The Women of Hull House
A Study in Spirituality, Vocation, and Friendship
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Stebner shows the interconnections of spirituality, vocation, and friendship and argues that individual actions for social change must take place within communities which provide a level of uniting vision yet allow for diverse actions and viewpoints.
Description
This group biography explores the lives, work, and personal relations of nine white, middle- and upper-middle-class women who were involved in the first decade of Chicago's premier social settlement. This "galaxy of stars"--as they were called in their own day--were active in innumerable political, social, and religious reform efforts.
The Women of Hull House refutes the humanistic interpretation of the social settlement movement. Its spiritual base is highlighted as the author describes it as the practical/ethical side of the social gospel movement and as an attempt to transform late nineteenth-century evangelical and doctrinal Christian religion. While the women of Hull House differed from one another in their theological beliefs and were often critical of orthodox Christianity, they were motivated by Christian ideals.
By showing the interconnections of spirituality, vocation, and friendship, the author argues that individual actions for social changes must take place within communities which provide a level of uniting vision yet allow for diverse actions and viewpoints.
Eleanor J. Stebner is Assistant Professor of Theology and Church History at The University of Winnipeg.
Reviews
"This book is rich. This study of women's lives--their motivations, interactions, and talents--produces a wonderfully textured book. As in life itself, the whole of these biographies is greater than the sum of the parts. The author shows convincingly that Hull House was the creation of many women who brought to that venture different and complementary skills and talents. " -- Dana Greene, St. Mary's College of Maryland