Christian Monasticism Today: A Search for Identity

Dear Colleagues,

The phenomenon of monasticism, with its centuries-long history, which is all the more fascinating because it is present in various religions such as Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism, continues to inspire spiritual life even today. The development of new forms of spirituality in the form of social and cultural movements and projects is proof of this. At the same time, it is possible to discern a crisis in traditional monastic forms, manifested both in a decline in the number of vocations and in the presence and functioning of monastic ideals in the modern world. Therefore, there seems to be a particular need to reflect on the identity of monasticism today, encompassing both its historical background and the new forms that are developing. It is not only a matter of placing current phenomena in order or systematizing them, but also of reflecting on dynamisms that invariably reveal the still surprising and inspiring links between the past and present in a fascinating way. This is the reason why we are pleased to invite you to reflect on the theme of monastic identity today and contribute to this Special Issue of Religions. As its title, we propose “Christian Monasticism Today: A Search for Identity”.

The particular nature of this journal aims to provide the widest possible multidisciplinary approach to the proposed topic, which seems very necessary today, not only because of the historical and cultural significance of monasticism but for its potential today and into the future. This Special Issue aims to bring together the voices on monasticism of various specialists studying the phenomenon from different aspects. This voice should lead to a presentation of the current situation and condition of monasticism. This will be all the more apparent by the broad view taken of it. The reliability and originality of the approach to this topic is ensured by the competence of the authors, whom the editors know from their participation in conferences and symposia devoted to monasticism as well as from their publications.

Suggested themes and article types for submissions: Christian monasticism today seen and perceived in various, interweaving contexts:

Historical; Archeological; Spiritual; Theological; Sociological; Anthropological; Philosophical.

We request that prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200–300 words, summarizing their intended contribution. Please send your submissions to the Guest Editors, or to the Assistant Editor of Religions. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of this Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer reviews.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Bernard Łukasz Sawicki
Prof. Dr. Greg Peters
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• monasticism
• culture
• history
• spirituality
• anthropology
• philosophy
• sociology
• archeology