A Women's Spirituality Group as a New Model for Women's Spirituality Today
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Author
Arnold, Mary
Date
1996
Degree
Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology
Abstract
There is a hunger for spirituality in America today. (For this paper I
will use Sandra M. Schneiders’ definition of spirituality: "Spirituality...might
be defined as the experience of striving to integrate one’s 1ife in terms of
self-transcendence toward the ultimate value one perceives." 395) Various
cultural indicators point to this hunger. Angels have become popular, and books
about communication with angels abound. A walk through a bookstore reveals an
abundance of books in the popular press categorized as "inspirational" or
“spiritual”. From M. Scott Peck’s The Road Less Traveled to the fictitious The
Celestine Prophecy. from the narrative Embraced By the Light to John Paul II's
Crossing the Threshold, these books are among the best-sellers. There is much
interest in near-death experiences. Gregorian chant by the Benedictine monks of
Santo Domingo de Silos rocketed to the top of music sales. Interest in Buddhism
and in Native American spirituality continues to grow. The growth in
fundamentalist Bible churches would seem to signal a search for security, but a
hunger for meaning as well.