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What do we mean when we say we are spiritual? We are asking this question as part of the Study of Spirituality in America. As the qualitative phase of this research concludes, we are uncovering important nuances in what religion and spirituality mean to people today and how this realm of life informs our behaviors and actions.

Participation in the [We the] People Book Club has challenged me to face some of my own biases and pre-conceived ideas. I am grateful for the opportunity to explore and consider different viewpoints.
—We the People Book Club participant

The freedoms and rights stipulated in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution necessitate that we listen to points of view that differ from ours. In The Zen of Listening: Mindful Communication in the Age of Distraction, Rebecca Shafir offers practices for opening to others with whom we may differ:

Journalists, in their role as storytellers, can sometimes become emotionally hardened from crafting stories about social injustice, breach of trust, fear, and violence. Life’s daily kindnesses and community triumphs aren’t always easy tales to find.

Democracy requires that we listen to others sincerely, even when there is disagreement. But how does this work online? When you consider the person on the other end of the comment or video, what would it mean to listen with the intent to draw out their true essence or identify their good intentions, instead of listening with the intent to debate or argue with them? So often people want to prove their point or listen only until they get a chance to say their piece.

“Since its inception, Nuns & Nones [which brings together religiously unaffiliated young adults and Catholic sisters] has garnered intense interest and widespread media coverage.

The Fetzer Institute announces the appointment of Kurian Thomas as vice president, spiritual transformation, effective July 1. In this new role, he will direct and coordinate programs supporting spiritual development through the lifespan. This includes overseeing a portfolio of more than 60 projects across the globe on a range of topics related to spirituality, including education, health and wellbeing, and democracy. Kurian will also provide leadership and support to the Institute’s organizational learning and culture.

This spiritual practice takes walking from an experience of observation and listening to a contemplative experience to increase your self-awareness and your feelings of deep connection to your neighborhood. It is designed to encourage such democratic values and virtues as caring, generosity, service, and consideration.

This practice is from The Practicing Democracy Project's "Practicing Democracy at Work" guide. While it is framed for the workplace, right speech is important in every aspect of our life!

This month the We the People Book Club is reading what book club curator Julia Davis describes as "remarkably candid reflections on growing up black in America:"  James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time and Ta-Nehisi Coates's Between the World and Me.