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Narrative Summary
Interview with Pamela W. by Ashley Fowler
On any given Sunday you will find Pamela engrossed in prayer. You won’t find her at a
church or synagogue, or another traditional center of worship. And she isn’t at home kneeled in
front of a shrine. She spends her Sundays (and other times of worship) at home doing things like
cooking, working in her garden, and creating art. Pamela says that prayer is communication, not
necessarily talking or thinking. For her, communication through action is the most powerful form
of prayer.
Though she was raised in an Irish Catholic family and considered herself a Catholic
throughout her childhood and much of her adult life, Pamela never felt at home in that religion.
Negative experiences with the church and feelings of isolation led Pamela to reject Catholicism
in mid-adulthood. A few years later, as a full time housewife with an empty nest, Pamela went in
search of hobbies. This search led her to art classes and the discovery of a talent for painting.
Drawn to religious art, she began research in order to create accurate works with religious
images or undertones. This research included in depth study of the bible, Quran, and other
religious texts.
Studying these texts and thinking through them independently, Pamela developed her
own ideas involving God and spirituality. She considers herself a Christian but dislikes organized
religion or churches. She says that, “Finding [your faith] yourself makes you a better Christian.
And person.” When asked about life without an organized religious support system, Pamela says
she “fits-in” more now than she did when she claimed Catholicism. Her experiences in the
Catholic church made her feel suffocated and bound by strict rules governing who she could be
Missouri State University
Spring 2014
Religious Lives of Ozarks Women
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and who she could relate to. Of her new faith, or spirituality, Pamela says “I can be grouped with
anyone. If someone believes in God, I can say me too. If someone, maybe, believes in something
else, I can relate to them, too because we both pray. Or maybe we’re both republicans [laughs] or
we like the same food.” The ability to relate to a larger group of people is one of the things she
enjoys about being non-denominational. It is also something she thinks young people need to
think about. While identifying with a group can be rewarding, Pamela believes an open mind is
more beneficial. By relating to many types of people, she says we never have to be confined to
one group that we might out-grow or become uncomfortable with.
Pamela goes on to give advice to young people looking for something to believe in.
“Most important is to find it yourself,” she reiterates, saying that studying religion and analyzing
not only what you study, but what you personally think, is the only way to find a faith you are
truly comfortable with. She also warns against focusing on labels. Fluctuation in faith, according
to Pamela, is natural and should be celebrated. “Catholic, Baptist, Evangelical, Hindu— be
whatever makes sense to you at the time” she says.
Through interviewing Pamela, I was able to get a glimpse into the private spiritual life of
an Ozarks woman. When approaching a project like this, it is easy to focus on those women
involved publicly in their religion. However, for many women, their religious journey leads them
to a life of worship and spirituality in the private sphere. While these expressions of faith are not
as apparently seen, they carry equal significance in the study of the religious lives of Ozarks
women. Interviewing a women who practices her religion privately was important for me,
because I wanted to discover an untold story. In the case of Pamela, a woman who worships God
best in her flower garden and art studio, it was definitely a story worth discovering.
Missouri State University
Spring 2014
Religious Lives of Ozarks Women