Christian Spirituality and the Evangelical Counsels in Consecrated Life

Abstract

Consecrated life has had considerable contribution to the witnessing to the need to answer God’s call to live a life of holiness. Yet it has not been immune from negative criticisms from within the Church as well as from without. With rising secularism, hedonism and atheism, militant and passive, some people are questioning the relevance of Christianity let alone religious life. The challenging contemporary situation has dampened the faith of some people. There increasingly arise the need to offer a credible example of how to radically live the Christian life. One of the ways of doing so is through consecrated life. As such there arises a greater need to re-visit and re-enlighten again the essence of consecrated life. The clarification of the constant elements of its theologico-spiritual nature equips one with appreciation of the depth of the solid and living witness that consecrated persons are called to bear in their own lives.  All people are called to embark on this journey but not necessarily as consecrated people who profess the evangelical counsels.