Social work's conceptualization of spirituality

Summary.

The social work literature reflects an increasing interest in spirituality; however, social workers appear to have different meanings of the term spirituality. Building on Canda's (1988a) conceptualization of spirituality, this article identifies and defines two meanings: spirituality‐as‐essence of human nature and spirituality‐as‐one‐dimension of human experience. The different meanings of these concepts have important theoretical and practice implications. The theoretical implications include spirituality and the person as well as the beginning and development of a person's spirituality. The practice implications include views of well‐being, dysfunctional behavior, and approaches to treatment. This article clarifies these definitions and their implications in order to promote greater conceptual consistency within the social work profession.