A Case Against Spiritual Intelligence

Abstract Whether spirituality should be considered an intelligence depends upon definitions and criteria. Emmons tends to lump together different aspects of spirituality and also various facets of psychology. In my response, I demonstrate the advantages of teasing these concepts apart. Those aspects of spirituality that have to do with phenomenological experience or with desired values or behaviors are best deemed external to the intellectual sphere. A residue concerning the capacity to deal with existential issues may qualify as an intelligence. Emmons's overall enterprise is plausible and he raises many intriguing issues (e.g., sacredness, problem solving, the unifying potential of religion) that merit further investigation.