Reading, Feminism, and Spirituality

Dawn Llewellyn is Senior Lecturer in Christian Studies at the University of Chester, UK.

"Through an engaging approach that moves beyond imagined readers and assumptions about Christian and post-Christian feminism, Reading, Spirituality, and Feminism: Troubling the Waves demonstrates how women are actively constructing feminist spirituality through their diverse reading practices. By focusing on women's reading strategies, Llewellyn challenges typical conceptions of feminism, exposes the limits of feminist theologians' work, and highlights the possibilities for connection across generational, disciplinary, and religious divides." - Lynn S. Neal, Associate Professor of Religion, Wake Forest University, USA and author of Romancing God: Evangelical Women and Inspirational Fiction "Reading is vital to the spiritual lives of many women. Llewellyn's absorbing book shows how Christian and post-Christian women 'filter' their sacred texts, mining them for meanings that affirm their identities and relationships. Not just a fascinating study of women's spiritual reading, the book also calls for a conversation across the feminist waves and between secular gender studies and feminist theology." - Kristin Aune, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Trust, Peace & Social Relations, Coventry University, UK and co-author of Reclaiming the F Word: The New Feminist Movement "Llewellyn's creative and inspiring work breaks new ground by focusing upon the everyday reading practices of women and provides unique insights into the processes of personal transformation that have been engendered by literary texts. This book is theoretically astute and offers a sophisticated analysis of the role of literature within changing feminist cultures. It is also engaging, perceptive, insightful, and full of memorable narratives and the kind of attention to contextual detail that brings research to life." - Heather Walton, Senior Lecturer of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Glasgow, UK

• Introduction 1. Reading, Feminism, and Spirituality 2. Talking in Waves: A Generational and Secular Metaphor 3. Filtering the Canon 4. Reading for Difference 5. Reading for Community Conclusion: Keep On Troubling the Waves Appendix A: Methodology and Method: Reader-Centered Feminist Research Appendix B: Readers Profiles Appendix C: Groups, Networks, and Organizations