Spiritual complexity
Women and spirituality conference aims to challenge narrow thinking
by Nicole Smith
Issue date: 10/9/08
Section: Speakers and Presentations
Once a year, Minnesota State's Women and Spirituality Conference sheds light on varied spiritual and religious traditions and practices. The two-day conference challenges the idea that spirituality is synonymous with Christianity in the U.S.
The conference started in 1981 with a single lecture and 75 people in attendance and has grown to approximately 800 participants with nearly 120 workshops this year.
The 27th annual Women and Spirituality Conference, held at MSU Saturday and Sunday, will include a variety of discussion, experiential and ritual workshops from many traditional and new age religious or spiritual sectors. There will also be craft and book exhibitions for browsing in the Shellberg Gym. Only registered individuals may attend. Registration can be completed at the Women's Studies Department office at 109 Morris Hall. The conference is $25 for students and $50 for the public.Â
"For us, it is about embracing diversity and diversity of spiritual practice and beliefs," said Katie Bowman, event coordinator and MSU instructor. "The workshops touch on things as traditional as worship in Christianity and women's roles in Christianity to as new age as goddess worship and pagan ritual."
Bowman said the conference is taking linear concepts of religion to organic views and encompassing everything in between. They vary from academic presentations to those that are interactive and explore avenues such as meditation, singing or chanting. The sessions also span a vast array of religions and belief systems such as Christianity, Eckankar, Native American, Tantra, Kabbalah, Qigong and Buddhism.
"It's important for us to make it known that spirituality encompasses so many different things, especially for women, as women have oftentimes been chastised by the prevailing religions like Christianity," Bowman said.
"So women have been really creative in coming up with ways of alternative thinking about spirituality and that's what this conference is all about."
Riane Eisler, a social scientist, attorney and philosopher, will be the keynote speaker of the conference. She will present "Partnership Spirituality: Putting Love into Action." She is an author, speaker, educator and researcher who has worked on behalf of a variety of women's rights and social activism issues for many years.
"She's going to be speaking Saturday morning as part of the opening to get the energy up and set the tone for what it means to explore spirituality," Bowman said of Eisler. "She has been a really influential thinker for many years and will be a very influential speaker for us."
The event is co-sponsored by the Women's Studies Department, the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department, Institutional Diversity and the Women's Center.
Nicole Smith is a Reporter staff writer
The conference started in 1981 with a single lecture and 75 people in attendance and has grown to approximately 800 participants with nearly 120 workshops this year.
The 27th annual Women and Spirituality Conference, held at MSU Saturday and Sunday, will include a variety of discussion, experiential and ritual workshops from many traditional and new age religious or spiritual sectors. There will also be craft and book exhibitions for browsing in the Shellberg Gym. Only registered individuals may attend. Registration can be completed at the Women's Studies Department office at 109 Morris Hall. The conference is $25 for students and $50 for the public.Â
"For us, it is about embracing diversity and diversity of spiritual practice and beliefs," said Katie Bowman, event coordinator and MSU instructor. "The workshops touch on things as traditional as worship in Christianity and women's roles in Christianity to as new age as goddess worship and pagan ritual."
Bowman said the conference is taking linear concepts of religion to organic views and encompassing everything in between. They vary from academic presentations to those that are interactive and explore avenues such as meditation, singing or chanting. The sessions also span a vast array of religions and belief systems such as Christianity, Eckankar, Native American, Tantra, Kabbalah, Qigong and Buddhism.
"It's important for us to make it known that spirituality encompasses so many different things, especially for women, as women have oftentimes been chastised by the prevailing religions like Christianity," Bowman said.
"So women have been really creative in coming up with ways of alternative thinking about spirituality and that's what this conference is all about."
Riane Eisler, a social scientist, attorney and philosopher, will be the keynote speaker of the conference. She will present "Partnership Spirituality: Putting Love into Action." She is an author, speaker, educator and researcher who has worked on behalf of a variety of women's rights and social activism issues for many years.
"She's going to be speaking Saturday morning as part of the opening to get the energy up and set the tone for what it means to explore spirituality," Bowman said of Eisler. "She has been a really influential thinker for many years and will be a very influential speaker for us."
The event is co-sponsored by the Women's Studies Department, the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department, Institutional Diversity and the Women's Center.
Nicole Smith is a Reporter staff writer
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