Into the Paradox

"Contradictions can be "decided," one way or the other—it either is raining or it is not raining, it cannot be both raining and not raining. Paradoxes, on the other hand, cannot be resolved one way or the other. We must simply try to accept them and live within the uncomfortable mystery they create." —Toni McNaron As a practicing Catholic and feminist scholar, Toni McNaron embraces the seemingly unresolvable and accepts the inherent paradox arising from her preference for conservative spiritual practices while remaining committed to radical politics. Residing patiently in this “uncomfortable mystery” has allowed her to explore the deeper spaces of her spirit—not insisting on consistency or certainty or even agreement as she strives to expand her connection with the God of her understanding in today's post-modern world where paradox is often valued. McNaron’s compelling and inspirational faith journey reveals that we need not harden into inflexible creeds or harsh judgments of other people’s way of finding meaning. Rather, living in paradox can enliven our lives and ultimately open us to the wonder and joy of God’s amazing creation in all its diversity.

"Contradictions can be "decided," one way or the other—it either is raining or it is not raining, it cannot be both raining and not raining. Paradoxes, on the other hand, cannot be resolved one way or the other. We must simply try to accept them and live within the uncomfortable mystery they create." —Toni McNaron As a practicing Catholic and feminist scholar, Toni McNaron embraces the seemingly unresolvable and accepts the inherent paradox arising from her preference for conservative spiritual practices while remaining committed to radical politics. Residing patiently in this “uncomfortable mystery” has allowed her to explore the deeper spaces of her spirit—not insisting on consistency or certainty or even agreement as she strives to expand her connection with the God of her understanding in today's post-modern world where paradox is often valued. McNaron’s compelling and inspirational faith journey reveals that we need not harden into inflexible creeds or harsh judgments of other people’s way of finding meaning. Rather, living in paradox can enliven our lives and ultimately open us to the wonder and joy of God’s amazing creation in all its diversity.

Toni McNaron is an educator, memoirist and lesbian feminist critic who taught literature and Women’s Studies at the University of Minnesota for 37 years before retiring as a Distinguished Teaching Professor. She is the author of a previous memoir, I Dwell in Possibility; and an ethnographic study of homophobia in the academy, Poisoned Ivy: Lesbian and Gay Academics Confront Homophobia. She has edited The Sister Bond: A Feminist View of a Timeless Connection and co-edited Voices in the Night: Women Speaking About Incest and New Lesbian Studies: Into the 21st Century. While at the University of Minnesota (1964-2001), she began and chaired the Women’s Studies Program, the Center for Advanced Feminist Studies, and the GLBT Studies Program. Her current writing project is a collection of essays entitled An Amethyst Remembrance, written over four decades.