Original Fire: The Hidden Heart of Religious Women

Original Fire tells many stories. They are stories of women from the past who dared to break out of the constrictions of their times and thus contributed in no small measure to affirming women’s inner authority. And they are stories of women in our own time told in their own words, religious and those who would not identify with that description – all discovering a common capacity to live from the heart, even when it must be hidden and protected. This book illumines and celebrates the interior capacity of women to live authentically even when they seem to do otherwise, and it offers ways for readers to pursue that way of living for themselves. “This is a courageous book that summons its readers to be equally courageous. The stories of the brave foundresses of religious orders stand in compelling contrast to where women of faith are today. But once we know the shoulders on which we stand, and see clearly the constraints and inhibiting beliefs of today, that clarity can lead us to a similar courage. I am grateful that Brenda has written this book and shone a light on who women of faith might now become if we claim our inner authority.” (Margaret Wheatley, author of Leadership and the New Science and other books... )