- Author: Karen Armstrong
- Published in 2004, 305 pages.
- The Spiral Staircase discussion questions from the publisher
- Memoir discussion questions from readinggroupguide.com
Description
Karen Armstrong begins this spellbinding story of her spiritual journey with her departure in 1969 from the Roman Catholic convent she had entered seven years before—hoping, but ultimately failing, to find God. She knew almost nothing of the changed world to which she was returning, and she was tormented by panic attacks and inexplicable seizures.
Armstrong’s struggle against despair was further fueled by a string of discouragements—failed spirituality, doctorate, and jobs; fruitless dealings with psychiatrists. Finally, in 1976, she was diagnosed with epilepsy, given proper treatment, and released from her “private hell.” She then began the writing career that would become her true calling, and as she focused on the sacred texts of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, her own inner story began to emerge. Without realizing it, she had embarked on a spiritual quest, and through it she would eventually experience moments of transcendence—the profound fulfillment that she had not found in long hours of prayer as a young nun. Powerfully engaging, often heartbreaking, but lit with bursts of humor,The Spiral Staircase is an extraordinary history of self. Description from book jacket
Research the author and the book using library resources
Information on the author’s life and works is available through our library’s online resources. Recommended online resources for The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness by Karen Armstrong include Literature Resource Center. Enter your library barcode and then use the author’s name or the book title to search for full-text encyclopedia or magazine articles.
Additional information
“Karen Armstrong’s Path to Light.” Jane Lampman. The Christian Science Monitor
“Karen Armstrong, Turn, Turn, Turn.” Interview with the author by Dave Weich. Powells.com
An excerpt from The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness is provided by the publisher.
Readalikes
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The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris
Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith by Barbara Brown Taylor
Called to Question: A Spiritual Memoir by Joan D. Chittister