"Spiritual But Not Religious"

There have been many definitions proposed for the term "religion." For example, consider William James, author of Varieties of Religious Experience, a Study of Human Nature, who defines "religion" as the "feelings, acts and experiences of [individuals] in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to whatever they may consider the divine" (1902, pp. 11-12). Compare this definition with that presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which defines "religion" as "A set of beliefs and practices followed by those committed to the service and worship of God." (USCCB Second ed. 1997, p. 896).

When someone describes themselves as being "spiritual but not religous," it generally means they believe they can have a private and personal relationship with the Divine that is independent of being affiliated with an organized religious community. See the report "Meet the Spiritual but Not Religious," published by the Barna on April 6, 2017, the report "More Americans Now Say They're Spiritual but not Religious," published by Pew Research Center on September 6, 2017; and the report "About Three–in–Ten U.S. Adults are Now Religiously Unaffiliated," published by Pew Research Center on December 14, 2021.