During the past decade there has been a resurgence of interest in women's spirituality. Resources from all points on the religious spectrum have emphasized the importance of naming God in new ways, solidarity among women, and the re-integration of body, emotions, and imagination into a bold vision of faith.
Rattling Those Dry Bones: Women Changing the Church honors the spiritual experiences of 22 Protestant and Catholic women writers, educators, stewards, pastors, and theologians. Their essays are answers to the following questions: What holds you in the church? How did you get to where you are without losing heart? What words can you offer thoughtful Christian women who find the struggle continuing and exhausting?
Many of these Christian women have remained in the church despite gender discrimination and the narrow-mindedness they have encountered. Why? The Eucharist, the company of saints, the fellowship of believers, and a belief in the mission of renewing the world.
Writer Madeleine L'Engle challenges mainline denominations to wake up and come alive with visible faith and joy. Methodist pastor Susan Cole defends her rousing espousal of Sophia in the face of widespread controversy within the Christian community. And theologian Virginia Ramey Mollenkott counsels women to stand firm in their beliefs. She notes, "We are playing a role in God's drama and it's a divine comedy."
Rattling Those Dry Bones celebrates the diverse spiritual journeys of women believers and proves that the Spirit is burning in their faith and in their works.