Juliet MOUSSEAU, Prophetic Witness to Joy: A Theology of the Vowed Life. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2021. ix + 106 pages, pb, $19.95. ISBN 978-0-8146-6683-8. Reviewed by Thomas SIMMONS, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069.

Juliet Mousseau, RSCJ, is a medieval theological scholar. With Prophetic Witness to Joy, she delivers a thin, sweetly phrased text, derived from medieval monastic rules – but with application to contemporary society. It underscores the “theological basis for the prophetic nature of consecrated life” (8). Three primary topics are considered – the vow of obedience; the vow of poverty; and the vow of celibacy.

More than a simple rehashing of what these three vows require of cloistered religious communities, Mousseau succeeds in orienting the demands of religious life within the broader context of what it means to be human in a world far removed from the Middle Ages. The three vows are not merely the pillars of strict requirements of religious orders. Rather, they give meaning to all forms of human existence, she explains.

Mousseau explores the call to religious life from within the whirlwind of 21st century atomization. To answer the call and enter an order of consecrated religious is, in some respects, extreme. The religious bind themselves in a radical commitment to Christ. In doing so, their daily lives act as witnesses which challenge the materialist orientation of today’s world.

The religious are not merely outliers, however, Mousseau insists. They are not the most constrained people in the world. They are not the least free among us. They are, in fact, the most free. They are, in fact, the most fully human. And even non-religious can strive for the divine by embedding the vows of obedience, poverty, and celibacy in their daily lives.

The organization of Prophetic Witness to Joy is straightforward. First, the foundations to the call of religious communities are articulated. Next, Mousseau illustrates the coherence of the three vows and emphasizes that religious communities act as a critique of the “societal or political judgment that some people are more important or worthy than others” (31). Finally, in the last three chapters, she considers each vow independently.

The last chapter considers the third vow, celibacy. Moussau does not claim that all the laity should live as monks or nuns. She does, however, present the vow of chastity in light of theology. Chasity is not about abstaining from a worldly pleasure. It is more akin to a marriage vow; a covenant wherein the individual commits to a relationship, thereby opening – like a window – a “space within” (82). This opening then allows greater focus to a life of freedom. “The vow of chastity is about our human call to love” (84). It is about being human.

Prophetic Witness to Joy is structured with the same discipline which the vows demand. It is neither pedantic nor strident. Mousseau’s prose is light and simple; easily gasped. But her points are stirring.

This is an inspiring book. Its format, simplicity, and importance would serve a reading circle or a book club very well.