A Qualitative Investigation of the Meaning of Religion and Spirituality to a Group of Orthodox Christians: Implications for Marriage and Family Therapy

Abstract

SUMMARY Religion and spirituality have recently become topics of discussion among marital and family therapists as well as other mental health professionals. This article attempts to contribute to the ongoing discussion by presenting descriptions and interpretations from a qualitative study that involved fifteen self-described Eastern Orthodox Christians. Respondents were asked to offer their perceptions of the terms religion and spirituality. Domain analysis suggests that these respondents perceive a profound connection between the terms religion and spirituality. Results also suggest that social workers and other practitioners who work with self-described religious families may be missing some salient information when they (a) fail to address religious and spiritual factors, and (b) choose to dichotomize religion and spirituality when working with self-described religious clients and their families.

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