Is Decolonizing the Spirit Possible?

Abstract

There is no universal definition for spirituality since it implies a relationship with what people variously refer to as the life force, God, Creator, the higher self or purpose, or the Great Mystery. What is essential, however, is how you define your own spirituality and spiritual practices. The context of spirituality differs from individual to individual and from group to group. For many people, it encompasses a sense of wholeness, healing and the interconnectedness of all things. For instance, Michael Dantley (The sage handbook of educational leadership. Sage, Thousand Oaks, 2005) argues that spirituality, with components of critical reflection, has been one of the main pillars of the African American experience. “Our spirit”, he writes, “enables us to connect with other human beings” (p. 654). Spirituality, therefore, is about meaning making—it is about how people construct knowledge through largely unconscious and symbolic processes manifested through image, symbol, ritual and music. Spirituality is about the ongoing development of identity or moving toward what many refer to as their greater authentic self. It is simultaneously collective and personal (Wane in Theorizing empowerment Canadian perspectives on Black feminist thought. Inanna Publications and Education, Toronto, 2007; Canadian Woman Studies 29(1/2): 159, 2011). Derezotes defines spirituality as “a complex, intrapsychic dimension of human development” (1995, p. 1), while Bullis argues that spirituality is “the relationship of the human person to something or someone who transcends themselves” (Spirituality in social work practice. Taylor & Francis, Washington, DC, 1996, p. 2). Mazama, writing from an Afrocentric perspective, states that spirituality is “cosmic energy that permeates and lives within all that is”, which “confers a common sense to everything in the world, and thus ensures the fundamental unity of all that exists” (Journal of Black Studies 33(2), 2002, pp. 219–221). In short, spirituality has been defined as “a complex, intrapsychic dimension of human development” (Derezotes, 1995, p. 1), or “the relationship of the human person to something or someone who transcends themselves” (Bullis in Spirituality in social work practice. Taylor & Francis, Washington, DC, 1996, p. 2). Many people include spirituality in a search for meaning that shapes their identities, which enables them to cope with everyday challenges (Watt in New Directions for Student Services 104: 29–40, 2003). I would say that spirituality is about inner strength, faith and groundedness; it facilitates networking, survival and collectivity; it connects the personal to larger social systems and meaning-making (Wane in Theorizing empowerment Canadian perspectives on Black feminist thought. Inanna Publications and Education, Toronto, 2007). Moreover, spiritual leaders need to harness these qualities to create a spiritual experience in their schools. In this paper, I therefore argue that, based on the relationship that people have with their spirit, the spirit cannot be colonized. The spirit may stay in what might appear a “dormant” state ready to spring to action at an appropriate time and moment. The paper will show how the spirit becomes an invisible inner strength that many hold on when the physical body has been subjected to different types of oppressions.