Faith Evolving: A Patchwork Journey

How is religious faith affected by our life’s experiences? Trish McBride started with a traditional Christian faith. Over time this has evolved into a belief in a God who is free of denominational church boundaries. One poem and prose step at a time, Trish weaves the scattered patches of her life into a compelling narrative that will touch your heart, and invite you to ponder your own faith journey.

“This book is divided into three sections, each prefaced with a reflection on how she perceives, retrospectively, her faith journey:

Clothes-line Theology: 1974-1986

After That: 1987-1994

Turangawaewae: 1995-2005

The young adult Trish, who strived to fulfil the expectations of a traditional [Christian] marriage and parish, has passed through the crucible of pain and loss by 2005 to be-come a mature and joyful Trish. The God, who at the beginning is a demanding figure evoking total blind surrender, is by the end the One who seeks justice in solidarity with marginalised women and men, and who manifests not only in creation, but also as the Quiet within.”

Anne Hadfield PhD, author and spiritual director

“My purpose in assembling the first edition of Faith Evolving was two-fold: to fill a gap in the spirituality literature by offering a sample longitudinal study of an ordinary woman’s journey of faith, and to encourage readers to reflect on their own journeys. This edition has the same aims!

The hard times are well and truly over and life is enjoyable and mostly peaceful. Good health helps with that, as do plentiful silence, solitude and simplicity – and more quilt-making. Another ten grandchildren have come along, all delicious buds on the family tree.

For me now God permeates everything as Life-Force, and is personally communicating and relational in Jesus, my life companion, and is Holy Mystery. Perhaps this approaches what the Church Fathers were trying to get at when they defined the Trinity!”

Trish, From the Preface to the Third edition (2016)

Trish’s three books – Faith Evolving, Exploring the Presence and A Love Quilt – are being republished in 2024. Read together, they document Trish’s 75-year life and faith journey from childhood to her 80s – a unique longitudinal record of women’s spirituality and thinking. They are both spiritual biography and contextual theology.

Along the way, Trish moves from a traditional Catholic faith to embracing feminist theology and on into a post-denominational, inclusive, integrated Gospel-centred spirituality. She has used a patchwork metaphor across all three books, connecting writings of many colours, shapes and textures.

Her purpose in all three has been to encourage others to ponder and record their own faith journeys.