Christians are called to proclaim 'the glorious liberty of the children of God' (Rom 8:21) to all men and women in the world. With this in mind, the enclosure of cloistered nuns, the apparent renunciation of personal freedom in order to live within the walls of a monastery for the rest of one's life, is often regarded as a sign of contradiction. How can such a life be justified in view of the Gospel, which invites Christians to become a light to the world and to proclaim the good news to all peoples?

This unique book, written by cloistered nuns themselves, provides answers to this and many other questions. Far from being an invention of the Middle Ages which was imposed on women by a male-dominated Church and society, enclosure was in fact freely chosen by nuns themselves from the very beginning and only later became an object of canonical legislation. Drawing on the riches of Christian tradition, this book examines enclosure from a biblical, historical, spiritual and theological perspective, showing how it aids the prayer-life and mission of cloistered nuns. The book tackles many of the questions that are often asked of nuns today: what are the origins of cloistered life? Why is the enclosure of nuns stricter than that of monks? What is the nature of the contemplative apostolate in the Church and the world?