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Mothering, Religion and Spirituality A YORK UNIVERSITY PUBLICATION MOTHERING, RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY SpringlSummer 2005 ~lume7, Number 1 $15 Featuring articles by Johanna H. Stuckey, Ruby K. Newman, Trudelle Thomas, Chris Klassen, Justyna Sempruch, Andrea Lieber, Auklie M. Athan and Lisa Miller, Jill Scott. Natasja VanderBerg, Barbara Bickel and Vanessa D. Fisher, Hinna Mirza Upal, Becky R. Lee, Julieanna Frost and many more. Mothering, Religion and Spirituality SpringISummer 2005 Volume 7, Number 1 Founding Editor and Editor-in-Chief Andrea O'Reilly Advisory Board Patricia Bell-Scott, Mary Kay Blakely, Paula Caplan, Patrice DiQuinzio, Miriam Edelson, Miriam Johnson, Carolyn Mitchell, Joanna Radbord, Sara Ruddick, Lori Saint-Martin Literary Editor Rishma Dunlop Book Review Editor Ruth Panofsb Managing Editor Andrea O'Reilly Administrative Assistant LaVerne King Guest Editorial Board Becky R. Lee Chris Klassen Andrea O'Reilly Production Editor Luciana Ricciutelli Proofreader Randy Chase Association for Research on Mothering 726 Atkinson, York University 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Tel: (416) 736-2100 ext. 60366 Email: [email protected]; Website: www.yorku.cdcrm TheJournal of the Association for Research on Mothering (ISSN 1488-0989) is published by The Association for Research on Mothering (ARM) The Association for Research on Mothering (ARM)is the first feminist organization devoted specifically to the topics of mothering and motherhood. AMis an association of scholars, writers, activists, policy makers, educators, parents, and artists. ARM is housed at Atkinson College, York University, Toronto, Ontario. Our mandate is to provide a forum for the discussion and dissemination of feminist, academic, and community grassroots research, theory, and praxis on mothering and motherhood. We are committed in both membership and research to the inclusion of all mothers: First Nations, immigrant and refugee mothers, working-class mothers, lesbian mothers, mothers with disabilities, mothers ofcolour, and mothers ofother marginalized communities. We welcome memberships to ARM and submissions to the Journal ofthe Association for Research on Mothering, our biannual publication, from all individuals. Membership and Subscription Information Full individual memberships are available for $75Cdn/US; institutional memberships are $100Cdn/US for 2005. A full membership includes member- ship to the association, a members directory, a biannual newsletter, participa- tion on a listserve, pre-registration for annual conferences, and a subscription to the biannual Journal ofthe Associationfor Research on Mothering, as well as regular information mailings with respect to upcoming events, lecture series, conferences, workshops, and fundraisers. Basic and student memberships are also available, as is a subscription solely to the journal. Please see the last page of this journal for detailed information and order forms. Submission Guidelines In order to submit articles, book reviews, or poetry to the Journal ofthe Association for Research on Mothering, contributors must be a member of ARM. Thejournal will only consider material which is not under consideration at any other journal or publication. Please contact us for a list of upcoming themes as well as a copy of our style sheet. Articles should be typed, double-spaced, no longer than 3750 words (or 15 pages), and accompanied by a diskette. Art or photographs may accompany your work. ARM reserves the right to edit manuscripts for length and conformity to our editorial guidelines and house style. We will not publish writing that is sexist, homophobic, racist, or in any way discriminatory. Submissions will be blind-reviewed by a guest editorial board. Articles printed in the journal do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors, the staff ofthejournal, or of our funders. Contributors retain copyright. No reproduction of any part of this journal is permitted without prior written permission from ARM. Mothering, Religion and Spirituality Spring/Summer 2005 Volume 7, Number 1 Contents Planting Seeds of Peace: Fresh Images of God by Trudelle Tbomas 7 Spiritual Awakening Through the Motherhood Journey by Aurdie M. Atban and Lisa Miller 17 Ancient Mother Goddesses and Fertility Cults by Johanna H. Stuckey The Infertile Goddess: A Challenge to Maternal Imagery in Feminist Witchcraft by Chris Klassen 45 Awakening the Divine Feminine: A Stepmother-Daughter Collaborative Journey Through Art-Making and Ritual by Barbara Bickel and Vanessa D. Fisher 52 Mother Love in Buddhism by Karen Villanueva The Book of Ruth and the "Grandmother Hypothesis" by Ruby K. Newman 78 A Celebration of Mothering in the Qur'an by Hinna Mina Upal The Sacred Mothers, the Evil Witches and the Politics of Household in Toni Morrison's