Spiritual but not religious

Start here · 1 min read

Overview

Spiritual but not religious, often shortened to SBNR, describes people who value spiritual experience, meaning and inner practice but do not belong to or fully identify with an organised religion. In surveys of American adults, roughly a quarter describe themselves this way, and similar patterns appear in Europe and urban India. The category matters because it shapes wellness, yoga, meditation and coaching, and because it raises questions about authority, commitment and community in modern life.

Context

The phrase became common in the late 20th century, but its roots lie in older currents: 19th century American Transcendentalism, Theosophy, and the interest in Asian religions after Swami Vivekananda's appearance at the 1893 World's Parliament of Religions. The 1960s counterculture and growing distrust of institutions made personal spirituality more visible.