Passionate Journeys

By Marion S. Goldman

Book Description

When successful American women abandoned their established lives in the 1980s to pursue spiritual awakening, their choices reflected a profound transformation occurring within America's religious landscape. Passionate Journeys delves into the compelling personal narratives of high-achieving women who made the radical decision to leave behind families, careers, and familiar identities to join Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh at his opulent communal settlement in central Oregon.

Through detailed ethnographic storytelling, Marion S. Goldman illuminates the cultural forces and social conditions that drew accomplished women toward this unconventional spiritual path. These women's quests for deeper meaning serve as a lens through which readers can examine the dramatic shifts that reshaped American spirituality during the 1970s and 1980s.

The book offers an intimate exploration of what motivates individuals to pursue radical spiritual transformation, even when it means sacrificing conventional markers of success. Goldman's research reveals how these women navigated the tension between their established achievements and their yearning for spiritual fulfillment, providing insight into the broader religious marketplace that emerged during this pivotal period in American spiritual history.

For readers interested in understanding the intersection of gender, spirituality, and social change, this work presents a thoughtful examination of how personal spiritual seeking reflects larger cultural movements and the evolving nature of religious experience in modern America.