This presentation will explore the renewed interest in spirituality as a "new old" approach to religion, ethics, and human flourishing, considering its possible relevance as a resource for contemporary Interreligious Studies. While often viewed with suspicion in academic discourse for its perceived vagueness or individualism, spirituality can be reclaimed as a relational, practice-oriented, and ethically generative dimension with strong resonances across religious traditions.
Drawing on the his background in Catholic theology, long-term experience in Asian religious contexts, particularly Buddhist contexts, and practical involvement with global interreligious networks such as Religions for Peace, William F. Vendley will discuss how spiritually grounded narratives and practices can foster shared moral horizons without collapsing religious differences. Like an experiential and ethical grammar, spiritualities articulate human dignity, compassion, and responsibility toward both society and the planet. In this vein, particular attention will be given to how spiritually informed approaches may address contemporary challenges—social fragmentation, ecological crisis, and declining trust in institutions—while remaining attentive to questions of power, exclusion, and theological integrity.
Interreligious Studies can play a key role in clarifying, critiquing, and contextualizing spirituality as a category of analysis and practice. By situating spirituality at the intersection of religion, ethics, and human flourishing, the contribution seeks to expand current models of interreligious engagement beyond dialogue toward shared ethical imagination and collaborative action in pluralist European societies.