Multidimensionality of Spirituality: A Qualitative Study among Secular Individuals

Demmrich, Sarah; Huber, Stefan

Research article (journal)

Abstract

This study examines the multidimensionality of spirituality by comparing the applicability of two models-the five-dimensional model of religiosity by Huber that we have extended with a sixth dimension of ethics and the three-dimensional spirituality model by Bucher. This qualitative study applied a semi-structured interview guideline of spirituality to a stratified sample of N = 48 secular individuals in Switzerland. To test these two models, frequency, valence, and contingency analysis of Mayring's qualitative content analysis were used. It could be shown that Bucher's three-dimensional model covers only about half of the spirituality codes in the interviews; it is especially applicable for implicit and salient spiritual aspects in general, as well as for spiritual experience in specific. In contrast, the extended six-dimensional model by Huber could be applied to almost all of the spirituality-relevant codes. Therefore, in principle, the scope of this six-dimensional model can be expanded to spirituality. The results are discussed in the context of future development of a multidimensional spirituality scale that is based on Huber's Centrality of Religiosity by extending the religiosity concept to spirituality without mutually excluding these concepts from each other.

Details zur Publikation

Release year: 2019
Language in which the publication is written: English
Link to the full text: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/10/11/613