Springs of water in a dry land

By Mary Jo Weaver

Book Description

In a world where women can ascend to the highest courts and lead major cities yet face restrictions within their own faith community, Catholic women navigate a complex spiritual landscape. Mary Jo Weaver addresses this tension directly, exploring whether one can authentically embrace both feminist ideals and Catholic identity.

Rather than viewing these as incompatible forces, Weaver presents them as an invitation to discover deeper spiritual nourishment. She guides readers toward recognizing the rich spiritual options that have always existed for women, even when traditional pathways seem closed or unwelcoming.

Drawing inspiration from figures like Teresa of Avila, Weaver encourages women to trust their personal relationships with the divine and honor their own spiritual experiences. She examines how women can find sustenance both within established Catholic traditions and beyond conventional boundaries, exploring liberation theology, process thought, and alternative spiritual approaches.

The book speaks particularly to women who feel caught between worlds - those departing from patriarchal structures and those feeling displaced from their spiritual home. Weaver reveals how women on the margins of Catholic tradition serve as pioneers, using intuition and lived experience to locate ancient sources of wisdom while forging new ways to understand their spiritual identity.

This exploration offers practical guidance for maintaining an integrated Catholic feminist identity, showing how apparent contradictions can become sources of spiritual growth and authentic faith expression.