The Spiral Staircase

1. The spiritual journey begins with questioning and personal crisis

I had embarked on the religious life at a particularly inauspicious moment, since my superiors were involved in a painful period of change and were trying to decide what exactly it meant to be a nun in modern society.

Crisis as catalyst. Armstrong's spiritual journey began with a personal crisis during her time as a nun. The religious life she had envisioned clashed with the reality of a changing institution, forcing her to question her beliefs and purpose.

Questioning as growth. This period of doubt and uncertainty, while painful, became the foundation for her future spiritual exploration. It demonstrates that spiritual growth often begins when we are willing to question our deeply held beliefs and confront the discomfort of uncertainty.

Transformation through adversity. Armstrong's experience shows that personal crises, while challenging, can be transformative. They can push us to reevaluate our beliefs, seek deeper understanding, and ultimately forge a more authentic spiritual path.

2. Embracing doubt can lead to deeper understanding of faith

I could not believe in any of it anymore. God was no longer calling me to anything at all—if he ever had.

Doubt as a tool. Armstrong's journey illustrates that doubt is not the enemy of faith, but can be a powerful tool for deepening one's understanding. By confronting her doubts head-on, she was able to move beyond simplistic beliefs and explore faith more deeply.

Intellectual honesty. Embracing doubt requires intellectual honesty and courage. Armstrong's willingness to admit her disbelief opened the door to a more nuanced and mature understanding of spirituality.

Beyond certainty. This takeaway challenges the notion that faith requires unwavering certainty. Instead, it suggests that true spiritual growth often comes from wrestling with uncertainty and being open to new perspectives.

3. True faith is about practice, not just belief

We have orthopraxy instead of orthodoxy... 'Right practice' rather than 'right belief.' That's all. You Christians make such a fuss about theology, but it's not important in the way you think.

Action over belief. Armstrong discovers that many religious traditions emphasize practice over belief. This shift in perspective focuses on how one lives rather than what one believes.

Transformative practice. The idea that faith is about doing rather than believing suggests that spiritual transformation comes through action. Regular practices, rituals, and ethical behavior can shape one's spiritual life more profoundly than intellectual assent to doctrines.

Inclusivity of practice. This approach to faith can be more inclusive, as it allows people to engage in spiritual practices without necessarily adhering to specific beliefs. It opens up possibilities for interfaith dialogue and understanding.

4. Religious experiences can be both personal and universal

I had a strange sensation of being physically present in a place which had for so long been part of my inner landscape, a province of my own mind that now took on an objective life of its own.

Personal and universal. Armstrong's experience in Jerusalem illustrates how religious experiences can be deeply personal yet connect to universal human themes.

Inner and outer landscapes. The interplay between inner spiritual landscapes and external physical places demonstrates the complex nature of religious experience. It shows how our internal world shapes our perception of external reality, and vice versa.

Transcendent moments. These experiences, where the personal and universal merge, can provide profound insights and a sense of connection to something greater than oneself. They often serve as pivotal moments in one's spiritual journey.

5. Empathy and compassion are at the core of spiritual growth

Every single one of the major traditions—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, as well as the monotheisms—teaches a spirituality of empathy, by means of which you relate your own suffering to that of others.

Universal spiritual principle. Empathy and compassion emerge as core principles across diverse religious traditions, suggesting their fundamental importance to spiritual growth.

Connecting through suffering. The recognition of shared human suffering becomes a powerful tool for developing empathy and compassion. This understanding can break down barriers between individuals and communities.

Practical spirituality. This principle emphasizes that spirituality is not just about personal enlightenment, but about how we relate to others. It challenges practitioners to put their spiritual beliefs into action through compassionate engagement with the world.

6. Understanding other faiths enhances one's own spiritual journey

Increasingly—just as I had done with Saint Paul—I had to dismantle my old position, which I could now see to be ignorant, prejudiced, and deeply conditioned by the culture into which I happened to have been born.

Breaking cultural conditioning. Armstrong's journey demonstrates how studying other faiths can help us recognize and overcome our own cultural biases and prejudices.

Expanding perspectives. Engaging with different religious traditions broadens our understanding of spirituality and human experience. This expanded perspective can deepen our own spiritual practice and beliefs.

Interfaith dialogue. Understanding other faiths promotes interfaith dialogue and cooperation. It helps bridge divides between religious communities and fosters mutual respect and understanding.

7. The quest for meaning often leads to unexpected places

Writing Through the Narrow Gate had reawakened that old longing for a more intense existence, shot through with transcendent meaning.

Unexpected paths. Armstrong's journey from nun to skeptic to religious scholar shows that the quest for meaning often takes us to unexpected places. Her writing became a new form of spiritual practice.

Evolving understanding. The search for meaning is not a linear process. It involves cycles of questioning, exploration, and reinterpretation of experiences.

Embracing the journey. This takeaway encourages embracing the unpredictable nature of spiritual quests. It suggests that meaningful insights can come from diverse experiences and sources, not just traditional religious practices.

8. Spiritual transformation requires courage to challenge conventions

Instead of fighting against the bias in my life that pushed me outside the group and beyond the norm, maybe I should just go with it and see what happened.

Challenging norms. Spiritual growth often requires the courage to challenge conventional wisdom and societal expectations. Armstrong's decision to pursue her own path, despite criticism, exemplifies this principle.

Authenticity over conformity. True spiritual transformation may require stepping away from the comfortable and familiar to pursue a more authentic path. This can be lonely and challenging but ultimately more fulfilling.

Embracing uniqueness. This takeaway encourages embracing one's unique spiritual journey rather than trying to fit into prescribed roles or beliefs. It suggests that our individual quirks and challenges might be the very things that lead to profound insights.

9. Religious traditions share common threads of human experience

Increasingly, Judaism and Christianity seemed to be one faith tradition which had gone in two different directions.

Shared roots. Armstrong's research reveals common threads running through different religious traditions, highlighting shared human experiences and aspirations.

Unity in diversity. Recognizing these commonalities can foster greater understanding and respect between different faith traditions. It challenges the notion of religions as entirely separate and incompatible entities.

Universal human questions. This perspective emphasizes that religions often address similar fundamental human questions about meaning, purpose, and ethics. Understanding these shared concerns can promote interfaith dialogue and cooperation.

10. Writing and research can be a form of spiritual practice

By unwittingly putting into practice two of the essential principles of religion, I had already, without realizing it, embarked on a spiritual quest.

Intellectual exploration as spiritual practice. Armstrong's experience shows how scholarly research and writing can become a form of spiritual practice, leading to profound personal insights and transformation.

Unconscious spiritual growth. Sometimes, spiritual growth happens unconsciously through our actions and pursuits. Armstrong's research, initially undertaken for intellectual reasons, became a pathway to spiritual insights.

Integration of intellect and spirit. This takeaway challenges the perceived divide between intellectual and spiritual pursuits. It suggests that rigorous study and critical thinking can complement and enhance spiritual growth, rather than detract from it.

Last updated: January 23, 2025