"Religious" vs. "Spiritual"?

Not in Orthodoxy, where proper "mysticism" or "spirituality" normally takes place in the context of a life that also includes the c/Church - or for historic Holy Hermits, or today's sick/homebound, is at least associated with it. And life in the c/Church is to lead to the vision of the Uncreated Light of Tabor, in fact is the normal Way to it.

To put it another way: Life is whole, Life is integral. "Both/And." "catholic!"

The free online portions of this article suggest that this synthesis was perceived as early as the Old Testament and Early (New Testament) Church. Although since Orthodoxy knows theophanies preceded the (OT) sacrifical cult meal, the latter may be derived from the former, rather than the other way around as Dr. Lieber argues. And in the Orthodox Mystery of the Holy Eucharist we not only eat with God, but "eat God," * and in a very real sense unite ourselves with His Uncreated Energies - so that, as Lieber does put it, "the link between sacrifice and ... vision is so fundamental that a full understanding of each is only possible through a consideration of the other."

(*-Forgive my Matthew Fox allusion!! ;)