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Religion And Spirituality Paper

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When speaking about religion and spirituality the are many similarities and differences. They are often connected but quite different. According to Hays & Erford (2018), “Spirituality refers to the connections individuals have with themselves on the universe as a whole” (p. 8). Essentially, spirituality is what gives an individual understanding of being spiritual, and give them an inclination of something outside of this physical world. On the contrary, Hays & Erford (2018) defines religion as, “An organizing construct of spirituality, consists of the behaviors and practices of individuals’ faith” (p. 8). Religion involves rituals and a set of beliefs that one applies to their life to establish a relationship with God. In addition, religion …show more content…
According to Hays & Erford (2018), this four-stage model is as follows: pre-awareness stage, awakening stage, recognition stage, and the integration stage (p. 62). During the pre-awareness stage, a person does not recognize their spiritual identity or even recognize that they are spiritual beings. For an individual to recognize their spiritual identity it takes them to encounter certain things in their life to bring awareness. This stage is known as the awakening stage. Throughout a person’s life, they pass through each stage to implore a spiritual identity. Poll and Smith believes that “this emotionally charged period leads to an awareness of God that is fragmented and specific to the crisis at hand” (Hays & Erford, 2018, p. 62). After one has been awakening to their spirituality, then the stage of recognition is present. The recognition stage is when an individual becomes aware of God emotionally, and cognitively (Hays & Erford, 2018). Moreover, during this stage, a person’s spirituality is being shaped and their concept of God is established through themes that cultivate their faith practices, behaviors, and beliefs (Hays & Erford, 2018). The final stage is the integration stage. According to Hays & Erford (2018), “Integration is marked by internalized notions of God that order perceptions, interactions, relationships, and behaviors” (p. 62). Poll and Smith’s model of spiritual identity shows how a person spirituality is shaped throughout their life, and give them an understanding of who God is to

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