Table of Contents

Introduction: Italian new monasticism; Packing our bags: a conceptual model for studying NMCs; Journeying among new Piedmontese monastic communities; Success in the monastery: origins and consequences; Between ‘pretenders’ and ‘heirs’: the (re)invention of tradition in new monasticism; Ambiguous legitimacy: the episcopal test for NMCs; Key insights and future challenges; Appendix; Bibliography; Index.

About the Author

Stefania Palmisano is Associate Professor; Department of Cultures, Politics and Society, University of Turin, Italy

Reviews

’Exploring with subtlety the nebula of the new Catholic monastic communities, Stefania Palmisano offers a very penetrating insight into the innovative richness of present attempts to reinvent monasticism as an integral Christian style of life, made compatible with the contemporary culture of the individual.’ Danièle Hervieu-Léger, Ecole des Hautes Etudes, Paris, France ’Richly descriptive and theoretically astute, this study shines light on a fascinating set of religious experiments. Far from disappearing into the mists of history, monastic communities are being reinvented, and Palmisano rightly challenges us to pay attention.’ Nancy T. Ammerman, Boston University, USA