Everyday Theology: Lay Vocation, Work, and Family as Sacred Practice

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, theological scholarship has increasingly emphasized that the ordinary contexts of human life—work, family, caregiving, and civic participation—are not merely secular or pragmatic spheres, but privileged sites of spiritual discernment, moral formation, and encounter with the divine. This shift reflects broader developments in lived theology, practical theology, spirituality studies, and the theology of the laity, all of which highlight the significance of everyday experience as a locus of theological meaning. At a time marked by rapid social change, professional instability, evolving family structures, and renewed questions about vocation, purpose, and the relationship between faith and public life, this research area has become especially urgent and fertile for scholarly inquiry. We are pleased to invite you to contribute to the Special Issue, “Everyday Theology: Lay Vocation, Work, and Family as Sacred Practice”.

This Special Issue aims to explore how lay vocation is embodied, interpreted, and practiced within the rhythms of daily life, and how ordinary commitments can be understood as forms of sacred practice. The issue seeks to illuminate the theological significance of work, marriage, parenting, caregiving, domestic life, and social responsibility, while also examining how theology can more adequately account for the moral and spiritual dimensions of lived experience. In doing so, the Special Issue aligns closely with the journal’s scope, which includes theology, religion, spirituality, ethics, and the interaction between faith and contemporary culture. The topic is neither excessively broad nor narrowly specialized; rather, it addresses a central and increasingly recognized dimension of theological reflection: the sacred character of everyday life.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and review essays are welcome. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Theological interpretations of lay vocation in contemporary society;
• Work as participation, service, co-creation, or sanctification;
• Marriage, parenting, and caregiving as sacred practices;
• Family life as a site of moral and spiritual formation;
• The domestic church and everyday spirituality;
• Lived theology and practical theology of ordinary experience;
• Intersections of professional life, faith, and moral responsibility;
• Catholic social teaching and the dignity of daily labor;
• Gender, reciprocity, and vocation in family and social life;
• Interdisciplinary approaches integrating theology, family studies, ethics, and spirituality;
• Between work, family and community: lay people facing the challenges of their daily vocation;
• Social work and care as a spiritual practice;
• Spirituality in the experience of disability and old age.

We hope that this Special Issue will stimulate new research on the theological depth of ordinary life and contribute to a more integrated understanding of discipleship in the contemporary world. By bringing together scholars working on lay spirituality, vocation, work, and family, this Issue seeks to deepen reflection on how faith is enacted in daily practices and how theology can respond more fully to the concrete realities of lay experience. Ultimately, this Special Issue aims to advance scholarly discussion on the sacred dimensions of everyday life and to underscore the enduring importance of lay vocation for theology and the life of the Church.

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 it to the Guest Editors, or to Vinicio Altmann (vinicio.altmann@mdpi.com), the Assistant Editor of Religions. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Adam Zadroga
Dr. Katarzyna Zielińska-Król
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized 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.

• everyday theology
• lay vocation
• work
• family
• sacred practice
• lived theology
• spirituality
• domestic church
• Catholic social teaching
• practical theology