ABSTRACT
However, simply offering a definition for spirituality, even if it were to be generally accepted (which is unlikely given the range of vested interests and passionate commitments involved with particular meanings), is not necessarily the most helpful way to clear up the confusion surrounding the term. By its reductionist nature, a literal definition is at most the starting point to worlds of meaning constructed around the defined term. Cultural and other contextual influences, personal and collective histories, specific applications and extensions of the term give colour and depth and particularity to the way individuals understand it. If one is really to know a term, one needs to grapple with it at the level of these enriched meanings. In other words, a definitive answer to the question, ‘What is spirituality?’, is likely to rob spirituality of its power to inspire and guide educational practice by casting it too narrowly, too poorly, whereas an imaginative exploration permits both critical analysis and the search for appropriate applications. Here we shall examine traditional western constructions of spirituality, especially their most problematic features, and appraise some contemporary images to discover to what extent they have addressed these past problems.
