The state of Alabama has always had a reputation for being a part of the Bible Belt. Anywhere you go in the state, you see churches predominantly of Protestant (in most cases Southern Baptist), evangelical or nondenominational origin. On The University of Alabama campus, there are popular religious groups such as Unashamed and The Well. But what about other faiths in our state and on campus that we don’t hear about as much? Here, four UA women, of four different faiths (Protestantism, Catholicism, Judaism and Islam) share about their viewpoint of spirituality in order to explore the diversity of spirituality and faith life at The University of Alabama.
What is Spirituality?
Regardless of religion, people have different interpretations of what spirituality is. Some define it as a relationship with a higher power, such as Amy Castleberry, a second-year graduate student in American Studies. “In general, spirituality is a relationship with a higher power that is greater than yourself,” said Castleberry, who is Jewish. “Through this relationship, spirituality is the way to find purpose, hope and comfort in your life.”
Lauren Whitten, a senior majoring in accounting, says that it is showing the grace of God to others. “For me spirituality is about being so filled with the Holy Spirt that the essence of my human flesh perishes to what is God’s grace and love,” said Whitten, who is Methodist.
Some simply define it as faith and values in addition to a relationship with a higher power, such as Dalia Darweesh, a sophomore majoring in healthcare management. “Since I’m a Muslim, I see that spirituality is defined by my Islamic values, beliefs, the relationship that I have between God, and myself and how I use that to manage my everyday life,” said Darweesh.
Others see it as a reaction to the reality of God. “Everyone responds to this reality in some way, whether it’s searching for the truth or refusing to acknowledge it,” said Briana Fennell, a sophomore majoring in secondary education, who is Catholic.
Role of Spirituality in College Life
There are different ways that college women choose to express themselves through spirituality. Fennell said that every action should stem from her spiritual life, especially when treating others with kindness. “The way I treat others, especially, is something that I try to do based on my faith. Even if someone is being particularly annoying, or if someone is not my favorite person, I try to treat that person with love. The fact that each human has an inherent dignity is a major tenet of the Catholic faith,” Fennell said.
Castleberry says that her Judaism encourages her to help others, too, while being grateful for her blessings. “My Jewish spirituality aids me in being emotionally honest and introspective about the choices and decisions I make in my life and how they affect those around me,” said Castleberry. “It helps me to recognize the blessings in my life and challenges me to do mitzvot (good deeds) to help others.”
Darweesh says that spirituality plays a huge role in her life. “Islam, which is related to the word Salam in Arabic, means peace. Along with worshipping Allah, praying and reading the Qur’an, peace and harmony falls down on me,” said Darweesh. “Sometimes when I’m stressed because of the all the homework or homesick, taking sometime to read the holy book of Islam, the Qur’an, will make me feel comforted.”
Whitten says that she simply wants spirituality to be her life. “I want every ounce of myself to radiate Christ. I know that sounds extreme and a little out there, but it’s more about allowing my normal nature to give way to the fruits of the spirit,” she said. “It’s about those fruits taking hold of my life in the shapes of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
Expressions of Faith
“I practice Judaism by cultivating my personal relationship with G-d, striving to do mitzvot (good deeds), giving back to the world around me, attending synagogue for prayer and reflection, celebrating the holidays and life cycle events through rituals and tradition, and fostering a love and commitment to Zionism and the land of Israel,” said Castleberry. (In Judaism, it is customary to take out the “O” in God as a sign of reverence.)
Whitten says her expression of faith comes through God’s grace and love. “My faith comes from my God so in terms of expressing that it comes from how He, the Holy Spirit, radiates through me,” she said.
Fennell said that she expresses her Catholic faith by the way she lives her life. “Catholicism has not just taught me the ways in which I should not behave. It has also taught me—and continues to teach me—what things I should do in order to live the best life possible,” she said. “For example, in Catholicism there exists the idea of works of mercy. These include both physical and spiritual acts we are all called to do for others. The corporal works of mercy include feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty and clothing the naked. The spiritual works of mercy include bearing wrongs patiently, forgiving, and praying for the dead. I strive to live my life following ideals like the works of mercy.”
