Spirituality in Action: Perspectives on New Evangelization

Dear Colleagues,

Spirituality, in a general sense, is the ability of a human subject to transcend his or her limitations in the process of self-fulfillment. As Karol Wojtyła wrote in his work, Person and Act, spirituality is expressed in self-transcendence; therefore, it is the subject of interest not only in theology but also in various humanities, including psychology, sociology and pedagogy. This multidisciplinary nature makes the concept itself ambiguous and sometimes poorly understood. As a result, there is a need to clarify the specific meaning of spirituality when it is used in a particular context.

The word "spirituality" is most often used in a religious context. In addition to spirituality in the humanistic sense, there are various religious spiritualities, including Christian, Jewish, Muslim, etc. Moreover, in the area of Christianity, spiritualities are distinguished through individual denominations, such as Catholic, Protestant, Greek Catholic, Orthodox, etc.

Christian spirituality can be called spiritual life: that is, life under the influence of the Holy Spirit as a manifestation of personal self-fulfillment. Spiritual life aims for a union with Christ, achieving holiness and salvation. It is manifested in faith, hope and love. It draws its dynamism from prayer, sacraments and works of mercy. It covers all areas of a Christian's life: personal and family matters, social contacts, professional work, social and political involvement, care for the environment, etc.

Christian spirituality, as a human response to the saving message of Christ, cannot be limited to a personal experience of faith. Rather, it requires evangelization—transmitting the message to others in order to lead them to spiritual experience. This results from the so-called Christ's missionary mandate. When he ascended to heaven, he commanded his disciples, "go and make disciples of all nations..." (matetheusate) (Mt 28:19). Saint Luke, describing this scene, adds that Jesus obliged his disciples to bear witness (cf. Luke 24:48; Acts 1:8).

The commitment of Christ's followers to preach the Gospel is timeless. It must constantly be proclaimed not only to those who do not know it but also to Christians who have lost their identity. Therefore, we discuss not only "ad gentes" missionary activity but also evangelization. Today, however, due to new civilizational challenges—"new Areopaguses’" (cf. Acts 17:19)—a new evangelization is needed: that is, new enthusiasm, new methods and the use of new means to effectively create disciples of Christ. There is also a need to reflect on the shape that the new evangelization will form under the changing conditions of the third millennium.

In the next Special Issue of Religions, we would like to reflect on the following ideas, among other topics:

• The role of spiritual theology in a more effective proclamation of the Gospel;
• So-called "pastoral conversion"—a new pastoral paradigm;
• New challenges that contemporary apostles must face (e.g., the Christian identity of Europe and migration, religions in the face of armed conflicts and common concern for peace);
• Ecumenical cooperation in the field of new evangelization;
• The Gospel as an answer to the question about the meaning of existence;
• The evangelical promotion of (human) life;
• New evangelization and mercy;
• Christian care for the environment;
• The place of the Gospel in scientific research and technological progress;
• Evangelization through mass media;
• The use of artificial intelligence in evangelization;
• The role of religious movements in the new evangelization;
• One evangelization—different spiritualities;
• The inculturation of the Gospel;
• Evangelization and politics;
• The Gospel/evangelization in literature, music and art—both old and new forms;

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 proposals to the Guest Editor, Prof. Marek Chmielewski (cechaem@gmail.com), and CC the Assistant Editor of Religions, Ms. Margaret Liu (margaret.liu@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editor to ensure that the proposed topic lies within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

Tentative completion schedule:

Deadline for abstract submission: 31 July 2024

Deadline for full manuscript submission: 31 December 2024

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Marek Chmielewski
Guest Editor

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.

• spirituality
• spiritual theology
• new evangelization
• Gospel preaching
• spiritual experience
• acts of mercy
• witness
• inculturation