Pathways to Re-Creating Religious Communities

Religious life has always been an essential and dynamic component of the church. Religious communities historically have met the needs of the surroundng society: in education, the arts, medical care, and social work. But why do we need religious communities now? What purpose do they serve within the church and within society? Patricia Wittberg offers some practical and prophetic answers.
There are four basic questions that a religious community must answer if it is to survive and grow in the twenty-first century. What is our fundamental reason for existing as a community? What distinguishes members from non-members? How will we live out our fundamental purpose in daily life? What resources do we need, and where can they be found? Using the metaphor of a journey, this book suggests ways of addressing these questions, based on studies of other religious communities - past and present, Catholic and those of other religions.
The author also identifies pitfalls that commonly deter new communities and suggests how these pitfalls may be avoided. Included is a selection of "journeystories" that present some fictional founding and refounding journeys; these can serve as starting points for brainstorming by religious communities interested in refounding themselves. This is a hopeful, popularly written book that will appeal not only to all religious but to general readers as well since it has great importance for the life of the entire church.

Patricia Wittberg, S.C., is associate professor of sociology at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis.