Abbey of GethsemaniAbbey of Gethsemani

The Trappist monastery in Kentucky associated with Thomas Merton, the Abbey of Gethsemani hosts a contemplative conference at which Sue Monk Kidd speaks, her first return to a monastery since the Fr. Sue fiasco. She is emotional entering this "microcosm of the entire father-world." She recalls being segregated in the balcony because she is female and again feels the pain caused by patriarchal Christianity, but is touched by the chants and appreciates the honor paid to Mary as Mother of God. Taking part in a liturgical dance puts Sue on the floor of the church and the smile of an elderly monk helps her bridge the gap between male and female divinity.

Avebury

A small village between Oxford and Glastonbury, England, Avonbury is the site of a megalithic circle of stones larger than Stonehenge. A tourist book says it is a religious center...