Prophets in Their Own Country: Women Religious Bearing Witness to the Gospel in a Troubled Church

These reflections, based on a series published in The National Catholic Reporter, were inspired by the Vatican’s announcement of an Apostolic Visitation of U.S. Women Religious from 2009-2011. Given the unmistakable imputation of guilt, the launch of this investigation was troubling to many women religious. Schneiders uses this occasion to articulate anew the meaning of Religious Life, the biblical theology underlying it, the reasons for the renewal undertaken after Vatican II, and the forms of apostolic Religious Life that have developed through this renewal. While her introduction tells the story of the investigation and the response it has generated, the following essays offer an eloquent and inspiring assessment and apologia for Religious Life today and in the future. It is a book addressed to all members of the church, calling us to live our faith in a spirit of integrity, freedom, and courage.