Spirituality in Social Sciences and Health: Genealogy and Uses of a Term

Abstract

Spirituality is a term of increasing popularity and difficult to define, as its various uses show. Sensitive to the historical and cultural context, this chapter presents a journey through its genealogy through the sociology and anthropology of religion and also the field of health, where there has been renewed interest in recent years. Among the sociocultural transformations that have been shaping the concept of spirituality, the turn that the New Age caused in its emergence as an object of interest and analytical category for the social sciences is especially analysed. The porous relationships between the terms religion and spirituality are examined, in light of the methodological limitations and challenges that this field of study still presents. Finally, the contributions of spirituality from the field of health are explored and reflections are made on the inclusion of spiritual care professionals in health teams.