A God Who Looks Like Me : Discovering a Woman-Affirming Spirituality by Patricia Lynn Reilly

A God Who Looks Like Me :

Discovering a Woman-Affirming Spirituality
by Patricia Lynn Reilly

Paperback, 350 pages
Published by Ballantine Books
Publication date: March 1, 1996
ISBN: 0345402332

Synopsis:
Male religious images and ideas pursue all women throughout their lives. In A God Who Looks Like Me, the personal stories of women of all ages and lifestyles are interwoven with the collective story of women buried in the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Bible and of other forgotten figures who speak to our lives in a society that prefers men.

Reviews:

Josie Hines, 6/3/98

Patricia's second book Be Full of Yourself! led me to her first. In chapters 3 and 4 of Be Full of Yourself!, Patricia explored the theological origins of women's self-critical attitudes. I wanted to exlore my religious past more deeply and it was suggested that I purchase A God Who Looks Like Me. The book is helping my husband and I to understand the ramifications of the gender of god within our relationship, our family, and the wider world. The book is changing the power dynamics within our marriage. The book clarified for us the kind of religious community we want to be a part of.

JL, 12/14/97 The Gender of God

Reilly dismantles the idolatry of god the father absent of feminist jargon. I have given her book to the non-feminists in my life and they finally "get it."

A Reader from Tennessee, USA, 10/10/97, Femininity and Religion Delicately Interwoven
Ms. Reilly does a wonderful job of weaving femininity and religion together in this book. She definitely did her homework when researching for this book. She uses ancient religious teachings to accentuate modern religious teachings concerning women and religion. Also, the journaling suggestions are enriching and very useful. This book is wonderful for the woman who is searching for the role of womanhood in religion.

Table of Contents
Introduction: Beginning Our Journey
Pt. I. Women's Religious Past 1. Religion's Far-Reaching Effects 2. Reluctance, Anger, and Courage
Pt. II. Religious Language and Imagery 3. The God of Our Childhood Understanding 4. Our Wounds and Ineffective Behavior: Exclusion, Inferiority and Dependency 5. Our Healing: The Changing Face of God
Pt. III. Religious Myths and Stories 6. Fragments of the Forgotten 7. Eve: The Mother of All Living 8. Lilith: The Rebellious First Woman 9. Mary: The Virgin Mother 10. The Divine Girl-Child 11. The One Who Shed Her Blood 12. The Wounded Healers 13. The Wise Old Woman
Pt. IV. Having Had a Spiritual Awakening 14. Awakened to Healthy Connections 15. Awakened to a Woman-Affirming Spirituality

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