The Seven
Spiritual Paths
Christianity: the One, the Many describes seven spiritual paths:
- Devotion: the approach to God through prayer, worship, artistic expression, and mysticism
- Ceremony: the approach to God through ritual, liturgy, and the sacraments
- Knowledge: the approach to God through the pursuit and sharing of truth
- Service: the approach to God through helping our neighbor and making the world a better place
- Healing: the approach to God through alleviating pain and nurturing the fullness of life
- Activism: the approach to God through the pursuit of peace and justice
- Renunciation: the approach to God through self-discipline, the reordering of priorities, and alignment with divine will.
The seven paths are fundamental to Christianity and other major religions, linking the faithful both to God and to the world. They were exemplified by outstanding individuals in history--and continue to be exemplified by people today.
Some of us may be drawn to a single path; others may want to explore more than one—perhaps all of them, although that would dilute what we could hope to achieve. The seven paths represent ideals, and we have the opportunity to express them to the extent of our ability.
