Abstract
As Catholic religious orders have become substantially multicultural in membership, more and more have realized they must intentionally embrace interculturality in their spirituality, leadership, and community life if they are to avoid significant internal conflict and decline. The traditional, monocultural assimilation model of “join us and learn to do things our way” no longer works, if it ever did. To this end, the Center for the Study of Consecrated Life at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago sponsored a three-year project (2017–20) to promote greater interculturality, the intellectual fruits of which are captured in the sixteen essays of this illuminating volume.
The editors—both of Catholic Theological Union—structure the book in three parts. The essays of part 1, by Cimperman, Gittins, Maya, and Pernia, outline the pervasive challenges of ethnocentrism and cultural subjugation in the functioning of religious orders and call upon all communities to transform themselves on the model of the radical inclusion and welcome of Jesus. The essays of part 2, by Milmanda, Park, Schreiter, and Temu, highlight primary resources for undertaking this transformation found in the New Testament witness, in a contemplative spirituality of reconciliation, and in the core practice of open and respectful conversation. The essays in part 3 then build on this foundation and present a blueprint for change. Those by Norton, Nguyen and Schroeder, and McClone and Taylor-Dietz present valuable social-scientific insights on cross-cultural personality types, cultural sensitivity, and sociocentric versus individual-centric cultural frameworks. Those by Gallares, Oberhofer, and Doi and Andraos describe notable practices for developing cultural awareness, strengthening unity, and promoting healing and reconciliation. And those by Mosely and Pernia address key issues of congregational leadership and strategic vision.
The book is a valuable contribution to the line of recent Catholic works on interculturality by Anthony Gittins, Lazar Stanislaus and Martin Ueffing, and Chinyeaka Ezeani, and one that will serve as an important resource for all consecrated religious communities. The essays are well-chosen and of consistently high quality. Together they present a compelling vision of the necessity of interculturality for the future mission and vitality of the church. Beyond its immediately intended audience, the book’s insights are broadly applicable across the face of global Christianity and potentially quite useful in parishes and settings outside the Catholic world. In our era of magnified racism, tribalism, migration, and polarization, many need the map that Engaging Our Diversity provides.