Spirituality veers towards substance and religiosity towards form. Spirituality does not negate forms, symbols and rituals which are part of both religious and secular life. However, by stressing too much on the form of religion, as it is happening with many different religious communities, one becomes obsessive towards rituals and the superficial aspects of religion. On the other hand religiosity tends towards exclusivity. Religiosity, on the other hand, results from a purely literal understanding of the religious text.
Religiosity is based on a particularistic approach to religion.
On the role of religion in nation building, Chandra Muzaffar emphasised the need for spiritual values and principles to remedy the economic, political and social ills wrought by modernisation. Identifying modernisation with secularisation, in the context of his discussion, Chandra Muzaffar described modernisation as a process that has moved the individual and society away from religion. In spite of the marginalisation of religion in certain parts of Asia, modernisation has not overcome problems of poverty, exploitation, oppression and destruction. Poverty, he said, is largely a result of conspicuous consumption. This type of consumption reflects an attitude devoid of any spiritual and ethical principle.