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by Cynthia Eller (Author)
A fascinating introduction to one of the fastest-growing religious movements in the United States today. Through interviews, participant-observation, and analysis of movement literature, Cynthia Eller explores what women who worship the goddess believe; how they express those beliefs in private, in public, and in the political realm; and the place of feminist spirituality in the history of American religion.
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One of the most rapidly growing religious movements in the United States, feminist spirituality first came of age during the religious ferment of the 1960s. It has since emerged as one of the sturdiest survivors of that era of religious experimentation. The goddess, her worshipers, and the myth of her reign over humankind's prehistory are becoming familiar features in the American religious landscape, and are gradually spreading beyond there, out into the cultural mainstream. In spite of its increasing cultural presence, feminist spirituality is poorly understood by those not participating in its development or privy to its secrets. Why do these women worship a goddess, and who is she? What do they do when they meet together? What do they do alone? What attracts them to feminist spirituality? Are they part of a passing cult or are they creating a new religion that will one day take its place alongside Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in the West? What are their hopes for the world, and what are they doing to see their dreams actualized? Living in the Lap of the Goddess answers these questions and more. Drawing on scores of interviews with spiritual feminists, participant-observation in feminist spirituality's rituals and retreats, and a close reading of the movement's many texts, sociologist of religion Cynthia Eller describes this innovative spiritual movement in detail. Among the topics covered are the origins of feminist spirituality; its use of ritual, myth and magic; and the politics with which spiritual feminists determinedly intertwine their religion. The feminist spirituality movement represents an important option for feminists, the critical third choice available in the falsedilemma between reforming patriarchal religions and giving up on religion altogether. Living in the Lap of the Goddess introduces the reader to this important option, and the infinite variety that is the feminist spirituality movement. Memorable characters are met in the pages of this book, and novel theories on gender, deity, human civilization, and the universe are encountered. Throughout, the key question guiding this venture into the alternative religious world is this: Who are these women, and why are they doing what they do, saying what they say, thinking what they think? The answers, like the participants themselves, are manifold and intriguing.
