Gina Christo
Features Editor
9.9.11
This fall, a feminist spirituality group is being revived on campus. Called Sisters in Spirit, the group is meant to be a safe space for people interested in women’s issues and spirituality.
The Wooster branch of Sisters in Spirit is a feminist spirituality group that was started in the early 2000s to provide a place for women who were passionate about women’s issues and religion. Though the group went on sabbatical for a year, it is returning to campus in an effort spearheaded by Christina Bowerman ‘14 and Annie Jaeb ‘14.
This group finds its origins in the Presbyterian church. According to the national Facebook page, the group was designed to deal with women’s issues and how they relate to faith. The current generation of Sisters in Spirit has broadened the scope of the group by including other women’s issues, such as domestic violence and women’s health.
At Wooster, however, the intentions of the group are to be a safe space for both men and women to come and talk abut religion. “We want to make it an interfaith experience where people of a variety of religions or spiritual inklings can come and form a new community of support that they might not have otherwise,” said Bowerman.
Sisters in Spirit hopes to be a more discussion-orientated and reading assignment-free version of a Bible study. Further, both Jaeb and Bowerman stress that while the group will discuss feminist issues the group’s mission statement is not to engage in activism.
“It’s not an activist group,” said Jaeb. “We want this to be a relaxing experience for those who are involved. A very low-key once a week event.” Those who are interested in the group will not have to show up to every meeting and there will be no readings required.
Although the group is not affiliated with any political group or activist’s movement, the leaders consider themselves on the liberal end of the religious spectrum.
“I would consider it one of the most liberal progressive religiously affiliated groups on campus,” said Jaeb. “The group is accepting of all races, religious and political affiliations. Although they are called Sisters in Spirit, they welcome people of all genders.
“Annie and I have different beliefs,” says Bowerman. “Annie is a Unitarian Universalist and I am Presbyterian, so by theological nature we have different beliefs which is good because the group discussions won’t have Presbyterian or Unitarian Universal core values. It will be a place for us to figure out what we have in common and we all have different struggles that relate.”
Sister of Spirit meet on Wednesdays from 8-9 p.m. in Under-Over, basement of Overhault House. Warm tea will be provided.