Anitha Showri Rani Kondaveti
The Salvation of Souls and the Religious Apostolate: A Theological Reflection on the Religious Apostolate Today
This project is a theological reflection on the religious apostolate in the present context in view of its missionary (soteriological) motivation for the renewal of apostolic religious life and its mission. This project seeks to contribute to the institutes of religious apostolate to overcome their identity problems and raise their social influence, to create a safe and sustainable environment for all, by addressing questions of relevance and theological inadequacy. In pursuing the goal of understanding the theology of the religious apostolate in the twenty-first century, the project aims to attend to the following research objectives: 1. To understand the impact of present-day cultural developments on the role of the institutes of religious apostolate. 2. To reflect on the religious apostolate as a theological category by establishing its theological foundations in response to the contextual changes today. 3. To establish a bridge between the founding missionary motivation and the present-day relevance of the institutes of religious apostolate with a focus on the charism, life, and mission of the Society of Jesus Mary Joseph (JMJ). 4. To contribute to the sustainability and strengthening of the institutes of religious apostolate today. This research is carried out through a systematic analysis of the theological concepts of ‘representation and holiness’ and the contextual analysis of the foundational elements of ‘contemplation and action’ which can provide for a renewed understanding of the theology of the religious apostolate. The concept of representation as a significant theological aspect of the religious apostolate, driven by the search for holiness and contemplative action, will contribute to a new contextual-theological understanding of the apostolate. This will strengthen the institutes of religious apostolate in dealing with the problems arising from religious fundamentalism, current sociocultural developments, and the internal tension between a life of contemplation and action. Thus, these institutes can better engage themselves in the new forms of apostolic works to help people in line with the present-day cultural developments and needs.
Why this topic matters to me
This project rests on two convictions, the first conviction is that the Catholic religious congregations both indigenous and foreign missions have contributed to the development of society. Second, the consecrated life form and the religious apostolic ministries are important for the continued sustainable development of the people. I am a religious sister belonging to the congregation of Jesus Mary Joseph for 23 years. I have witnessed both internal and external conflicts, due to the impact of changing contexts (theological, technological, political, and economic) on understanding this form of life and its mission. Therefore, this project is of utmost importance for me to contribute to the renewal of religious life and mission.
Why I believe it is important to society
The foundational characteristic of institutes of religious apostolate that began around the sixteenth century was to combine a life of devotion, i.e., contemplative life, with work in the world. (Aarnink and van Laarhoven, 1997). But in today’s context, these institutions suffer a dichotomy within themselves. Today's religious women and men experience the challenge of balancing religious contemplation and apostolic action. The members suffer burnout, meaninglessness, tension and confusion between a life of contemplation and certain professional requirements. As a result, there is a decline in people choosing the religious life and an increase in the number of people leaving this way of life, ultimately leading to the deterioration of institutes of religious apostolate and their initiatives of service for the social, cultural, and economic development of those in need. Therefore, the renewal of apostolic religious life and mission is an immediate need to contribute to the sustainable development of the people.
Impact of the Ladies of Bethany Chair on my life and career
The project of the Ladies of Bethany "Connecting Catholicities: Sources for Solidarity between Church Communities in a Global Context" is an open umbrella that is capable of inviting various kinds of projects under its care and expertise. This influenced my project on religious life and its apostolate to be transformed into something that is globally relevant. Without the financial support from the Ladies of Bethany my research and stay at KU Leuven would have been difficult or maybe impossible too. Finally, the project of Ladies of Bethany created a family of researchers who inspire, support and challenge each other in their particular projects.
The difference I hope my work will make in the world
With my research project, I hope to contribute to Academia, by presenting the religious apostolate as a theological category as this aspect of religious life lacks enough study and literature. In the Church, this project contributes to fostering the consecrated life, especially apostolic religious life, overcoming the dichotomy between contemplation and action in the present context. Its contribution to the general society is the continued involvement of the institutes of religious apostolate in the sustainable developmental processes in India.
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