The Lord as Their Portion: The Story of the Religious Orders and How They Shaped Our World
“Life under a religious rule has been a hallmark of the Catholic tradition for millennia. Elizabeth Rapley shows how these rules of life have given shape to a plethora of religious orders and why those orders are crucial for understanding the history of Christianity. Her overview of this way of life, ranging from the fourth-century desert ascetics to the missionary orders of men and women in the modern period, is a carefully researched and highly readable work.”— Lawrence S. CunninghamUniversity of Notre Dame