26/08/2026
This should be an interesting talk after the SNU South Western District Council OGM in Gloucester. Everyone is welcome to attend. A group of us will be attending from Weston-super-Mare church. If you are interested in coming along, please let a Committee Member know 🌻
Talk and discussion with Chris Connelly DSNU (Adv,dgst) after the OGM meeting being held at Gloucester Church on the 10th October at 2pm
Title is - “Reframing of Science within the SNU”
Since the formation of the Spiritualists’ National Union and even earlier, with the creation of the Society for Psychical Research in 1882, which aimed to investigate the claims of Spiritualists, the relationship between Spiritualism and Science has been both interesting and, at times, challenging.
The main difficulty has been in bringing together what we, as Spiritualists, understand through our experience with God and the spirit world with the structured methods and requirements of science. In essence, we have been trying to fit the broader perspective of religion into the narrower framework of scientific study.
This is not to say that Spiritualism stands apart from science. Certain areas, particularly mediumship and spiritual healing, lend themselves well to scientific observation and research. However, difficulties arise when we attempt to define Spiritualism itself as a science, unless we choose to limit our beliefs only to what can be proven by empirical evidence.
Under the leadership of our President, Minister Jackie Wright, we are now proposing a new way to view this relationship. Rather than describing Spiritualism as a science, we affirm that Spiritualism is a religion inspired by science. This allows us to recognise the place of faith, including belief in God, while also acknowledging the importance of evidence-based understanding where it applies.
Framing Spiritualism in this way enables us to maintain honesty and transparency, respecting both faith and scientific inquiry without conflict. It also helps us connect more openly with the scientific community, while preserving the spiritual foundations that define our religion.
This reframing would replace the longstanding idea of the “threefold” aspects of Spiritualism: religion, philosophy, and science, and instead present a clearer, more accurate description of what we stand for today. But I feel an opportunity needs to be given to the members to discuss and offer comments.
Kind regards
Chris Connelly DSNU(Adv,dgst)
