The conceptual and empirical relationship between spirituality and social justice: Exemplars from diverse faith traditions

In the experience of many clients, social justice and spirituality are intrinsically linked. After noting the growing interest in spirituality, the theoretical connection between spirituality and social justice is discussed, along with spiritually-animated efforts to create a just society at the micro-, mezzo-, and macro-levels. To illustrate how understandings of social justice are operationalized across diverse spiritual traditions, examples are profiled from Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. The paper concludes with a discussion of the educational implications that flow from the profession's ethical standards and the contributions that spiritually-based understandings of social justice can contribute to professional discourse; thereby enhancing the profession's ability to address complex social problems.