GirlTalk / GodTalk: Why Faith Matters to Teenage Girls--and Their Parents - Hardcover

Mercer, Joyce Ann

3.6

5 ratings by Goodreads

9780787975944: GirlTalk / GodTalk: Why Faith Matters to Teenage Girls--and Their Parents

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 078797594X ISBN 13: 9780787975944

Publisher: Jossey-Bass, 2008

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GirlTalk/GodTalk offers a refreshing exploration of the faith lives of adolescent girls and shows how they think about, experience, and express spiritual and religious meanings in their lives. The book also explores the important role mothers, fathers and other parenting adults play in shaping that faith. As Joyce Ann Mercer explains, religion and faith can hold things together for girls as they move between the childhood self, the person they are in the present, and the adult self that is beginning to develop.

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From the Back Cover:

People are Talking About GirlTalk/GodTalk

"Joyce Mercer practices wonderfully the spiritual discipline she preaches—listening attentively, thoughtfully, sympathetically to adolescents—and takes us straight to the heart of the rich complexities of faith as framed through the voices of teenage girls. For all those eager to understand how theology is woven into everyday life, for those ready to serve as advocates for vital faith among teens, this book is an immeasurable resource."
—Bonnie Miller-McLemore, Carpenter Professor of Theology at Vanderbilt University and author, Let the Children Come and In the Midst of Chaos

"With clear and pastoral language Joyce Ann Mercer invites parents and religious professionals alike to practice 'holy listening' as girls . . . talk about God, their spirituality, their bodies, their mothers and fathers, and many more aspects of their Christian faith."
—Evelyn L. Parker, associate professor, Christian Education, Perkins School of Theology and editor, Sacred Selves of Adolescent Girls

"Joyce Ann Mercer has given us an invaluable resource for understanding the lives of adolescent young women. For parents, teachers, and mentors, it will offer a rich source of insight into adolescent girls' aspirations, fears, and values, and above all into their quest for personal and religious integrity."
—Elaine Graham, canon professor, Samuel Ferguson Professor of Social and Pastoral Theology, University of Manchester, United Kingdom

"In a world where the struggles of adolescent girls seem to get most of the press, GirlTalk/GodTalk offers a refreshing dose of hope . . . If you have ever loved a teenager, and if you have ever cared about the faith of our daughters, GirlTalk/GodTalk is a must read."
—Kenda Creasy Dean, parent, pastor, and associate professor of youth, church, and culture, Princeton Theological Seminary; author Outing the Emperor: Changing the Church of Benign Whatever-ism Through the Faith of American Teenagers

From the Inside Flap:

GirlTalk/GodTalk

For teenage girls, navigating a clear understanding of religious meaning is a complex process. Young women are trying to figure out how to live their faith at the same time that they are grappling with questions of sexuality, gender roles, and gender identity.

GirlTalk/GodTalk offers a refreshing exploration of the faith lives of adolescent girls and shows how they think about, experience, and express spiritual and religious meanings in their lives. The book also explores the important role mothers, fathers and other parenting adults play in shaping that faith. As Joyce Ann Mercer explains, religion and faith can hold things together for girls as they move between the childhood self, the person they are in the present, and the adult self that is beginning to develop.

The book is filled with vibrant interviews with fifty girls from twelve Christian denominations who represent a variety of family backgrounds. GirlTalk/GodTalk delves into their complex world of struggle and surprising self-awareness. In their own words, the girls tell deeply personal stories, exploring what it means to be young, female, and Christian. They reveal the many ways spirituality and religion influence everything in their lives: the clothing they purchase, their educational choices, their self-esteem and body image, and even how they deal with the pain in their lives and in the world.

The author offers important insights and strategies for cultivating spiritual identities of compassion, integrity, vocation, and justice-seeking in adolescent girls.

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