Today's Guest: Frances Cutshaw
Frances is a DMin student focusing her work on spiritual resilience in the aftermath of shame and creating refuge spaces beyond religious structures.
Frances is particularly and personally interested in the colorful ways women recover from the nonconsensual theologies that have victimized them for centuries across geopolitical landscapes.
Summary:
Frances Cutshaw and Catherine Quiring discuss their personal journeys of self-discovery and overcoming shame in the context of religion and spirituality. They explore the importance of giving oneself permission to experience the full range of human emotions and to move away from shame. They also discuss the role of leadership in creating spaces of acceptance and support, and the need for leaders to have the space to experience their own emotions and ask for what they need. The conversation touches on the work of Brené Brown and the concept of shame versus shalom in religious settings. The conversation explores the themes of shame, healing, and spirituality. Catherine Quiring discusses how shame plays out in the community and how many people come from a fundamentalist Christian background. She emphasizes the importance of allowing oneself to be okay with being apart from the institutional church and exploring how Christianity was misrepresented. The conversation also touches on the topics of sovereignty, embodiment, and the wisdom of the body. Catherine shares her work with the Order of Hildegard, a community that supports spiritual leaders and fosters healing and growth.
Takeaways:
Giving oneself permission to experience the full range of human emotions is essential for personal growth and healing.
Leaders need space to experience their own emotions and ask for what they need in order to create supportive and accepting environments.
The work of Brené Brown, particularly her research on shame, can be instrumental in overcoming shame and embracing vulnerability.
Religious institutions can perpetuate shame, and there is a need to deconstruct and move past religious shame to promote healing and acceptance.
The Order of Hildegard, founded by Frances Cutshaw, aims to create a space for individuals to explore their spirituality and overcome shame, emphasizing agency and personal growth. Shame can be a significant issue for individuals who have a problematic relationship with Christianity, and it is important to allow oneself time and permission to explore and heal from this shame.
The journey of healing and spirituality involves moving away from shame and towards a sense of shalom, which includes liberation, non-binary thinking, and finding treasures within Christianity.
Listening to and honoring the wisdom of the body is crucial for healing and discerning what feels safe and authentic.
The Order of Hildegard provides a supportive community for spiritual leaders to explore their beliefs and grow in their understanding of themselves and their spirituality.
Find Frances at:
@cutshawfrances (IG)
@FrancesCutshaw (fb)
@orderofhildegard
https://www.orderofhildegard.org
Show Notes written by AI and Catherine Quiring
Editing and Logo by Catherine Quiring
(I apologize for the rough edit. I'm working on a fix for it!)
@catherinequiring (IG)
@cqcounseling (fb)
catherinequiring.com, cqcounseling.com