Transcendence, then Spirituality, then Religion

Six facets of spiritual health with Dr. Pamela Ebstyne King

I had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Pamela Ebstyne King for a long-overdue second conversation, following an episode we recorded about three years ago. We chatted about the intersection of psychology, spirituality, and human flourishing. I think the world of her and can’t believe it took me so long to have her back!

Pam shared her Six Facets of Spiritual Health framework, which she's developing for an upcoming book. We structured the episode around these facets, giving each a brief overview before diving deeper during the Patreon-exclusive second half.

Our discussion around transcendence and spirituality was particularly intriguing to me. I've long been familiar with Dr. Lisa Miller's definition of spirituality: connection to a higher power that is loving and guiding. Pam helped me add to my working model of spirituality and religion: that pure transcendence can be considered on its own terms, logically “before” the type of reciprocal connection implied in spirituality. Our conversation made me wonder if transcendence might serve as a foundation or catalyst for both personal spirituality and communal religious practice. It could look something like this:

1. Transcendence: The experience of something beyond oneself

2. Spirituality: The personal response to and relationship with that transcendent reality

3. Religiosity: The communal and ritualized expressions of that spiritual relationship

This three-item model feels like it might capture a more holistic picture of spiritual life. It acknowledges the initial experience of transcendence (whether overtly spiritual or not), the personal spiritual journey that follows, and the communal religious practices that codify and structure spirituality for a somewhat-homogenous group of individuals.

Join my Patreon to hear the full episode where we dive even deeper into these concepts, or listen to the first half here.