An Encyclopedian Entry on Mothering and Spirituality

This short entry featured as one among hundreds of others included in the 3-volume Encyclopedia of Motherhood, edited by Andrea O’Reilly.
The entry deals with the connection between mothering and spirituality, to motherly deities (in Kabbalah, Hinduism, and Mother Earth – Gaia), to the spiritual valor of mothering, and the balanced feminine role.
It was written and published on the same year in which Marianna Ruah-Midbar became a mother.
From the formal description of the Encyclopedia:
The first ever on the topic, this Encyclopedia of Motherhood helps to both demarcate motherhood as a scholarly field and an academic discipline and to direct its future development. With more than 700 entries, these three volumes provide information on the central terms, concepts, topics, issues, themes, debates, theories, and texts of this new discipline. Further, the encyclopedia examines the topic of motherhood in various contexts such as history and geography and by academic discipline.
In human society, few institutions are as important as motherhood, and this unique encyclopedia captures the interdisciplinary foundation of the subject in one convenient reference. The scope of the Encyclopedia of Motherhood is focused on providing a comprehensive resource to understanding the complexities of motherhood for academic and public libraries, written by scholars and institutional experts in the social and behavioral sciences.