Paul over at Prodigal Kiwi has a helpful book review of this book...
I agree that the book is goldmine of useful insights and the like. I even cite it in my bibliogrpahy for my MA. There is a certain irony about it though. Rightly it seeks to recover feminine imagery and insights for spiritual direction. The irony is that, if my observations particularly at SpiDir training courses is representative, we are actually beginning to experience a crisis in finding male spiritual directors. The feminisation of spirituality is a cultural 'problem' for males in the Anglo world [something I touch on in my study of couples requesting 'Christenings'].
We need also to address the issue of appropriate ways to affirm masculine/male spirituality. I agree that there has been a problem needing the redressing of linguistic issues relating to masculine/feminine imagery and metaphor etc. However, we need to beware of thinking that if we are doing that, then we are doing all that we need to do. We will also then need to take stock of the reflex of that action back into our culture and be aware of what dynamics it sets up or alters.
In a [western] world where women are getting more degrees than men and where the feminisation of the workplace is becoming a reality, how are we to connect with men?
Richard Rohr has been addressing male spirituality quite a lot, but not everyone buys the Jungian and mythical heros sort of approach that he does so well, interfacing with the 'Iron John' thing. But I am concerned that if I am right that the future of evangelism has a big component of initial and individual spiritual guidance to it [cf Life Coaching], then we need to be able to produce skilled male soul friends with an awareness of issues around male spiritulity and personal growth that get past the level of 'Home Improvements' and 'Tool time'. That's not to say the women can't do that or that it may not be appropriate sometimes for a woman to soul-befriend a man, however, many times it will not be appropriate. Do we have the resources to deal with it?
That said Guenther's book is about far more than feminine approaches to spirituality and is useful way beyond that issue, but i do think that we need to keep masculine spirituality in maind as an upcoming issue.
I hate to see baby's going out with the bath water.
Prodigal Kiwi Blog: Margaret Guenther - Holy Listening: The Art of Spiritual Direction - Book Review
2 comments:
Andii, thanks for your comment. I think this is a complex issue. My initial observation is that there is always a risk of the "pendulum" swinging in the opposite direction (i.e. towards what you term feminisation). Taking a bigger historical view I suspect that male approaches / imagery has tended to have been the dominant approach. More recently there has been a clear 'reaction' in the opposite direction and I suspect that has been back, to some degree, to ward a more balanced perspective - certainy as a % of my library on spiritual direction an increasing % of authors are women. That hasn't necessarily meant an increase in female imagery / metaphor / and perspective. I think Guenther's very specific focus on women (and remember it was written in 1992)is quite unique in terms of popular SD literature.
In my trainee group, I am the only male (out of 6 persons). One of the leaders is male. I'm also in the not-altogether unique position of being the youngest, with the next youngest being 10-years older. I am very much welcomed and valued within the group for both reasons.
Certainly I would like to see the development of a male spirituality and to ensure that males are well represented in SpiDir training courses. I'd also like to see the young better represented given the realities and struggles of "finding God in the fast Lane."
I guess I don't see the "feminisation" of spirituality as a significant problem. More a readressing of historical neglect and the historical "malesness." I do get the sense though that males for a range of reasons appear less drawn to Spiritual Direction (hence Guenther's observation that a preponderance of directees are female)but I suspect that that is as much about us, and thus our responsibility, as it is the result of any other issue. I think we need to be more proactive and willing to input and shape programmes and emphasis than we (generally) have shown a willingness to do. I guess we need to be more humble too.
I would be interested in what you see as the parameters and content of a more masculine sirituality. What emphases etc?
Thanks for the invitation to think and converse. Peace.
I actually agree with most of what you comment, Paul. I guess I should affirm that I do think that -given the historical preponderance of male dominent spirituality- female imagery and approaches need to be positively affirmed.And I think that you may be right about Guenther's contribution.
However, I would like to push the issue of the under-representation of males. It's a long-standing problem in Brit churches and I imagine elsewhere that there is an under-representation of men. HAs been for a few decades now, and I'm worried that not only are we failing in some vital way to produce a spirituality that connects with men, but that we are even now in a process that is making it harder. It's not that I want to take away from women reappropriating spirituality to serve famale spiritual growth and welfare, it's that I am concerned that we are going to wake up in a generation and find that we are failing men even more.
As I see it, since the Victorian period [see Callum Brown's 'Death of Christian Britain'] spiritual life has become increasingly placed culturally into the sphere of 'women's stuff'with a problematic for men to appropriate it except in ways reinforcing myths about masculine control and rationality etc.
So, I think that it is going to be a hard journey to identify what the 'parameters' of a masculine spirituality might be; we need to unpick this hundred year plus legacy of screwed up gender relations in spirituality.
I don't see feminisation as a problem in itself, I guess. The problem is that there is no corresponding exploration of the masculine partly because we somehow assume it isn't a problem. I actually think it's a bigger problem, but I don't want to take away from the exploration of the feminine either.
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