ABSTRACT
Contemporary discussions all too often pose the secular and the spiritual as diametrically opposed perspectives with little in common, either in substance or objectives. The goal of social justice activism is to ensure that the inequities are challenged and eradicated. Equality, inclusivity, interdependence: all three are central to both progressive secular activism and centripetal spiritual philosophy. One way that secular and spiritual beliefs diverge is in the means by which each seeks to ensure compliance with law or dharma. Progressive secular activism generally responds to the violation of justice by whatever means it has at its disposal, calling for the prosecution of the guilty, undertaking civil disobedience and demanding legal reform. The spiritual idea that our true nature is expansive and loving parallels the secular notion of one’s ‘humanity’. Centripetal secular and spiritual philosophies are not autonomous streams, but rather ones that crisscross.
