Reviews

Davis (religious studies, Univ. of Prince Edward Island, Canada) has written a comprehensive and revealing study of the history and development of modern Goddess spirituality. His examination of archaeological, historical, and literary evidence has lead him to conclude that the roots of Goddess spirituality lie not in prehistoric matriarchal societies, as exponents of Goddess beliefs have claimed, but rather in Western esoteric traditions and in the Romantic movement of the 19th century. Davis presents an abundance of evidence along with excellent documentation to support his theory and to point out the skewed historical paradigm presented by modern writers within the Goddess movement. While Davis's conclusions are likely to generate controversy, his work provides a thorough, well-researched, scholarly study of a new religious movement. Recommended for academic and theological libraries with collections on feminist spirituality.‘Elizabeth Anne Salt, Courtright Memorial Lib., Westerville, OH