maalliseen

Maalliseen is a Finnish adjective form meaning worldly, secular, or earthly in relation to the world and its non-spiritual aspects. The base form is maallinen, and maalliseen is the illative case singular used after certain prepositions and verbs, as in phrases like maalliseen elämään “into worldly life.”

Etymology and sense. Maallinen derives from maailma, the world, through the common Finnish suffix -linen that forms adjectives. In usage, maallinen contrasts with hengellinen or taivaallinen, which denote spiritual or heavenly dimensions. The term is applied to life, matters, or phenomena that belong to ordinary, non-religious, or material reality rather than to the sacred or transcendent.

Usage and contexts. Maallinen is common in religious, philosophical, and sociological discourse, where speakers distinguish between the secular or material realm and the spiritual sphere. It appears in phrases such as maallinen elämä (worldly life), maalliset asiat (worldly matters), and maalliseen elämään liittyvät pyrkimykset (aspirations related to secular life). The related process maallistuminen refers to secularization, the shift from religious to secular norms in society or institutions.

Related terms. Opposing concepts include hengellinen (spiritual) and taivaallinen (heavenly). The term often carries neutral descriptive function but can carry connotations of materialism or practical concerns depending on context.

Examples.

- Monissa yhteiskunnallisissa keskusteluissa painotetaan maallisia ratkaisuja talous- ja sosiaalipolitiikassa.

- Uskonnollisessa tekstissä voidaan tehdä ero maallisen elämän ja henkisen tavoittelun välillä.

Maalliseen thus functions as a key descriptor for non-spiritual, world-oriented aspects of life in Finnish discourse.