Welcome to Radical Spirituality
Getting to the Root of What Really Matters
What’s so radical about spirituality?
Everything. If we’re serious about it.
These days, it seems everyone is talking about spirituality. Colleagues at the office go in to detail about their meditation practice; the dentist tells you about his new partner yoga class; your son’s 3rd grade teacher wants to talk about the cacao ceremony she attended. Even Hollywood stars are promoting shamanic trips to the Amazon. Spirituality is in vogue.
Don’t get me wrong: yoga, meditation, and sacred ceremony are terrific. They are definitely valid and useful practices for physical and mental health, and if followed faithfully, can lead to genuine spiritual insight. I’m all for them (and do them myself), but what do we really mean by “spirituality,” and are these singular activities ultimately helping us live happier, more peaceful, joyful, connected lives of meaning and purpose? Isn’t that what we’re seeking?
I’m Interfaith/Interspiritual Minister, Lauryn Axelrod, otherwise known as “The Radical Reverend.” I write, teach, and preach on what I call Radical Spirituality, or how to live an authentic, meaningful and practical spiritual life in the world today. I believe that real spirituality is profoundly radical and, if you approach it that way, can transform your life. It certainly did mine.
What’s Radical Spirituality?
To be “spiritual” means that you have —or desire to have— a deep connection to whatever it is you call sacred, divine, or immaterial. That might be God, Spirit, Buddha-Mind, Allah, the Dao, True Self, the Universe, or Ultimate Reality. You don’t have to be religious to be spiritual, but it means that your connection to the sacred is the fundamental root — or driving force — of your life, and it defines your actions.
This is a radical idea because it goes against what is more common in the world. It was a radical idea from the very beginning, and it’s what all our great faith and wisdom traditions taught (and why some of our wisest teachers were killed for it). After all, to be connected to the spiritual means that you aren’t holding secular things like money, power, or the latest iphone sacred. You answer to higher or deeper authority than the one on the throne (or in the corner office). It puts you outside the norm, and it makes you a little dangerous.
That’s one reason I call it Radical Spirituality.
Here the other reasons:
I am an Interfaith/Interspiritual minister, and I write, counsel and teach from that orientation. I’m not a Pastor or Priest. I’m not a Rabbi, Roshi, Swami or Shaman. I don’t belong to any one faith tradition and I don’t represent any one religion. To me, they all have something of value to teach us and one is no better than another. That’s radical in the world of religious leadership where affiliation with one religion is the norm. To be interfaith or interspiritual, then, is a clear departure from tradition - one definition of radical. But, I did go to seminary and I am ordained. I’ve spent more than 40 years deeply learning, studying, and practicing across faith traditions, and can teach you Vipassana meditation, Lectio Divina, or how to say the prayers and light the candles on Shabbat. I can (and will) quote from the Dhammapada, the Vedas, the Talmud, The Bible, The Qu’ran, The Dao De Jing, Mary Oliver poems (yes, they are scripture to me), cosmology, psychology, The Rolling Stones, and lots more. I take ALL the wisdom we’ve been given throughout the ages seriously, but I just can’t limit myself to a single belief system. Can you? If not, that’s radical.
Radical means “root.” I’m interested in the fundamental root or foundational principles of ALL religions and spirituality, or what is sometimes called, The Perennial Philosophy. What do they all have in common? What is at the core of our spiritual life no matter who we are or where we come from, and what do we need to live authentic, meaningful spiritual lives in the real world today? What really matters? What really works? In a world where differences so painfully divide us, I am looking for the common spiritual truths that unite us. That’s radical.
Radical also means extreme. OK, I push it a little. These days, there is a lot out there that passes for spiritual teaching. At best, it’s harmless entertainment; at worst, it can be profoundly dangerous. I have little patience for religious fundamentalism, New Age woo-woo, or “Kumbaya” spiritual bypass, and will call out spiritual materialism in a sweet second. It’s not to be argumentative; I am nice about it. But, I like to get my hands dirty digging for truth, and I truly believe that if we want to live authentic spiritual lives, we need to cut through the BS out there (and in here, too). For some, that’s a little extreme or radical. I just call it “real.”
Much of what passes for spirituality is prescriptive: it tells you exactly what to do, think or believe. Radical Spirituality is about discovering your own experience and beliefs, and the practices that work for YOU. It’s radical to think for yourself, not to take what someone else says as gospel truth. It’s radical to trust your own experience over that of a proclaimed authority. In fact, it’s such a radical idea that those who dared to question what the church/religious leaders wanted them to think were often branded as heretics, burned at the stake, excommunicated, or otherwise exiled. Some still are. I’m not proposing you get yourself in trouble, but I am suggesting that Radical Spirituality requires a willingness to discover what is true for you. And sometimes, it might look different from what you have been told. Don’t let anyone else (including me) tell you what to think. Discover it for yourself from your own experience.
And lastly, because I don’t hold to any one tradition, but recognize the value of what each contributes to the whole spiritual conversation, I also recognize, support, and affirm diversity in all its myriad forms. All. In the religious world, that can be radical, but for me it’s sacrosanct. If the Divine can create duck-billed platypuses, giraffes, jelly fish, and jelly donuts, then who am I to say one is more Divine than the other? All - in all ways - are welcomed and affirmed. That means you.
Ultimately, Radical Spirituality is about deepening the connection to whatever you call sacred and making that connection the center of your life. It’s about getting to the genuine root of spirituality, and discovering what really matters for you, what’s true, and and what will help you an live authentic, transformative spiritual life in the real world today.
What to expect from me
Honesty, first and foremost. Deep dives into spirituality. Accurate representations of spiritual teachings from a wide range of authentic sources. Some snark, some opinion, and genuinely heartfelt, accessible writing. I actually care about this stuff (and how to share it well keeps me up at night).
I don’t claim to have the answers to life, the universe, God, or anything else, and I don’t pretend to be anyone special. Yes, I have the credentials and the Rev. before my name, but I’m struggling through it and still learning, just like you. I am, however, deeply passionate about living a radically spiritual life, and I really want to help YOU do it, too. Let’s go on this journey together.
Radical Spirituality is a free newsletter. I want to make sure those who want to come along for the ride, can.
If you subscribe for free, here’s what you’ll get:
Every week, two new posts will show up in your inbox.
On Wednesdays, you’ll receive What Matters on Wednesdays, an essay, inspiration, something from my own life, or some idea that won’t let me sleep until I write it down. I’ll try to keep it short and relevant. We’re all busy. On Sundays, I offer The ABC’s of Radical Spirituality, a single, essential word distilled from all the world’s great teachings (in alphabetical order because I am that person), including some brief teachings around it, a practice, and reflection questions to help you explore and integrate the word during the week.
Notes. When they come to me.
These might be short snippets, quotes, reflection questions, something someone else said that is radically spiritual, or anything else I think you might find useful. Probably once or twice a week.
Full access to the archives (so you can catch up or re-read anytime).
The ability to comment on public posts (as long as you’re nice about it, please).
My deep gratitude. Sharing Radical Spirituality is my calling, and I’m truly thankful others want to join me on this adventure. Thank you for coming along.
If you choose to become a Pay-It-Forward or paid subscriber, for a few pennies a day (less than the cost of a single Mocha Frappuccino per month), you help to support this newsletter, and get some bonus stuff:
“There Are No Dumb Questions” - a chat feature where you can post questions about spirituality, and I’ll do my best to give you a radical response.
Member-only chats so you can talk to each other - and me, too.
Sneak-previews of projects I’m working on.
Occasional subscriber-only content including audio and video features.
And, most importantly, my continued genuine, heartfelt gratitude. I mean that. Subscribing is a vital way to support my work, keep most of this newsletter free, and allow me to offer service in the community that is often unpaid (and it’s much less annoying than passing the plate at church).
Let’s get radical together
Radical Spirituality works best in community. It’s no fun talking about this stuff to yourself. Let’s hang out together…and with others. Please, share Radical Spirituality with your friends. The more of us getting radical, the better!
