In recent years, there have been a number of philosophical publications focusing on spirituality. But even in pertinent philosophical texts it is rare to find attempts at shaping a workable definition of spirituality, despite the obvious need for a clear definition for the philosophical debate on spirituality. This paper addresses the major issues in shaping a satisfactory definition of spirituality: an understanding of spirituality as transcendence of critical reasoning, the broadness of the concept, the implications of various scholarly backgrounds and (...) the challenge of avoiding a circular definition. It suggests a rough clustering of common approaches into ontological, ethical, and functional definitions and discusses their weaknesses. It is argued that an inclusive, metaphysically parsimonious, and stipulative definition is the best way to address typical difficulties and avoid weaknesses of common definitions. Finally, it proposes a definition based on meaning, a term that often appears in the discussion of spirituality. It is suggested that understanding meaning in the ordinary sense of the word might be a good starting point to arrive at a satisfactory definition of spirituality. (shrink)

The present article explores the epistemological conditions of intercultural encounters. Based on an analysis of Raimon Panikkar's intercultural hermeneutics, we argue that intercultural encounters cannot take place adequately when they are based on purelyrhetoricalrationality or rationalpersuasion. We point to the limitations of grounding intercultural relationships on dialectical dialogue and, therefore, of educating them by simply enhancing discursive capacities. We underline the need for other epistemological conditions that should be fostered in order to move forward on the path to actual interculturality. (...) These can be summarised by what Panikkar calls "conversion", an epistemic framework of love—personalrelationality, that goes beyondobjectifyingrationality—for the communication between (culturally different) subjects. We conclude that the culturally diverse human condition refers to being encountered and being understood on a level that is not merely logical or linguistic. What can be understood of a person with another cultural background goes beyond what can be comprehended by logical rationality or captured byveritativejudgements about objects. In other words, in intercultural encounters,ontological, rather than merely logical truth is at stake, which means that the presence of the other can lead to experiences of meaning: it reveals a being that calls for conversion. Conversion demands anonticaction on the part of the subject, not merely an epistemological one, that cancels the violence that rational persuasion might entail. (shrink)

Este texto considera dos componentes o aspectos centrales de la identidad personal, el sentido (meaning) y el propósito/vocación (purpose) como constructos relacionados, pero distintos, para indagar cómo las religiones contribuyen a ellos. Desde una perspectiva interdisciplinar que bebe de los aportes de la psicología de la religión, la educación y la filosofía, en primer lugar, se examinan ambos términos —sentido y propósito— por separado, y se presentan analíticamente sus componentes o elementos constitutivos con vistas a aclarar su relación y distinción. (...) En segundo lugar, se aborda la relación que la religión tiene con cada uno de ellos, de acuerdo con investigaciones empíricas recientes. Por último, se señala una posible dirección para ahondar en la contribución que las instituciones religiosas, como actores educativos clave, pueden prestar a su construcción y discernimiento como vía para el desarrollo espiritual del sujeto, y los beneficios de tal aporte en un mundo postsecular en el que religión y espiritualidad no se identifican. (shrink)