A specialist in the «religious life», Father Tillard, O.P., is well known for his many studies, conferences and books. In this new work, the author makes an even more searching study of the religious life, bearing in mind its evolutions and present difficulties. Today both the young and the not so young members of the communities, together with their superiors, are asking themselves serious questions which concern no so much structures as the most fundamental issues. Why does one enter the religious life? Why is one faithful on this calling? What type of evangelical freedom does one find in the religious life? How can one reconcile fidelity to the initial project with the anxieties of the modern world? Can we still believe that our communities have a future? The author’s sincere and lucid reflections on these questions from the fabric of this fine book and urge us to greater hope in the depths of our insecurity.