Maria Cimperman is a Religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Her work is at the intersection of moral theology, social ethics and spirituality. Her book, Social Analysis for the 21st Century: Faith and Action Toward a Socially Conscious Spirituality (Orbis, 2015), offers theological grounding and practical tools for engaging various social challenges in the world today. Another book, When God’s People Have HIV/AIDS: An Approach to Ethics (Orbis,2005), a Catholic Press Association Award recipient, engages fundamental ethics through the lens of the global reality of God’s people impacted and affected by HIV and AIDS. A current area of research is reconciliation and peace-building.
Equal to her passion for ethics is her passion for engaging in topics related to contemporary religious life. Maria presents and engages nationally and internationally with diverse groups on religious life issues. She brings a post-Vatican II generational lens to the wider theological, pastoral and global concerns of religious life and a desire to respond to the future God is creating as we respond to God’s people and all creation.
An engaging speaker who enjoys engaging global perspectives with a reflective lens that looks at the realities and needs around us, Maria works with women and men in various stages of initial and ongoing formation, leadership groups and congregations discerning future directions. In addition to her writings on these topics, she presents both nationally and internationally, including with groups such as:
- National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC)
- National Conference of Vicars of Religious (NCVR)
- Religious Formation Conference (RFC)
- Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR)
- International Institute and General Chapter gatherings
- Australian Leadership Conferences
- (Arch)diocesan programs for religious (nationally and internationally)
Maria’s most recent book is Religious Life For Our World: Creating Communities of Hope. It was awarded First Place in the Future Church category of the Catholic Media Association (2021).
On sabbatical during the 2022-2023 academic year, Maria is now working on yet another book!
Maria Cimperman, RSCJ
Achievements
- Religious Life For Our World: Creating Communities of Hope (Orbis Books, Fall 2020)
- “Bridge-Building with Social Analysis and Theology: A Path Toward Reconciliation and Peace-building,” in Bridge Building: Pope Francis’ Practical Theological Approach (Crossroad Publishing, Fall 2020)
- Co-Editor, with Roger Schroeder, SVD, Engaging Our Diversity: Interculturality and Consecrated Life Today (Orbis Books, May 2020)
- “Missio Spiritus: Deepening and Widening Charism For The Sake Of The World” (Religious Life Asia: Jan-Feb 2018)
- Social Analysis for the 21st Century (Orbis Books, 2015)
