Spiegel van de Leek. De theologische Betekenis van het religieuze leven voor het lekenapostolaat

The service that religious orders and congregations have always assumed in the past is no longer self-evident in our time. Many dimensions of this service, such as education and care for the sick or poor, have today been taken over by the state or by professional organizations. Moreover, most orders and congregations have thinned out due to the lack of new vocations, meaning that the commitment has to be borne by increasingly older (and fewer) shoulders. Yet the element of service is essentially part of religious life, whether it concerns active or contemplative orders and congregations. The challenges are numerous: on the one hand, existing forms of service must be reconsidered and evaluated, and on the other hand, new ideas and initiatives must be sought through which religious life can be renewed in and for our time.

With contributions from Didier Croonenberghs, Maaike De Haardt, Lieve Dirken, Brian Heffernan, Rob Hoogenboom, Anton Milh, Emilio Platti, Stephan van Erp and Steven Wielandts.

"Religious service in motion"