Life as a Pilgrimage
A REFLECTION FOR PILGRIMS ON A SYNODAL JOURNEY
Christine Cameron
Paperback, 348 pages, $39.95
ISBN 9781923224018
May 2024 release
The “Signs of the Times” indicate change and renewal for the Catholic Church!
“Life as a Pilgrimage: A Reflection for Pilgrims on a Synodal
Journey” is structured around three parts and twenty chapters –
exploring Pilgrimage and Synodality and blending historical perspectives
with contemporary reflections to set the tone for change and renewal
within the Catholic Church.
Part One (Chapters 1-3): In Chapter One the journey commences with a
definition of the terms Pilgrimage and Synodality. Chapter 2 traces the
Synodal Way of Jesus Christ through his life, death, and resurrection.
Jesus launched his ministry to spread the Word of his heavenly Father.
He recruited a band of followers – his apostles – to travel and walk the
journey together with him. The life of Jesus was a pilgrimage – he was a
spiritual traveller who taught his followers the way of the pilgrim –
to be committed to personal and communal conversion while serving the
Church and humanity. Chapter 3 delves into the ten core characteristics
of servant leadership as identified by Spears (1998) and provides the
terms of reference for their application to the lives and works of
fourteen significant female pilgrims, leaders in the Church of a bygone
era, whose charism is embedded in the legacies that they have gifted to
the contemporary Church.
Part Two (Chapters 4-17): In this section the ten core
characteristics of servant leadership are applied to the lives of the
fourteen extraordinary women (see the previous paragraph) – who inspired
and continue to inspire generations of leaders and pilgrims in the
Catholic Church. The chapters offer a rich narrative of the life and
works of all fourteen women, who listened to the Spirit with the ear of
their hearts, and who became positive agents of change and leader
builders within the Church, during their own time and for time
immemorial.
Part Three (Chapters 18-20): In the third and final section, the
focus shifts to contemporary perspectives. Chapter 18 amplifies the
voices of Monican youth who, in a Synodal Survey, share their insights
on understanding the Synodal process. Chapter 19 navigates the present
day Synodal Journey discussing contemporary challenges faced by the
Church, and reflecting on the call to communion, participation, and
mission within the community of disciples. Chapter 20 concludes the
book, framing the narrative within the context of the upcoming Jubilee
Year – a Holy Year (2025), urging readers to be Pilgrims of Hope!
Throughout the book, references to the Second Vatican Council
underscore the Church’s ongoing commitment to renewal by its efforts to
embrace diversity and inclusion. Theological insights, historical
perspectives, and contemporary reflections are integrated, offering
readers a comprehensive understanding of the Synodal Journey and
inspiring hope for the future of the Church under the Patronage and
guidance of the Holy Spirit. “Life as a Pilgrimage: A Reflection for
Pilgrims on a Synodal Journey” serves as both a historical retrospective
and a forward-looking guide, inviting readers to embark on their own
Synodal Journey on their pilgrimage of life, and to embrace the
transformative power of hope within the context of the dynamic and
evolving reality of a living, breathing Church.
Dr Christine Cameron is a senior academic, author and educator. This
is her fourth book in the leadership series. It is a supplement to her
2019 book “Heralding a Renaissance: Women & Leadership in the
Catholic Church”. Christine’s previous works include “Leadership as a
call to service: The lives and works of Teresa of Ávila, Catherine of
Siena and Thérèse of Lisieux”– published in 2012 and based on her 2009
doctoral research “Women Doctors of the Catholic Church: A Study in
Servant Leadership.” That publication was followed in 2015 by her second
book “Leadership as a call to service: The life and works of Hildegard
of Bingen”. Christine’s area of expertise is in leadership as service.
Her leadership platform is based on the servanthood of Jesus Christ.
Christine has held administrative positions in Catholic Schools as
Principal, Assistant Principal and Religious Education Co-ordinator. She
has also undertaken sessional work at the Australian Catholic
University working with students enrolled in the Master of Educational
Leadership course. Christine grew up in a convent having started her
career at the age of fourteen as a member of a religious order – and
though leaving the community some years later, her faith journey and
apostolic mission continue!
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