The authors of this sequel to Woman Spirit Rising know a great secret, a mystery if you will, that needs to be shared with the world. This great secret is very simple: diversity should be shared and celebrated, not denied.

Weaving the Visions is a reader of key feminist essays not only penned by the greats in the field like Mary Daly, Carol Christ and Starhawk, but also other well known names like Alice Walker and Paula Gunnn Allen. This book is a celebration of the diverse nature of feminist spirituality; among the many subjects covered are social change, inclusive terminology, and sexuality in redefining theology. Nearly every flavor of spirituality is also addressed. Christian and Judaic feminist spiritualities are surprising, but welcome counterpart subjects to the more expected Goddess pieces. Voudoun and Native American spirituality add their spice to this delightful banquet of discussion-provoking food for thought.

Some areas of this reader are more fleshed out than others, but it should be viewed as a launching point for further investigation. Plaskow and Christ have offered up, overall, a well-balanced but brief look into a fascinating subject. For all its brevity, however, they have managed a depth and integrity in reflecting the diversity of trends and movements in feminist theology and spirituality that are fresh and all too rare in a field where agendas often outweigh openmindedness and inclusion.

[ by Debbie Gayle Rose ]