For the Love of God: The Faith and Future of the American Nun

by Lucy Kaylin

Book Overview

In this provocative work, Lucy Kaylin explores myths and debunks stereotypes to present a rich and varied portrait of modern nuns at a dramatic moment in their history: Nuns in the United States are... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688154581
• Release Date: October 2000
• Publisher: William Morrow
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.8" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Affirming

As a "cradle Catholic" who is often embarrassed by the goofy portrayal of religious women in our media (From the Flying Nun to Sister Act with Whoopie), I found this dignified, fair and revealing portrayal of American nuns very interesting and affirming. These are wonderful women among us; kind, intelligent, spiritual and generous in service to others. Sure, we've all heard about Mother Theresa, but the more common nuns who serve communities through self-less effort and prayer are also to be respected and admired. Kaylin's view of these women in some ways seems to surprise herself...a person raised without religion. She is a curious outsider who seeks to understand, explain and demystify American nuns and the lives they lead. She does it with intelligence and respect, and an amazing understanding of the faith based traditions they follow. I was very surprised and often enlightened by her observations and understanding.

A slice of religious life

I was excited to find this book as I am researching for a book I am writing about my experiences as a resident at St. Agatha Home, in Nanuet NY. This facility dates back to 1884 and was run by the Sisters of Charity, now owned by NY Foundling Hospital. For The Love of God gave me some insight into the nuns and what they were experiencing at the very time I was at St. Agatha, 1965-1968. I lived in cottages with these nuns, and Lucy Kaylin gave a good view of their various goals, personalities, and approaches, as well as the various duties and pressures of the sisters. For us, there were housemothers, teachers, and social workers. The most important part of the book came towards the end when she illustrated that the breakdown in the communities, which Lucy so aptly described, joining for prayer and spiritual communion, is the greatest threat to the Sisterhood. I very much enjoyed this book.

An odd and honest book

The author takes an exceptionally close look at all aspects of a nun's life, from her sexuality to her work to her psyche. As a child, and even now, I've been fascinated by women who would literally give up their lives to prayer. The author traces the changes that nuns have gone through, such as changing their cloistered nature and their covered habits. The only problem for me was that I did not leave this book with any better understanding of the choices women make to become nuns....I had a better idea, but not a complete understanding. The book is really well written. One would think a book about nuns might be horribly boring, but in fact, I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this book to anyone who finds nuns as mysterious as I do.

Well written and gripping

This is an amazing book -- and I have to applaud Lucy Kaylin for not only her clear writing style but the thoughtful way she approached a complex topic. I believe that she was touched by these surprising modern nuns that she met and wrote about -- and I learned a lot, too. If you enjoy the work of Kathleen Norris, you'll love this book, too. I read this book in a day -- could not put it down.