Finding My Voice: A Young Woman's Perspective (Called to Holiness: Spirituality for Catholic Women)

By Beth M. Knobbe

I have no idea where I am going. If youve ever thought, muttered or text-messaged this sentence, Beth Knobbe will help you find answers to lifes persistent questions: Who am I? Where am I going? How... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0867168943
• ISBN13: 9780867168945
• Release Date: September 2009
• Publisher: St. Anthony Messenger Press
• Length: 131 Pages
• Weight: 0.98 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.4" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

U.S. Catholic

Finding My Voice: A Young Woman's Perspective Reviewed by Megan Sweas for U.S. Catholic Are the young adult years simply an extended adolescence? When do we become real adults? Beth Knobbe describes this period of life and its spiritual challenges in her first book, a part of the series Called to Holiness: Spirituality for Catholic Women. "While young adults are often perceived as `delaying' adulthood, this is certainly not their intention," Knobbe writes. "Young people are not waiting on tomorrow to fulfill their dreams, they are living very full and productive lives." As both a chaplain at Northwestern University's Catholic center and a young adult herself, Knobbe speaks credibly about this period of life, and her book is a good resource for both young adults and those who work with them. This period is a time of self-discovery and questioning in a fast-paced, consumer-driven, pluralistic culture, Knobbe says in her first chapter. Her appraisal of young adults and their culture can help "real adults" better understand their younger counterparts. In the next five chapters, however, she speaks directly to her peers about how to navigate this reality. On sexuality, for instance, Knobbe acknowledges that many young adults don't find church teaching helpful, and she goes on to offer an approach that focuses on relationships and forgiveness. But Knobbe knows that relationships aren't just romantic, and she devotes a full chapter to friendship, an often neglected topic in spirituality. With chapters on prayer, vocation, and working for justice as well, Finding My Voice is a thorough overview of young adult spirituality. She could have gone deeper on each topic, but her concise writing makes the book approachable and her positive perspective makes it appealing. "In a particular way as young adults, our lives are unfinished," Knobbe writes in the chapter on vocation. "We are always incomplete, yet every situation has the potential for calling forth goodness in us." This review appeared in the March 2010 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 75 no. 3, page 43)

Not your father's Catholic Church

Beth Knobbe is a thirty-something campus minister at Northwestern University with a master's degree in divinity, and a lifelong commitment to volunteer service. She writes for young adult women seeking to discover their voices and for those who work with them. As part of the Called to Holiness Series, Knobbe's work follows a pattern of reflections, personal stories, relevant quotations from a variety of sources, and "food for thought" questions at the end of each chapter. The book opens with an introduction to the young adult culture in the U.S. today. First, we are reminded that the present generation of young adults experience Catholicism of a different brand than that of their parents and grandparents. This is the first generation to have grown up with no exposure to the pre-Vatican II Church. While some of this generation embrace traditional practices, others may be drawn to the Church's social mission. Many who identify themselves as Catholic attend Mass only on special occasions. And numbers of those who grew up in Catholic homes turn to denominations with more vibrant worship services, a stronger sense of community, and more significant roles for women. Further, today's young adults stay connected via the Internet and cell phone, maintaining and cultivating friendships with those they seldom meet in person. Knobbe suggests that friendship with Jesus "requires some shared experience." We develop trust and intimacy with him through the sacraments, prayer, and Scripture. The story of the Last Supper, particularly the washing of the feet, provides a strong example of the relationship between Jesus and his friends. Knobbe closes the topic with a foot-washing ritual suitable for a small group. Her chapter on peace in a turbulent world addresses everyday violence and our reaction to it. The food for thought section asks us to look at our encounters with the poor and vulnerable, find ways to be "the presence of peace" for victims of injustice, and write our own lament psalm.