Bowman presents a descriptive account of Christian laywomen who create prayer shawls. Using this group as a case study in theology forged in a local, bottom-up context, the author discusses how third-wave feminism offered the opportunity to take more seriously modes of women’s work that happen in domestic or craft-based domains. But Bowman's central argument is theological: she sees so-called prayer shawl ministries as a movement productively challenging dominant sources of meaning making. The author’s investment in the object of her study is clear . . . Christian theologians and practitioners of fiber arts will likely find the book a good read. Summing Up: Recommended. Professionals and general readers.

Choice Reviews

Spiritual practices that people actually engage in make great foundations for theology. This study of creating, using, and letting people know the importance of prayer shawls reflects pastoral theology done well. Surely there are other such practices that would benefit from this kind of elucidation.

Water Women's Alliance

We professional theologians often talk about the importance of lay participation in theology and about the need for bottom-up theology to check top-down theology. But this generally remains just talk. Donna Bowman has heard a lot of Christian women into theological speech. If she had asked them to describe their “theology,” nothing of value would be likely, but they are fully articulate in reflecting about their Christian activities. May the genre thus pioneered by Bowman flourish!

John Cobb, Claremont Center for Process Studies

With this book, Donna Bowman has created a handmade theology, or better, a "shawlology." The prayer shawls we read about here are not merely metaphorical, but hold values of protection, memory, communal identification and communication, woven with profound strands of meaning. Doing theology with needle and yarn, Bowman shows how some of the most vital origins of theological thinking begin in the experiences of living rooms. Readers will come to a renewed vision of the material experiences at the heart of faith.

S. Brent Plate, Hamilton College, author of A History of Religion in 5½ Objects: Bringing the Spiritual to Its Senses