Are we looking at the imminent death of religious life in the church, a future full of hope, or something in between? This book, based on papers given at a colloquium run by the Religious Life Institute at Heythrop College, University of London, addresses urgent questions around the renewal and survival of religious life.Despite recent scandals and a steady diminishment of numbers since Vatican II, religious remain a powerful source of inspiration and positive energy within church and society. Fifty years after the Council, today's context and questions are different. Did the Council bring about a renewal or an implosion of religious life? Who is looking at religious vocation today? What are they seeking, and what are they finding?With a foreword by former Dominican Master General Timothy Radcliffe, leading authors on religious life, including Gregory Collins, OSB, and Christopher Jamison, OSB, explore these questions and propose answers that offer material for individual and communal reflection.
