Bare Your Soul: The Thinking Girl's Guide to Enlightenment

by Angela Watrous (Editor)

Whether raised within a specific belief system or warned against all things religious, young women today have been left with questions that dating guides and pop feminist theory cannot answer. This collection answers the call—a handbook for the soul that offers the wisdom and validation of how a variety of women negotiate an empowering spiritual existence in a pop-culture world.  In Bare Your Soul , women of all backgrounds and traditions share how investigating questions of spirituality affects their lives and their identities. It is a provocative look at the ways in which young women of today both celebrate and repudiate religion—and, ultimately, find answers that fit. One woman shares her practice as a Shiite Muslim and how it intersects and collides with her personal relationships. A woman raised within the Black Baptist community finally finds a spiritual connection with the Unitarian Church—then struggles to balance spiritual fulfillment with her desire to see other Black faces in her place of worship. A young mother speaks to the challenges brought on when play dates bring together her family’s religion-feminist Goddess-worship—and that of her children’s fundamentalist Christian friends. A Western feminist who has converted to Buddhism attempts to reconcile her gender identity with a philosophy that renders gender irrelevant, and one woman argues that the Church of Consumerism is all she needs.  A compelling, much-needed anthology, this collection offers balanced, insiders’ information on a wide spectrum of traditions and practices, allowing readers to make informed, intelligent spiritual choices for themselves.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Essays, Spirituality

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 14, 2002

Reviews

[Shante · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg, was this a delightful read!

I am a 20-something, filthy mouthed, sexually liberated, 'spiritual' (yet vehemently non-religious), copper skinned (mostly in the summer, lol), pro-choice, militant, feminist. My spiritual journey has landed me in church (although, you will not catch me there any time soon), fasting most summers, and for the last 5 years of my life prayer and meditation twice a day at the same time. While I am deeply spiritual, feeling connected to humanity through God, I yearn for some 'religious' structure and to be closer to that God who resides within me. However, no one specific faith has ever quite seemed to fit who I am. I've always felt uncomfortable around bible thumping Christians, sexist Muslims, and spacey 'pagans' (never judge a book {religion} by its cover {followers}.). So as soon as I cracked open the cover and began the first essay, I felt at home.

This books takes you on the journey of several women whom, like myself, struggle with balancing who they are and their spirituality. Each of the essays is full of unapologetic transparency, something I admire from these brave souls. Women of all different faiths and backgrounds wading through the ideals they were force fed as children, or born into, and making it something personal to them. What I love most is, by the end of each essay the author has made whatever her faith is (some none at all) her own. Even cooler, the collection doesn't limit itself to 'mainstream religion' references. My fave, 'Agnostic Dyke Seeks Goddess': the story of a lesbian on a journey to find a partner, whom she affectionately refers to as 'Sacred Other', which is paralleled to a search for God.

I've always been apprehensive about claiming religion because I was fearful of having to denounce parts of who I am to accommodate. In the stories of these beautiful women, I found the confidence to let go of that ridiculous fear. (Girls Rule!) From sex crazed Catholics to stay at home mom Goddesses, this book is so spiritually filling!

[Sam Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It's one that I turn to for comfort and to feel good about the world and confident about my own ability to make my way in it. A collection of autobiographical essays by women from a variety of backgrounds (ethnic, socio-economic, religious) about coming to terms with what is spiritually right for them. There is no proselytizing, but the message in this thing is as clear as its title.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Haven't really been reading this for three years, but after reading it back in the spring of 2017, for some reason I wanted to go back and pull some quotes and think about some of my favorite essays a second time. Thanks to COVID-19, I've been separated from my copy, so I have to let that goal go. There were three or four essays here that I really liked, which isn't a great success rate for a collection of personal essays. I picked this up because, at the time, my daughter was 13 and I was still hoping that we would have some conversations about spirituality and I was looking for books or essays I could pass on to her. Now she's 16 and I'm chuckling at the idea of giving her a reading assignment. I would say this book is more pitched at women in their 20s than in their teens, and I may end up passing on something to her from this book somewhere along this journey.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't really see this book as a "Guide", as this is a collection of women's individual spiritual jouneys. I really liked the pluralistic view of this book -- all religions and beliefs -- or lack thereof -- was acceptable. Overall, I didn't really relate to any of the stories told until two of the last three, so I'm glad I stuck it out. It was an interesting read, but there's better uses of time.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantasic collection of essays written by young women representing a wide range of beliefs, faiths, what have you. Some of the essays, of course, are better than others, but they all are very heartfelt and really speak to the struggles and experiences of the women who wrote them, as well as the women who read them, I would imagine.

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essays regarding individualized perspectives of almost every generalized type of religion or spirituality. It was a very interesting read, and I really enjoyed the focus on the choice inherent to living in any type of spirituality, rather than endorsing any singular idea.

[Kara Maia Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal essays by diverse women about our individual journey with spirit. I'm excited to have an essay included in this book!

[Jenny J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the bulk of the essays, great read for someone exploring their own personal faith. Or lack thereof.

[Krista Qu · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing. really inspiring, calming and offered many new perspectives.