Religious vs Spiritual

When, over the years, I've causally discussed "religion" with devoutly religious people, they've seemed to seamlessly accept my use of the word "spiritual." And why not?

Thirty-four million Americans have given up on organized religion, according to the most recent American Religious Identification Survey. Yet for many of these dropouts, spirituality is still a vital part of their lives.

By expanding and deepening the way we frame the subject of religion, we can examine religious institutions and spiritual phenomena in a more productive way. Here's a model I find useful.