Women, Identity and Religion in Wales

This rich interdisciplinary book brings significant and original insights to the study of Welsh identity and religion, as well as exploring the distinctive pressures that Welsh women face in their everyday lives. Manon Ceridwen James provides a comprehensive account of the religious and sociological context for women in Wales today, weaving her own experience with the writings of Menna Elfyn, Jasmine Donahaye, Mererid Hopwood and other key writers, to offer an in-depth understanding of the dynamic interplay between Welsh female identity and religion. At the heart of the book is the author's original research into the lives of thirteen women, revealing how Welsh women face misogyny, repression and stigmatisation, but how they are also able to respond with resilience and humour. Welsh women have an empowering stereotype - the Strong Woman - and are constructing new identities for themselves free from the pressures to be respectable and submissive. Women, Identity and Religion in Wales presents the first comprehensive study from a present-day perspective, and is a significant contribution to the study of literature, theology and culture.