Are we looking at the imminent death of religious life in the church, at a future full of hope, or at something in between? This book, based on papers given at a colloquium run by the Religious Life Institute (Heythrop College, University of London), addresses urgent questions around the renewal and survival of religious life from a British and Irish, religious and lay perspective.Despite recent scandals and a steady diminishment of numbers since Vatican II, religious remain a powerful source of inspiration and positive energy within church and society. Some fifty years after the Council today's context and questions are different. Did the Council bring about a renewal or an implosion of religious life? Who is looking at religious vocation today? What are they seeking, and what are they finding?With a foreword by former Dominican Master General Timothy Radcliffe, leading authors on religious life, with lay and religious colleagues, explore these questions and propose answers in a book offering material for group and personal reflection.Gemma Simmonds is a sister of the Congregation of Jesus. She is Director of the Religious Life Institute and a lecturer in pastoral theology at Heythrop College, University of London.