In this helpful and insightful book, Nicki Verploegen delves into the two thousand years of history of the Catholic Church in order to unfold the development of spiritualities in Christianity. Verploegen explores how four distinct types of Christianspirituality evolved and rose to prominence in its religious, social, and political environments: monasticism, mendicancy, apostolic ministry, and missionary life. All of them became 'schools' of spiritual formation which gave rise to the development of numerous religious communities. This book is also an exploration of thirteen of these distinct communities, and introduces the reader to the spiritual men and women who initiated the religious movements and founded them.