Piety

Following an outline of the history of the term, this article presents a definition of Christian spirituality as the human response to God’s call. It describes the various forms of this response, whose foundation is the double commandment of love, and the many ways in which spirituality can be lived out in everyday life. Regularity, community, spiritual guidance, and discernment of spirits are identified as requirements for a sustainable spiritual practice in everyday life. Certain problems are then singled out, including the need to choose one’s own form of spirituality within the complex context of late modernity and the ambiguity of the concept of experience. Finally, spirituality is framed as a basis for ecumenical community.

In theology, the term “everyday life” is associated with various intellectual traditions. While the term is primarily found in the discourses on fields of action within practical theology, reflection on “everyday life” also opens up important perspectives for systematic theology and is significantly shaped by it. This article outlines the interdisciplinary development of the concept of everyday life as well as its theological adaptation.