Just Finished Reading: The Spiral Staircase by Karen Armstrong (FP: 2004)

At the tender age of 17 in 1962 Karen Armstrong did something radical which amazed her friends, family and school. It was the 1960’s after all but no one expected this – she became a nun and entered a Catholic Convent. Seven years later, after suffering an increasing number of fainting fits and experiencing other persistent health problems she decided to leave and enter the Secular world. Much to her surprise both her physical and psychological problems increased and she became more divorced from reality. Seeking help she spent several years in therapy to no avail. It was only after another attack that she was finally diagnosed with epilepsy. Only then, once her drug regimen stabilised her condition, could she start to rebuild her life. It was then that things got really difficult.

Still coming to terms with her loss of faith, or actually realising that she never really had much to begin with, as well as a failed academic career she drifting into teaching only to find it both deadly dull and inexplicably stressful. Finally ‘let go’ she thought her future was assured when Chanel 4 TV asked her to present a religious documentary on the life of St Paul. Forced to engage with religion again she found herself strangely captivated and through herself into her work learning not only about Paul but about Judaism and, whilst in the Holy land, about Islam too and became fascinated with their fundamental similarities. But nothing lasts. When her TV career ends as inexplicably as it had begun she is thrown back on her own resources and decides to write a book on the subject at the forefront of her mind – God. Despite discouragement from her publishers that no one (on this side of the Atlantic at least) had much interest in the subject she moved ahead with the project – then came 9/11 with the resultant anti-Islam backlash. Determined that a whole faith should not be tarred by the actions of a few individuals she protested very loudly to that effect and became a religious celebrity because of it. All rather ironic for someone who no longer believed in the teachings of her order and who, for many years after leaving the convent, felt physically ill at the thought of entering a church.

Told with disarming honesty and a desire to uncover the reasons behind her actions this was a very readable biography of a very interesting person. Seeing someone struggle with her faith (or lack of) and trying to come to terms with a very different world outside the convent made me even happier that I have not had to suffer this kind of thing. Never actually having had a faith/belief in God I have not had to suffer though the after effects of losing it. In another world where I was born into a devout Catholic family this could have easily happened. Thankfully neither of my parents professed any religious belief (and indeed I still don’t know if they hold/held any) so I was not burdened with holding or giving it up. The author’s experiences certainly made me appreciate just how difficult this can be. If you’re interested in the faith/no faith struggle or are just interested in an interesting person’s life (or in the author herself after enjoying her books). This is definitely the book for you. Recommended.    

[2015 Reading Challenge: A Memoir – COMPLETE (12/50)]