I offer the following, general descriptions of the terms “InterSpirituality”  and “InterSpiritual” that I wrote in “InterSpiritual Meditation.”  Please regard these as one of many possible perspectives as we explore a possible consensus around a mutually shared definition for the terms “interspirituality” and “interspiritual.” You’ll notice that I am fond of capitalizing the “I” and “S” to make the term stand out as a distinctive category.

InterSpirituality

“InterSpirituality is a term that we apply to the processes and experiences shared by the world’s contemplative traditions that are nested within the world’s major religions.  It connotes a more nuanced approached than conventional inter-faith or inter-religious dialogues offer that are based on ‘tolerance,’ rapprochement,’ and ‘respect.’   InterSpirituality goes far deeper, indeed, to the very heart of the spiritual experiences that give rise to the major religions.  It holds the promise of a genuine sharing of our respective spiritual experiences, and a conscious joining a the deeper levels of our being.  InterSpirituality represents the next phase of understanding between people of diverse spiritual traditions.

InterSpiritual

The term “InterSpiritual” pertains to the contemplative, meditative, and mystical experiences that are the foundation for spiritual practice.

It leads us into the very heart of the spiritual experiences that were the creative force for the major religions. It holds the promise of a genuine sharing of our respective spiritual experiences, and a conscious joining at the deepest levels of our being. InterSpirituality represents the next phase of understanding between people of different spiritual traditions.

I will be very interested to hear how others define and describe these terms.