This post is the second in a series on new buzzwords influencing how we relate to religion. In the first post, I talk about Integral, an emerging worldview in the evolution of human consciousness — a process we each partake in every day, whether we realize it or not. Here, I talk about Interspiritual.

What is ‘interspiritual?” Is it the same as ‘interfaith?’ Not really. Here’s a quick comparison:

Interfaith refers to dialogue between people of different religions. In dialogue, people share faith experiences, motivations, or practices in order to find common ground and foster tolerance of differences. It also refers to marriage between people of different religious backgrounds. Interfaith efforts celebrate multiculturalism and religious diversity. Most dialogue typically involves members representing particular faith traditions.

Interspiritual, a term coined by the Christian monk Wayne Teasdale, author of The Mystic Heart, refers to the mystical core at the center of all the world’s major spiritual traditions. Kurt Johnson, a scientist who is also ordained in three different spiritual traditions and author of The Coming Interspiritual Age, suggests that interspirituality is “…so deeply rooted in the heart-experience of oneness…that any creed, belief, background, history …that could cause separation between beings, becomes secondary if not irrelevant.”

In short, interspiritual describes mystical experiences or inner-journey work that finds unity in multiple faith traditions; interfaith describes dialogue and relationships that help preserve diversity among faiths. Interspiritual experience can result from, or lead to, interfaith activities. For this reason, the words are still often used interchangeably.

What does Interspirituality look like in practice?

The answer varies. Unitarian Universalists include the study of all religions in their youth curriculum. ‘Being Both’ communities teach the children of interfaith families both parents’ religions. “Interfaith” seminaries ordain ministers who lead communities that celebrate multiple religions. One seminary in particular, OneSpirit Learning Alliance, also trains interspiritual counselors to meet the needs of the growing Spiritual But Not Religious population.

As humanity moves more towards an integral worldview, helping people connect the choices they make each day to the future of life on our planet, even traditional religious leaders are beginning to experience a shift in perspective. The proliferation of Multi-Faith Worship Centers around the world  — and I expect there will be many more — is evidence of this. Here are a few examples:

• The Tri-Faith Initiative in Omaha
•  Pico Union Project in Los Angeles
• The House of One in Berlin
• The Center of Hope in Jerusalem

Such communities enrich their members’ experience of religion and open them to a felt experience of unity. At least, that was my experience with Jewibilation (a congregation I started for Jewish-Interfaith families). This experience then filtered into my role as a religious educator. What began as a traditional Hebrew School program for children of interfaith families gradually morphed into an interspiritual classroom. What does that mean?

The Interspiritual Classroom?

When it came to celebrating the holidays and history of Judaism, I included  insights and spiritual practices of different religions. Experiencing all the world’s religions is our human birthright. I encouraged my students and their families to apply these insights to their own lives. When we celebrated the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, I included Buddhist teachings on forgiveness. When we learned Hebrew chants, I added Hindu melodies too. When I taught a Jewish holiday, I had my students compare it with those in other traditions, learning even that much more about their own. I enlarged the window through which we learned about our religious heritage (which I called our home-base religion).

Of course, I taught traditional Jewish content—how to read and write Hebrew, chant Torah, recite prayers, interpret the rich wisdom in Jewish ethics, and appreciate Jewish history. But I didn’t stop there. I supported each student’s autonomy to identify with whatever religion or faith-style she or he was drawn to, even if it was different from their parents’, or their heritage; some of my students were atheists, some agnostic, some hybrids; none fit the traditional model ofJewish. And I did more. I curated interfaith programs locally and globally. I also brought science to the religious school classroom, and involved students in social justice. My classroom had evolved.

This is what it means to develop an interspiritual classroom; it means including and transcending to create something new. What’s new is an expanded sense of self that allows us to identify with all others. An interspiritual education can give rise to global citizenship, responsibility for the world — what we so desperately need today. This is its educational purpose.

An interspiritual approach to learning/teaching religion may worry some traditionalists, but they can be reassured. Religion is not changed or lost. It is re-valued through a new frame of reality that leads us to something bigger. It isn’t religion that’s changing; it’s us — choosing to experience religion from a different perspective that makes ancient wisdom relevant to more of us today. As globalization increases, developing a sense of global identity makes sense. The interspiritual classroom is one way to get there.

P. S. I believe we’ll see more interspiritual education for both youth AND adults. If it leads to a healthier, happier planet, then I’m on board! How about you?? 

Rev. Lauren Zinn, Ph.D. is an ordained interfaith minister, educational planner, and founder of ZinnHouse. ZinnHouse is dedicated to helping parents, teachers, and clergy of all backgrounds design and lead interfaith/interspiritual programs for youth and adults. Visit zinnhouse.com to learn more, or contact laurenzinn@zinnhouse.com.