Faith and Feminism: A Holy Alliance » (First Atria Books Trade Paperback Editio)

Helen LaKelly Hunt, Ph.D. used her education in psychology to help develop the Imago process as well as to support gender equity -- for which she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. She is in great demand as a public speaker.

Why do so many women of faith have such a strong aversion to feminism? And why do so many feminists have an ardent mistrust of religion? These questions are at the heart of Helen LaKelly Hunt's illuminating look at the alliance between spiritual conviction and social action. Intelligent and heartfelt, Faith and Feminism offers a perceptive look at the lives of five spirited and spiritual women of history, women who combined their undying faith with feminist beliefs and who made the world a better place by doing so.

• St. Teresa of Ávila, a woman whose bravery in confronting her shadows gave her the strength to connect with the world and live a life of divine action.

• Lucretia Mott, a Quaker minister, who rose from her quiet upbringing to become a passionate speaker and activist working tirelessly on behalf of justice and peace.

• Sojourner Truth, a Christian slave, who spoke out with unwavering courage to claim her God-given rightful place as an African American and a woman.

• Emily Dickinson, an extraordinary poet, who touched the world with her ability to capture and transform the experience of suffering.

• Dorothy Day, a radical journalist, who lived a life of voluntary poverty as a way of expressing her passion for the Christian faith and care for those in need.

A remarkable book that focuses on the idea that spirituality and feminism are really different expressions of the same impulse to make life more whole, Faith and Feminism offers a powerful catalyst for reflecting on our sense of self -- and for living and loving according to our deepest values.

Library Journal

Hunt (cofounder, Inst. for Imago Relationship Therapy) has a cause: "to help secular feminists begin to trust the possibility that faith can lead people to effective activism, and to encourage religious women and men to consider feminism as essential to the divine plan for love and justice." To bridge this gulf, she explores five "holy women" Emily Dickinson, Teresa of Avila, Sojourner Truth, Lucretia Mott, and Dorothy Day whom she sees as exemplifying the integration of faith and activism. In each life, Hunt finds a transformation from individual concerns to wider social concerns that was fueled by religion, which provided both empowerment and a means to process difficult experiences. In the book's weakest part, Hunt assigns a "stage" of personal development to each woman pain, shadow, voice, action, and communion. Though problematic, these stages work to focus each account and to engage the reader in her own journey toward wholeness, connection, and activism. This crossbreed between a manifesto and a spiritual self-help book succeeds because of Hunt's personal conviction and optimism. Ample references, notes, and reflection questions make it particularly well suited for group discussion. Sheila Peiffer, Acad. of the Holy Names, Albany, NY Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Introduction by Gloria Steinem

Letter to the Reader

Chapter 1 To Build a Dialogue

Chapter 2 The Journey Toward Wholeness

Chapter 3 EMILY DICKINSON: Claiming Your Pain

(1830-1886)

Chapter 4 TERESA OF ÁVILA: Integrating Your Shadow

(1515-1582)

Chapter 5 SOJOURNER TRUTH: Finding Your Voice

(1797-1883)

Chapter 6 LUCRETIA MOTT: Taking Action

(1793-1880)

Chapter 7 DOROTHY DAY: Living Communion

(1897-1980)

Chapter 8 Weaving a Connection

Afterword: Toward a Whole Feminism

Continuing Reflection and Dialogue

Appendix A: Resource Guide

Appendix B: Timeline

Notes

Recommended Reading

Index