靈性 (Língxìng): East Asian Etymological Approach to the Origin of Spirituality

In this study, I seek to elucidate the embodied and relational implications of 靈性 (Língxìng), rendered as spirituality, through an East Asian etymological approach that challenges Western-centric origins. Within Chinese ideographic structure, 靈性 is a compound of 靈, which signifies a “relational spirit,” and 性, which indicates “innate nature.” This term etymologically underscores not only the cosmotheandric spiritual nature inherent in humans but also the integration of body and spirit. 靈性 plays a central role in exploring the spirituality discipline of East Asian scholars, and it also complements the early Western dualistic meaning of spirituality rooted in a rigid ascetic Christian context. Such an East Asian etymological analysis would contribute to interdisciplinary studies of Christian spirituality transcending the barriers of any centralism. By doing so, this proposal aims to create an inclusive space for interplay between East Asian and Western spiritualities, suggesting an embodied understanding of all lived spiritual experiences.