SPIRITUALITY BETWEEN ATHEISM AND THEISM: MEANING, EXPERIENCE, AND SOCIAL FUNCTION

Abstract

Contemporary public debates increasingly separate “spirituality” from traditional theism, raising a central question for philosophy, psychology, and sociology of religion: can spirituality remain coherent and beneficial when detached from belief in God? This research article synthesizes interdisciplinary scholarship on (a) how spirituality is defined and measured beyond organized religion, (b) whether secular practices (e.g., meditation, awe, mindfulness) reliably generate “spiritual” experiences, (c) how meaning-making and moral reasoning operate under naturalism, and (d) whether religion’s social functions (ritual, community, consolation) can be replaced without loss. Using a systematic literature review and thematic synthesis, the paper identifies five recurring findings: (1) spirituality is increasingly operationalized as self-transcendence and meaning rather than doctrinal belief; (2) secular contemplative practices can generate experiences commonly labeled spiritual; (3) meaning in life robustly predicts coping and well-being across worldviews; (4) attempts to “borrow” religious forms without metaphysical commitments can succeed pragmatically but face limits in communal durability and moral authority; and (5) post-theistic spirituality remains internally diverse, ranging from humanistic optimism to tragic or nihilistic framings. The article concludes that “spirituality without theism” is empirically real in experience and practice, but philosophically contested with respect to the ultimate grounding of value and normativity. Keywords: Secular spirituality; atheism; theism; meaning in life; self-transcendence; ritual; nihilism; mindfulness; moral realism; sociology of religion. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20568769