A Contemporary Approach to Spiritual and Theological Reflection from the Perspective of Kahneman’s System Thinking
Julie Robertson, Sehrish Haroon, Thomas St. James O’Connor, Jeffrey Dale
Religions April 9, 2026 DOI: 10.3390/rel17040475 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Hermeneutical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 53 |
| Population | Texts from various databases |
| Keywords | Intuition Faith Religious experience Spiritual development Reflective thinking Systems thinking Perspective graphical Spiritual formation Epistemology Context archaeology Parallel thinking Belief system Reflection computer programming Critical thinking Spirituality Spiritual growth Theology |
| Key points | There is a rise in texts using System 1 thinking in spiritual and theological reflection, with non-theological disciplines practicing spiritual reflection and using System 1 thinking, alongside growing awareness of diverse cultures and faith experiences. |
Abstract
This article explores Daniel Kahneman’s concept of system thinking from his book Thinking Fast and Slow (2013) in the context of contemporary spiritual and theological reflection. The question studied here is: What does the intentional use of emotions, dreams and intuition described by Daniel Kahneman as System 1 thinking look like in contemporary spiritual and theological reflection? According to Kanheman, System 1 thinking includes emotions, dreams and intuition. The method for answering the research question is hermeneutical. This means gathering texts that fit Kahneman’s description of System 1 thinking and integrating these concepts into some form of spiritual and theological reflection. Hermeneutical research is text-based. Fifty-three (53) texts were found in a search of various databases. These texts are analyzed noting the impact of System 1 thinking on spiritual and theological reflection. Findings include the following: First, there is a rise in the number of texts using System 1 thinking in spiritual and theological reflection. Second, disciplines outside of theology are practicing spiritual reflection as part of their spiritual care. Third, these non-theological disciplines are also using System 1 thinking in their spiritual reflections. Fourth, there is an awareness and utilization of diverse cultures and faith experiences in spiritual reflection. Fifth, these texts indicate the growth of the demographic of people who are spiritual but not religious and a connection to dreams, emotions and intuition in spiritual and theological reflection. Sixth, there is also a developing overlap between spiritual and theological reflection. Cautions and gaps in the textual analysis are noted as well as future applications.