Becoming a Goddess of Inner Poise : Spirituality for the Bridget Jones in All of Us

by Donna Freitas

• ISBN13: 9780787976286
• ISBN10: 0787976288
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-10-01
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

Today's young women are smart, educated, career-oriented, and maybe a little bit fashion-obsessed. So where does the spiritual life fit in? With InStyle magazine on one nightstand, and Julian of Norwich on the other, author Donna Freitas has her finger on the pulse of a new generation of women and understands the spiritual issues that most concern them. Drawing on the stories of popular heroines such as Bridget Jones and Carrie Bradshaw, Becoming a Goddess of Inner Poise illustrates how our life choices can have a profoundly spiritual dimensionin the bedroom, the boardroom, the beach, and at Barney's. Freitas combines wisdom from a variety of spiritual traditions and with a generous dash of humor, giving modern women a new model for the spiritual journey.

Author Biography

Donna Freitas is a professor of spirituality at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont, and the owner of an enviable shoe collection. Her research and speaking center on pop culture and women’s spirituality.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xi
Introduction Bridget Jones: Not Your Average Spiritual Sage	xvii
The Confessions of a (Neurotic) Diary-Keeper
Why Telling Our Stories Is a Spiritual Act	1	(17)
Real Feminists Don't Wear Pink---or Do They?
Making Spirituality Fit for Chicks (in Kitten Heels)	18	(15)
``Oh God, Why Am I So Unattractive?''
Understanding the Body as Spiritual Temple, Not Grotesque Obstacle	33	(16)
``Forgive Us Our Trespasses!''
When It Comes to Vice, We Shall Flourish as Tulips!	49	(14)
``Am Irresistible Sex Goddess! Hurrah!''
When Shagging and Snogging Are Divine	63	(15)
``Up the Fireman's Pole''
Career as Spiritually Liberating or Bane of Existence?	78	(17)
Bread and Wine Among Friends
Finding Spiritual Community at a Local Bar	95	(14)
``Have You Noticed Anything Odd About Your Mother?''
Facing Family, Martyr Mums, and Smug Marital Obsessions on the Road to Enlightenment	109	(17)
Tick-Tock Goes the Biological Clock
Is Chick Mummyhood a Divine Fantasy or Just Religious Fiction?	126	(15)
All Goddesses Have a Romantic Side (or Ten)
Love, Mr. Darcy, and Loving Mr. Darcy	141	(16)
``Human Beings Are Like Streams of Water''
Self-Help. Inner Poise, and Spiritual Epiphany	157	(14)
Epilogue
Laughing All the Way to My Debutante Ball	171	(6)
A Reader's Guide to the Heroines of Chick Lit
The Syllabus You Won't Find in a Course on Feminist Studies	177	(10)
Kindred Spirits
Conversations with Some V. Cool Real-Life Chicks: Katrina Markoff, Meg Cabot, Amy Richards, and Jennifer Baumgardner	187	(26)
Notes	213	(26)
The Author	239