My Body, MySelf: A narrative study of the relationship between embodiment and women's spiritual self-identity

This qualitative research study brings the voices of “women in the pews” to the discourse of feminist theology and spirituality. The centerpiece of the study is a collection of narratives, presented in twelve detailed life scenarios that offer insight into the theological and spiritual development of midlife American Catholic women (ages 45 to 65). Using a feminist lens and hermeneutic, the narratives are examined specifically for evidence of the relationship between female embodiment and spiritual self-identity. The interpretation provided represents a dialogue between the women whose narratives are included here and the religious tradition out of which their personal spiritualities were born.;The women's stories and their interpretation contribute to both the theory and the practice of spirituality. They illumine the subjective spirituality of the “ordinary” women these stories represent, and provide insight into the subjective hermeneutic mature women apply to the tradition of Catholic culture to achieve a spiritual identity that works for them. The narratives also challenge spiritual care practitioners to acknowledge the spiritual autonomy of “lay” women and their capacity for authorizing their own spiritual identity. The study promotes the development of women's spirituality by suggesting a methodology that conceptualizes spiritual development within the context of a woman's subjective theological and spiritual history. Examples of the usefulness of this approach are provided in this paper through application of theological and spiritual interpretation to concrete life experiences.