Becoming Apostolic : : Conversations with Older Roman Catholic Sisters.

• Superior document: Brill's Studies in Catholic Theology Series ; v.14
• Author: Sexton, Catherine.
• Place / Publishing House: Boston : : BRILL,, 2024.; ©2024.
• Year of Publication: 2024
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Brill's Studies in Catholic Theology Series
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (219 pages)

Living fully till the end. This book uses Lectio Divina to analyse the lived experiences and theologies of ageing Roman Catholic sisters as they discuss the meaning of their religious vocation in a context where religious life is undergoing great change.

Table of Contents

Front Cover -- Half Title -- Series Information -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Abbreviations -- 1 Women in Apostolic Religious Life -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 From Active to Semi-monastic Life: the Historical Context before the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) -- 1.3 The Second Vatican Council and Apostolic Religious Life -- 1.4 Implications for the Women in This Study -- 1.5 The Significance of the United States' Context for the Discourse on Religious Life in the United Kingdom -- 1.6 United States Writing: Two Articulations of Apostolic Life for Women -- 1.7 Discourse on Religious Life in the United Kingdom, 2000-18 -- 1.7.1 Recurring Concerns and Themes -- 1.8 Rationale for This Study -- 1.9 Structure of This Book -- 2 Treading on Holy Ground: Listening for Absent Voices -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Theoretical Basis for Research Design -- 2.2.1 An Approach to Interpretation: Hermeneutical Phenomenology -- 2.2.2 A Feminist Approach -- 2.3 The Centrality of Women's Experience and Attendant Challenges -- 2.4 Reflexivity -- 2.5 My Engagement with Religious Life -- 2.6 Insider/Outsider Stance -- 2.7 Method as Holy Listening and Sacred Reading -- 2.7.1 Introduction -- 2.7.2 Laying the Groundwork for Listening -- 2.7.2.1 Choice of Research Methods -- 2.7.2.2 Criteria for Selection of Congregations -- 2.7.2.3 Profile of Interview Participants -- 2.8 Holy Listening: Encounters with Religious Women -- 2.8.1 The Interviews: a Third Presence in the Space in Between -- 2.8.2 After the Interviews: the Process of Data Analysis -- 2.8.2.1 The First Component of Method: Choosing the Voice-Centred Relational Method (vcrm) -- 2.8.2.2 The Four Readings of the vcrm -- 2.9 The Second Component of the Method: Listening for the Voice through Sacred Reading -- 2.9.1 Theoretical Considerations.

2.10 The Third Component of the Method: Thematic Analysis -- 2.11 Conclusion -- 3 Framing the Apostolic Becoming -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Making Meaning of Vocation -- 3.2.1 The Call Narratives -- 3.2.2 Context -- 3.2.3 The Lure of the Missions -- 3.2.4 Family Influence -- 3.2.5 A Call to an Occupation? -- 3.2.6 A Call to Serve? An Apostolic Impulse? -- 3.2.7 A Call to God -- 3.3 Narratives of a Changed Understanding -- 3.3.1 From Corporate Apostolates to Individualized Ministries -- 3.3.2 The Rise of the Justice and Peace Paradigm -- 3.3.3 The Missionary Context -- 3.3.4 Back to the United Kingdom -- 3.4 Naming Their Way of Life -- 3.4.1 Name and Identity -- 3.5 Conclusion -- 4 Becoming Apostolic as Themselves -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 The Context -- 4.3 Free to Become Oneself -- 4.4 First Set of Narratives: Claiming and Asserting Identity -- 4.4.1 Resisting Externally Ascribed Identities -- 4.4.2 Resisting Internally Ascribed Identities -- 4.5 Second Set of Narratives: Fulfilment and Frustration -- 4.5.1 Examples of Thwarted Desire -- 4.6 Using Voice to Exercise Personal Agency: from Obedience to Discernment -- 4.7 Encouraged to Be Themselves -- 4.7.1 A Concern with Freedom -- 4.7.2 From Self-Denial to Self-Gift -- 4.8 Conclusion -- 5 Being With and Being For -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Context -- 5.3 Ways of Being Apostolic -- 5.3.1 Evangelizing -- 5.3.2 Availability in the Everyday -- 5.4 Facing towards Others -- 5.5 Ministry as Gift: Fit for Purpose? -- 5.5.1 Ministry as Gift -- 5.5.2 Reciprocity -- 5.6 Self-Gift -- 5.7 Conclusion -- 6 Ministry in Old Age: Apostolic to the Very End -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 Ministry in Old Age -- 6.2.1 Ambivalence towards Old Age and Inactivity -- 6.2.1.1 Contextual Influences -- 6.2.2 In Defence of Dependency and Passivity -- 6.3 Forms of Ministry in Later Life -- 6.4 Ministry of Presence.

6.4.1 Contexts for Ministry of Presence -- 6.4.2 Expressions of Presence -- 6.4.3 Towards a Sacramental Theology of Presence -- 6.4.4 Presence as Incarnational -- 6.4.5 Raising Up the Ordinary -- 6.5 Ministry to Each Other in Community: Sacramentality of Relationships -- 6.6 Ministry with and for Their Carers -- 6.7 Obedience of Detachment and Relinquishment -- 6.7.1 Obedient to the End -- 6.8 Conclusion -- 7 Theologies That Speak to All? -- 7.1 Theology for Ageing Religious or for Apostolic Religious Life More Widely? -- 7.2 Theology of Religious Life or Theology for All Those Ageing? -- Bibliography -- Index -- Back Cover.