Women's Faith Development: Patterns and

Presenting a rich account of women's faith lives and, mapping women's meanings in their own right, this book offers an alternative to dominant accounts of faith development which failed to account for women's experience. Drawing on Fowler's faith development theory, feminist models of women's faith and social science methodology, the text explores the patterns and processes of women's faith development and spirituality in a group of thirty women belonging to, or on the edges of, Christian tradition. Integrating practical theological concern with Christian education and pastoral practice, this book will be of interest to all concerned with women's faith development, spirituality, education and formation, and those working in the fields of practical theology, pastoral care, adult theological education, spiritual direction and counselling.

Preface and Acknowledgements

xi

The Nature and Aims of the Study

1

(12)

Introduction

1

(1)

The Personal and Professional Context of the Study

2

(2)

The Aims of the Study

4

(1)

The Nature of the Study

5

(8)

An Overview of the Study

13

(1)

Women's Faith Development: A Framework

13

(30)

Introduction

15

(2)

Development in Diverse Perspective

17

(11)

Lifespan Theories

17

(2)

Structural Stage Theories

19

(3)

Relational Psychodynamic Theories

22

(3)

Dialectical Theories

25

(3)

Faith Development Theory

28

(4)

Research on Women's Faith Development

32

(5)

Alternative Models of Women's Faith Development

37

(3)

Summary and Conclusions

40

(3)

Developing a Feminist Research Methodology

43

(18)

Introduction

43

(1)

The Debate About Feminist Research Methodology

43

(3)

Principles Informing the Research Design

46

(6)

The Grounding of Research in Women's Experience

46

(1)

Listening and Looking for Difference

47

(2)

Commitment to Liberating and Empowering Women

49

(1)

The Use of Non-oppressive Research Methods

50

(1)

The Practice of Reflexivity

51

(1)

The Research Design

52

(7)

The Research Group

52

(2)

The Interview

54

(3)

The Analysis

57

(2)

Summary and Conclusions

59

(2)

The Processes of Women's Faith Development

61

(20)

Introduction

61

(1)

The Processes of Women's Faithing

61

(18)

Conversational Faithing

62

(3)

Metaphoric Faithing

65

(2)

Narrative Faithing

67

(3)

Personalised Faithing

70

(4)

Conceptual Faithing

74

(2)

Apophatic Faithing

76

(3)

Summary and Conclusions

79

(2)

The Patterns of Women's Faith Development: Alienation

81

(28)

Introduction

81

(1)

Alienation in Women's Faith Development

81

(5)

Metaphors of Alienation

86

(19)

Silence and Linguistic Deprivation

86

(3)

Wilderness and Desert, Confinement and Enclosure

89

(1)

Deadness, Loss of Feeling and Reality, Not Knowing the Self

90

(2)

Disconnection, Fragmentation, Division, Alienation and Breakdown

92

(4)

Paralysis and Impasse

96

(2)

The Quest or Search for What is Unknown

98

(2)

Abdication, Absorption or Reckless Giving Up of the Self to the (Male) Other

100

(4)

Domination, Oppression, Violent Attack or Rape of the Self

104

(1)

Summary and Conclusion

105

(4)

The Patterns of Women's Faith Development: Awakenings

109

(26)

Introduction

109

(1)

Awakenings in Women's Faith Development

109

(4)

Narratives of Awakening

113

(20)

Leaving Home, Making the Break, Separation

114

(4)

Travel to Another Country, People or Place

118

(3)

Coming Home, Finding One's Centre, Coming to Rest

121

(4)

The Experience of Motherhood

125

(2)

Relating to the Vulnerable, Marginal or Suffering Other

127

(2)

Discovering One's Own Creative Voice or Sphere

129

(2)

Illness, Suffering, Death and Other Limit Situations

131

(2)

Summary and Conclusions

133

(2)

The Patterns of Women's Faith Development: Relationality

135

(28)

Introduction

135

(1)

Relationality in Women's Faith Development

135

(4)

Patterns of Relationality

139

(20)

Faith as Being in Relation with God and/or the Other

140

(6)

Other Relational Images and Metaphors of Faith

146

(3)

The Connectedness of Empathy

149

(3)

The Sacredness of the Ordinary

152

(2)

Integration as Experience and Ideal of Faith

154

(5)

Summary and Conclusions

159

(4)

Conclusions and Implications for Christian Education and Pastoral Practice

163

(20)

Introduction

163

(1)

Implications of My Findings for Faith Development Theory

163

(5)

Implications of My Findings for Educational and Pastoral Practice

168

(12)

The Grounding of Practice in Women's Experience

170

(3)

Creating Relational and Conversational Settings

173

(2)

The Foregrounding of Imagination

175

(3)

The Accompaniment of Women in Silence, Paradox and Apophatic Faithing

178

(2)

Summary and Conclusions

180

(3)

Bibliography

183

(16)

Name Index

199

(4)

Subject Index

203

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Women's Faith Development: Patterns and Processes

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