Spirituality or religion or both?

Is it possible for a book to be spiritual without being religious? Is a belief in God or religion a requirement for a sense of spirituality? When one is overwhelmed by the smile of a granddaughter, a sunset or a poem is that not a form of spirituality? Many who have read In The Shadow of Babylon refer to it as a spiritual book, yet when I wrote it I purposefully avoided any reference to religion or a supreme being because I wanted to demonstrate that there are powerful secular beliefs that are spiritual as well as philosophical. 

Here's one of the recent reviews...


The story line took a few surprising twists and turns however, the author's dialogue contained some very thought-provoking philosophical phrases, particularly from the context of an ancient civilization. I enjoyed the book and intend to bookmark a few of the sections where the philosophical morphed into the spiritual. 


or this from another reviewer...


Powerful. A real adventure for body mind and soul. Could not put it down. Highly recommend for all ages. Ayuba the Shepherd of Hamood will inspire, motivate and encourage you to live in the moment, think positively and expect the best...


Read more at: http://www.amazon.com/In-Shadow-Babylon-John-Schwartz/dp/146110713X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331510594&sr=1-1