Jean Rowe sends in this report from Barbara Brown Taylor’s talk at the Decatur Book Festival Sunday…

A new bumper sticker: Spiritual but not disconnected; Religious but not root-bound

Barbara Brown Taylor came to the podium in her stocking feet after an introduction that included wearing many hats. Theologian. Author. Teacher. Explorer. Master Craftsman. Down-to-Earth worker. To a packed house, she addressed the idea of being “spiritual but not religious” as stated by those whom she described as “church-hurt” people. Religious conjures the ideas of institution, tradition, creed, doctrine. Spiritual encompasses all the things on the “not” list. The not list makes me think of my nephew at age 4 saying he wanted to go live with the Not Nice family after being told “that’s not nice” enough times. I remember thinking that was an honest response.

Examples of spiritual but not religious: feeling closer to God outdoors. No longer being able to make sense of religious teachings.

The talk led to the idea of religious dualism. Dark. Light. Of God. Not of God. Good. Evil. On dualistic thinking, Brown Taylor says this kind of thing causes all kinds of mischief. Both historically and personally. At the heart of that, I think, is the blanketing phrase “in the name of God.” The Crusades stick in my head a lot about decisions being based on that phrase.

Brown Taylor, although admittedly firmly couched in being religious, does not seem to have the motive of changing our minds but to consider a broader view of what spiritual practice means.

Practices bring us closer together. She encourages us to embrace the spiritual discipline of being in relationship, particularly when the relationship includes risking the friction of disagreement, choosing the labor of it rather than resenting it.

Brown Taylor posed the idea that spirituality has a lot more to do with the flesh than we think. She said our bodies make theologians of us all. It seems to me that everything we do is an opportunity to be in spiritual practice. Whether we feel close to God inside four walls with genuflection, incense and formal prayer or in the woods, the earth crunching under our boots or packing lunches for schoolchildren to take home for the weekend or helping build a house, the point is to be together, making the effort to harmoniously live together, differences included, respected. In Brown Taylor’s words, binding the human to the divine, the sacred to the daily, the spirit to the flesh. I find this hopeful and welcoming, particularly in being reminded that my own spiritual practices are always available. All I have to do is show up.