As a path of meaning seeking, healing, and transformation, spirituality is becoming more prominent in our society. Historically, women have been the custodians of their families' spiritual domain. This book advances the concept of Woman Soul, a gender-specific way of embracing spirituality. WomanSoul discusses the personal and professional impact of spirituality in the lives of women from a variety of ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. It examines the psychological, multicultural, and personal expressions of female spirituality. More specifically, the essays collected here look at the impact of women's spirituality on identity, healing, and transformation across the lifecourse. WomanSoul focuses on how females express spirituality from their diverse backgrounds and situated realities. It cuts across ethnic identities, culture, and a multitude of spiritual experiences, such as Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Sufi, Goddess, Native American, and Agnosticism.As women tend to experience sacredness in a gender-specific manner, they frequently place more emphasis on spirituality than on religiousness. Seen as a freeing force by most women, spirituality is most often perceived to be more gender-fair, culturally liberating, and less restrictive than many religious denominations. Both informative and inspirational, WomanSoul is written by psychologists who understand the implications of spirituality on the lives of women and the people around them.

Offers a psychological perspective on women's spirituality-how it is lived, understood, and practiced in the daily lives of women across a broad spectrum of experiences and backgrounds.

Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentDedicationIntroduction1. World Views and Women's Spirituality (Eileen Eppig)2. Saving Grace of Spirituality (Carole Rayburn)3. The Goddess Has Returned! (Darlene Prestbo and Hazel Staats-Westover)4. Women, Science, and Spirituality (Kathleen Reedy)5. My "Friendship" with Women Saints (Oliva Espin)6. Illuminating the Black Madonna (Lillian Comas-Dáz)7. My Personal Views on Women, Spirituality, and Tibetan Buddhism (Renate Wewerka)8. American Indian Women and Spirituality (Rose L.Weahkee)9. Spirituality and Resilience of Filipinos (Asuncion Miteria Austria)10. Stepping Stones in a Full Life (Jane Simon)11. Spirituality: An Eclectic Force in Life (Aphrodite Clamar)12 Living Kabbalah. (Marcella Bakur-Weiner)13. African-American Women, Religion, and Oppression (Beverly Greene)14. Colors of the Invisible (Janet Pfunder)15. Journeying in Twilight (Mary Anne Siderits)16. A Quiet Soul Listens to Her (Mary Gregerson)17. Hindu Spirituality, Female Identity, and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (Usha Tummala-Narra)18. Spiritual Awareness Psychotherapy with Families and Children (Lisa Miller)19. Strange Attractors or Hand of God (Lee Richmond)20. What Does Spirituality Mean to Me? (Guerda Nicolas, Angela M. DeSilva, Maria Coutinho, and Kimberly Prater)21. A WomanSoul Quest (Carole Rayburn and Lillian Comas-Díaz)About Our ContributorsIndex