AVAILABLE JUNE 1 (Paperback & eBook) on Amazon.

Suggested Questions

  1. What do you hope will happen as a result of reading Permission to Matter (for both men and women)?

  2. What do you mean by the female spiritual journey and how is it different than the male spiritual journey?

  3. Why do we need to be talking about the female spiritual journey - what difference does it make?

  4. What is spiritual formation? Why have you tweaked the definition you were taught in seminary?

  5. What have been markers on your personal journey of Waking Up, Standing Up & Coming Out of Hiding?

  6. What would you say to someone who is resistant to the idea of God as Mother (or other feminine imagery)?

Much has been said of the spiritual journey….for men.

Our most utilized frameworks, models and roadmaps were made by men, for men, where men are central, set against the backdrop of an apparently male God. As Mary Daly said, “If God is male, then male is God.” As a result, women are typically given two options: play a supporting role in the male journey, or attempt to plug their female self into male spirituality.

But what if there is a distinct spiritual path for women? One informed by women, for women, where women are seen as central figures, and with a God who, biblically, is also represented in the feminine. Bekah Stewart not only believes this path exists but that it’s essential for healing a faith system that remains broken and in need of transformation. Drawing on the gospel story of the Dying Girl and the Bleeding Woman as an archetype for the female journey, Stewart invites women to embrace Jesus’ radical invitation to Wake Up, Stand Up, & Come Out of Hiding.

Drawing from her experience as a Vocational Coach, Spiritual Formation Pastor, and Spiritual Director, Stewart offers a fresh and subversive alternative to the traditional male models as she guides women to listen to their lives, reclaim the fullness of who they are, and locate themselves on the female spiritual journey.

With a tone that balances tenderness and strength, Permission to Matter serves as a trusted guide–one who sees, believes in, and invites you to step into the fullness of who God created you to be.

Suggested Topics

  • The Male vs. Female Spiritual Journey

  • The archetype found in the story of the Dying Girl & Bleeding Woman (to Wake Up, Stand Up & Come Out of Hiding)

  • The Divine Feminine —understanding God in the feminine

  • Calling & discerning our God-given unique design

  • Learning to listen to our life—moving from the buffet line mentality to trusting that we already know who we are.

  • The importance of contemplative spirituality in the process of learning to trust our own knowing.

  • The Four Windows of Knowing and pursuing a more holistic/embodied faith.