Darweesh says it is simply just being faithful, obedient, and God-conscious. “As a Muslim, I believe that my faith results from a consistent development of my spiritual beliefs in God and the strong bond I continue to develop in this relationship,” she said.
How Spirituality Helps
During challenges, people rely on spirituality to help them get through. Fennell says it has helped her get through tough times last semester when she had problems with her health, grades and personal life. “Without God, I never could have made it through all of that. Through lots and lots of prayer, I got to a much better place in my life,” she said.
Whitten says that spirituality helped her realize her true identity. “When the tornados destroyed Tuscaloosa in April of 2011 I found myself destroyed because my identity lied within the University and the city of Tuscaloosa,” Whitten said. “My only hope was that my God remained and that was when my identity lied within Him and that could never be taken away.”
Darweesh and Castleberry both say that spirituality helps them get through everyday life. Darweesh says that one of the five pillars of Islam is praying five times a day. “It is a big obligation and an important act of worship. By doing so I feel I did an amazing accomplishment and feel really good every day,” she said.
For Castleberry, spirituality is a part of every aspect or her life, mundane or significant. “Whether it’s to inform my decisions, find happiness and peace of mind, celebrate holidays, seek comfort, challenge my beliefs, or help the community; spirituality helps cultivate my personal relationship with G-d and fulfill me as an observant Jew,” Castleberry said.
Is There a Difference Between Faith and Spirituality?
Faith and spirituality may be similar words, but they actually have different meanings. How they are different is up to personal interpretation.
Castleberry says that Judaism is not about accepting a concrete religious dogma. “Jews are taught and encouraged to question everything in order to find truth and meaning in our teachings,” she said. “Faith is about taking those teachings and principles and applying them to how you experience life and interact with others and the world around you.” In addition, Castleberry says that spirituality is a concentration on finding meaning and purpose to life on earth and influences you to make the right decisions and give back to others. “Jewish spirituality focuses on the present and the affect you have on the world in the here and now rather than reward in the after-life,” she said.
Darweesh says that even though the two words have different meanings, they complete each other. “Every religion has its own morals and values,” she said. “Spirituality comes from believing in your faith and how it will have an impact on your life, to bring out the positive attitudes in you.”
Fennell said that faith is a type of spirituality. “Believing in God is one way to respond to His existence.”
Whitten says that either faith or spirituality can lead to the other. “We as Christians can have faith and for God that’s all he asks; yet, he longs for more. That’s where our spirituality comes in. When we have a relationship with God we develop our spirituality, and that is when our entire world transforms,” she said.
Misconceptions of Faith
It could be the way people were raised or what they see on TV, but naturally people tend to have misunderstandings of faiths different from their own, which lead to usually negative stereotypes, making some faiths looks harsh or even closed-minded.
“I believe most people see Islam as if it is a harsh religion,” Darweesh said. “That Muslims are terrorists, women do not have rights in it and that everyone is forced to obey unbearable, extreme rules. The media always play a huge role in representing false facts about almost most of the things displayed in the news and sometimes it decides to hide some of the truth.”
“People have tons of misconceptions about Catholicism,” said Fennell. “Many see us as hateful, closed-minded and backwards. They don’t truly understand the Church. People tend to oversimplify or exaggerate Church teachings in order to continue stereotypes.” Fennell said that the Church only desires the good of all men. In addition, she wishes that people knew that the Catholic Church’s teachings are easily available to read. “No one has to believe what the media says or what they’ve heard from unreliable sources. They can get it all firsthand,” she said.
Some stereotypes may be just be simple, misinformed assumptions. “One of the biggest misconceptions is that Judaism is simply Christianity without accepting Jesus as the messiah,” said Castleberry. “The two religions are so unique and different on so many levels with such different principles of faith that it is simply impossible to adequately address them all.” Castleberry said that it is lazy and disrespectful to assume both religions are the same without contemplating their distinct differences.
“I think people don’t really understand what real Christianity is all about,” said Whitten. “People of all religious backgrounds see Christianity as a list of rules to follow and that’s just not what it’s all about.” Whitten said that Christianity is endless love without exception. “It’s when we choose to love God back is when we, out of free will, choose to obey his commandments because we want to live our lives for the one we love who loves us.”