Spirituality as Biophilia

For several years, I have been interested in a term I first discovered in the writings of Erich Fromm and later in those of E.O. Wilson and Stephen Kellert. The term is biophilia which literally means love of life or friendship with life. It refers to the hypothesis that humanity has a natural desire or inclination to connect with the wider life of the world.

I am becoming more and more convinced that spirituality is best understood as biophilia. Discussions of Spirit very often connect it with life and the power that makes for life which I would call GOD (along with theologians like Mordecai Kaplan). Therefore, spirituality can be seen as an orientation towards life, an appreciation of life, and a promotion of life. To be a spiritual person is to be involved in the give and take of life in such a way as to make a difference for the better. It is to realize and celebrate the connections that form the matrix or wider web of living existence. Seen in this way, spirituality ceases to be only a retreat into oneself or into some shady supernatural world, but instead it becomes an adventure of participation in the everyday, real life world. Seen from the perspective of biophilia, spirituality is utterly practical. It is also a way of appreciating the larger work of God, the nurture and support of all that lives.