020
I'm not sure I learned much new from this book, but it does a good job cataloging different approaches to spirituality across different religions and secular practices. Sheldrake also critiques the full separation of "religion" and "spirituality."
January 10, 2017
Picked this up at train station. I found it a concise overview of what spirituality is for the Big 5 and in contemporary society. It has provided a good grounding for further reading
September 11, 2025
Exceptionally boring. Could not get past the first few pages.
December 1, 2023
While obviously written by a very well informed author, I thought this book tried to cover too much in too few pages. I wish they had taken a deeper, and less dry, look at some key topics instead.
March 20, 2022
“Spirituality” sometimes appears to me as an utterly vague term or concept. Something that can happen to bother me because I see myself as a thoroughly spiritual person; someone who appreciates and explores the deeper meaning of existence since more than 20 years. Mr. Sheldrake’s introduction has helped me well to get a better grip on the complexity but also “simpleness” of what the idea of spirituality represents.
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June 10, 2013This little book is packed with insight, historical information, and a terrific basis for interfaith dialogues, so I'm using it as the recommended text for my Belief Systems course at the Art Institute this summer.
Thanks, Philip Sheldrake. You've made a huge contribution to dialogue on spirituality.
Thanks, Philip Sheldrake. You've made a huge contribution to dialogue on spirituality.
March 29, 2013
The author has clearly spent much time dialoging with people of different faith traditions (primarily Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism), as this book respectfully engages in their differences and similarities when it comes to the idea of spirituality.
September 15, 2015
Lastig boek om te lezen, als je net als ik allergisch bent voor religie.
Maar het geeft wel een redelijk idee van wat spiritualiteit, ook buiten religie, is
Maar het geeft wel een redelijk idee van wat spiritualiteit, ook buiten religie, is
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January 3, 2016Covers many different spiritualties, very thorough.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews