Spiritual and Religious Diversity

For some, spiritual and religious diversity drives a search for truth or personal identity, while for others, it is a tool that addresses workplace harassment and discrimination; for still others, it is a misunderstood and undervalued dimension of diversity, somewhat discouraged by the parental counsel of “never talking about religion or politics.” Observable, culturally embedded behaviors disclose its presence in our daily lives. It is expressed locally, nationally, and globally. Interculturalists frequently examine these dimensions solely for their dysfunctional expression when engaged by organizations facing hate speech, overt hostility, or abuse of power. The spiritual dimension of diversity is rarely examined the way race, gender, sexual identity, and disability have been for their inherent contributions to social and organizational development. This is unfortunate, since many ...