Abstract :
Traditional Christian religiosity, New Age spirituality, and unaffiliated contemporary spirituality were explored in the
present study through the development and use of the Spiritual and Religious Dimensions Scale (SRDS). It was
hypothesised that a number of differences between adherents of traditional Christianity and New Age/unaffiliated
contemporary spirituality, would be found. Two groups of participants were used, namely 96 bookshop patrons, and 84
undergraduate psychology students. The SRDS was found to have good internal reliability, and a clear factor structure. Five
factors emerged: Christian Religiosity; Alternative Spirituality; Discomfort; Extrinsic Religiosity; and Paranormal Beliefs.
Items representing New Age spirituality and unaffiliated spirituality were found within a single factor, reflecting overlap of
belief systems. It was concluded that the SRDS is a useful measure for distinguishing between people who adhere to
traditional Christianity, and those who adopt the principles of New Age/unaffiliated contemporary spirituality.