Paradise by Justyna Sempruch Anne Bradstreet: The Religious Poet as Mother by Laura Major On Spiritual Homesickness: Mothering Peace in H. D.'s The Gft by Jill Scott Witnessing Dignity: Luce Irigaray on Mothers, Genealogy and the Divine by Natasja VanderBerg 132 Mother of all Memory: The Loss of Mother and the Search for Self in Writing by American Children of Holocaust Survivors by Andrea Lieber 142 Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Motherhood in Medieval Europe by Becky R. Lee 152 Remembering Mum Beall by Julieanna Frost Hard Labour: Religion, Sexuality and the Pregnant Body in the African Diaspora by Carol B. Duncan 167 Folio Editor's Notes by Risbma Dunlop In this Glad Hour by Martha Modena Vertreace-Doody 4 1 Volume 7, Number l Book Reviews Mother Power: Discover the Dzfference That Women Have Made All Over the World reviewed by Fiona Joy Green 203 Buddha Mom: The Path of Mindfil Mothering reviewed by Marybeth White Mother Shock: Loving Every (Other) Minute oflt reviewed by Debra Brenegan Twice Alive: A Spiritual Guide to Mothering Through Pregnancy and Child's First Year reviewed by Juliana Forbes 206 A L Fe's Work: On Becoming a Mother reviewed by Emily Jeremiah Elizabeth Smart: A Fugue Essay on Women and Creativity reviewed by Sandra Campbell Child Custody, Law and Women5 Work reviewed by Shed Goldstein Cash Contributor Notes 212 Front Cover 'The Eternal Mother and Child," photograph by Joe Paczuski. "Mother and Child" is the creation of Florence Wyle (1881-1968), whose work is also featured at the Art Gallery of Ontario and the National Gallery in Ottawa. The sculpture is located in front of the Mothercraft building, located at 32 Heath Street West, near the Yonge/St. Clair intersection in Toronto. Mothercraft provides service coordination for families of children birth to six years with developmental delays, family assessment and support, and early intervention for mothers and children affected by substance abuse. Journal ofthe Association for Research on Mothering 1 5 Trudelle Thomas Planting Seeds of Peace Fresh Images of God In the name ofpeace, thinkingpeople must make apointof understanding thefear and logic that motivatefundamentalist movements, whetherIslam,Jewish, or Christian. Such movements contribute to terrorism and strzfe by fostering an "us versus them" mentality, arrogance, and patriarchaVmarti imagery. In contrast, there is an "emergingparadigm"of Chrirtianity gainingpopularity in the US.and beyond. One important aptof this paradigm is a more inclusive view of the Deity. Especially relevantfor mothers are images of God that emphasize the relational qualities of spirituality. The author argues that we need imagesfor God which 1) grow out of a child and mother's ordinary, familiarffame of reference; 2) are relations/, focusing on intimacy and interaction in such a way as to promote an awareness of God'spresence between the childandothers,includingfemale others; and 3)focus on theyee, active response ofthe individual. The authorgoes on to argue infavour of images of God as Mother, Guide, and Friend. These three images are biblically basedandare especially valuablefor mothers and children. God as Mother is life-~iver,- creator, nurturer, and protector. God as Guide is a coach, mentor, teacher, and encourager. God as Friend connotes)eedom, mutual respect, companionship, shared interests, commitment, and the sharing of meals and other basic needs. By ofering an alternative topatriarchal battle imagery, these images of Godcan help Christiansrespect other traditions andpromotepeaceful coexistence. The article draws upon research by Karen Armstrong, Marcus Borg, Elizabeth Johnson, and others. When terrorists attacked the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, theologian Karen Armstrong was not surprised. She had recently published a book tracing the world-wide rise of religious extremism in the twentieth century. While many commentators saw the attacks as a throwback to the past, Journal ofthe Association for Research on Mothering ( 7 she viewed them as a uniquely modern phenomenon, one not limited to radical Islam. In a new preface to The Battle for God (2001), Karen Armstrong challenges readers to understand the fear that drives religious extremism, whether it be Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Only by understanding the visceral fear that lies at the heart of fundamentalism can people combat it. Armstrong is convinced that deep-seated fear can lead to nihilism that sees the secular world as having no value. Lest such fear run rampant, we need to transform our religious imaginations. Several current scholars resonate with Armstrong's conviction that religious symbolism shapes attitudes toward peace-making and war-making. Thoughtful attention to religious symbols can help us avoid the violence and separatism
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