The first issue of the new journal about Catholic religious life, Review for Religious, launches on June 21. The inaugural issue includes an article from Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, Undersecretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section, Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. The article has been made available online for non-subscribers.

“It is extremely rare to launch a journal these days,” said David Rohrer Budiash, Ph.D., managing editor of the journal and companion website, “but the leadership of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men recognized the need for a forum that explores and supports Catholic religious life – male and female – in the context of our current complex and global society.”

Currently, there are just over 800,000 sisters, brothers and religious priests worldwide, but no single place for study of religious life or its role within Church and society. The editorial board includes men and women religious from a range of academic institutions and fields of study. The Catholic University of America Press is the publishing partner.

Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ

In his article, Cardinal Czerny explores the development of religious life in Church documents from Vatican II to Fratelli Tutti. He shows how Pope Francis’s teaching, especially in the encyclical Fratelli Tutti, is a significant resource for the concerns facing religious life today.

“Review for Religious will provide a unique window into Catholic religious life from contemplative monastic communities to active apostolic communities. The journal aims to provide a dynamic and stimulating space that uncovers the hidden and opens up new perspectives on consecrated life and its relationship to God, the church and world,” said Br. Ernest Miller, FSC, editorial board chair.

The journal features peer-reviewed articles and book reviews, while the companion website (www.reviewforreligious.com) provides a more informal space for contributed essays, art and news around religious life.

An earlier iteration of Review for Religious journal was published under Jesuit sponsorship from 1942-2012. The new Review draws upon this 70-year history while engaging with the contemporary world and into the future.

“Our hope is that the Review serves as a gathering place for thought, discussion, and unity. We want to create a place where everyone in or interested in Catholic religious life can find something engaging and intriguing,” Budiash said.

Editorial Board

 The Review for Religious editorial board members are Bro. Ernest Miller, FSC, D.Min., La Salle University (Chair); Sr. Mary Bendyna, OP, Ph.D., Conference of Major Superiors of Women Religious; Sr. Maria Cimperman, RSCJ, PhD, Catholic Theological Union; Rev. Kevin Grove, CSC, Ph.D., University of Notre Dame; Rev. Daniel P. Horan, OFM, Ph.D., Catholic Theological Union; Rev. Joseph Koterski, SJ, Ph.D., Fordham University; Bro. Patrick Sean Moffett, CFC, Ph.D., Conference of Major Superiors of Men; Sr. M. Maximilia Um, FSGM, JCL, Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George; David Rohrer Budiash, Ph.D., managing editor.

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