Read complete books and articles on: St. Ignatius of Loyola

Ignatius of Loyola, Saint - loiyōˈlə, 1491–1556, Spanish churchman, founder of the Jesuits (see Jesus, Society of), b. Loyola Castle near Azpeitia, Guipúzcoa, Spain.

Early Life and Ordination

Ignatius was of noble birth and was reared in the household of a prominent courtier. In 1517 he left his life at court to enter the army. During a convalescence (1521) from

Ignatius of Loyola, Saint - loiyōˈlə, 1491–1556, Spanish churchman, founder of the Jesuits (see Jesus, Society of), b. Loyola Castle near Azpeitia, Guipúzcoa, Spain.

Early Life and Ordination

Ignatius was of noble birth and was reared in the household of a prominent courtier. In 1517 he left his life at court to enter the army. During a convalescence (1521) from a serious wound, he was converted through reading a life of Jesus. He went to Montserrat, where he was confessed and absolved, and from there he went to Manresa. In 1523 he set out for the Holy Land. Prevented from entering Palestine, he returned with the decision to secure an education.

He studied at Barcelona (1524–26); at Alcalá (1526–27), where for a short time he was imprisoned by the Inquisition; at Salamanca (1527–28), where he again suffered brief imprisonment; and at Paris. St. Ignatius's strength lay not in scholarship but in spiritual direction. The Inquisition again became suspicious, but he was cleared of any irregularities. He and six followers—among them St. Francis Xavier and Diego Lainez—together took vows of poverty and chastity. This group was the nucleus of the future Jesuits. They planned to go to the Holy Land and live in imitation of Christ, working to convert the Muslims, but the Turkish wars intervened, and they went to Rome instead. They were ordained (1537) and received by the pope (1538), who set them to work in Italy.

Founding of the Jesuit Order

In 1539, Ignatius drew up a Formula for a new order and secured (1540) papal approval. It served as the basis for the later Constitutions, published at his death, by which Jesuits have been governed ever since. Ignatius was elected (1541) general of the order and remained its leader, with headquarters in Rome, until his death. Although the Jesuits became a major force in the Counter Reformation, the society was not founded particularly for that purpose. Ignatius's great interests seem to have been the foreign missions and the education of youth. Many schools were opened in Europe during his lifetime, and missions were begun in Japan, India, and Brazil.

He was dominated all his life by a desire to imitate Christ. His Spiritual Exercises, written over a number of years, are a series of reflections, examinations of conscience, and prayers, grouped according to a traditional set of four steps leading to mystical union with God. The spirituality identified with St. Ignatius is characterized by emphasis on human initiative. His little book is a classic of Christian mysticism and is much used by devout Catholics. His concept of the "soldier of Christ" has often been understood too militaristically: Ignatius used the image in obvious imitation of St. Paul (Eph. 6.10–17). He is buried in the Gesù at Rome. He was canonized in 1622. Feast: July 31.

Bibliography

See Letters of St. Ignatius Loyola (tr. 1959) and his quasi-autobiography, The Testament of Ignatius Loyola (tr. 1900); J. P. Brodrick, The Origin of the Jesuits (1940, repr. 1971); T. Maynard, Saint Ignatius and the Jesuits (1956); H. Rahner, Ignatius the Theologian (tr. 1968); W. W. Meissner, Ignatius of Loyola: The Psychology of a Saint (1992).

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12 of the Best Books and Articles on: St. Ignatius of Loyola

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1.

Ignatius Loyola: The Founder of the Jesuits » Read Now
by Paul Van Dyke. 381 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Entire Library
2.

The Education of Ignatius Loyola, in History Review » Read Now
by Michael A. Mullett. 5 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, History, Education, Entire Library
3.

Letters of St. Ignatius of Loyola » Read Now
by William J. Young, Saint Ignatius. 450 pgs.

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These 228 letters by Saint Ignatius create an illuminating self-portrait.
4.

Saint Ignatius' Idea of a Jesuit University: A Study in the History of Catholic Education, Including Part Four of the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus » Read Now
by George E. Ganss, Saint Ignatius of Loyola. 380 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Education, Entire Library

...many years of interest in St. Ignatius of Loyola and in Jesuit education. There...E. G., S.J. The Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, July 31, 1954. Contents...Dudon P., S.J....
5.

To the Greater Glory: A Psychological Study of Ignatian Spirituality » Read Now
by W. W. Meissner. 658 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, Psychology, Entire Library

...master of Loyola, had been...Magdalena of whom Ignatius years later...Inigo at St. Barbe...records as "Ignatius of Loyola." On 13...chapel of St. Denis on...the feast of...
6.

The Study of Spirituality ("Ignatius Loyola" by Michael Evans pg. 357) » Read Now
by Cheslyn Jones, Geoffrey Wainwright, Edward Yarnold. 642 pgs.

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A companion volume to The Study of Liturgy, this collection examines the nature and form of individual devotion, discussing the various patterns of Christian discipleship that have evolved through the centuries. Written by contributors representing the Anglican, Roman Catholic, Free Church, and...
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A companion volume to The Study of Liturgy, this collection examines the nature and form of individual devotion, discussing the various patterns of Christian discipleship that have evolved through the centuries. Written by contributors representing the Anglican, Roman Catholic, Free Church, and Orthodox traditions, it is the definitive study of spirituality.
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7.

The Power and Secret of the Jesuits (Part II "Ignatius Loyola") » Read Now
by Rene Feulop-Miller, F. S. Flint, D. F. Tait. 523 pgs.

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8.

Ignacio Ellacuria and the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola, in Theological Studies » Read Now
by J. Matthew Ashley. 23 pgs.

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9.

Lives in Education: A Narrative of People and Ideas (Chap. 5 "The Reformers") » Read Now
by L. Glenn Smith, Joan K. Smith, Francis Mitchael Perko. 460 pgs.

Collections: Philosophy, Education, Entire Library

...Keller, former acquisitions editor for St. Martins Press, and to her successor...Scott Kirkman, "The Importance of Biography," History Matters 4...Educational Activities...
10.

Catholic Reform: From Cardinal Ximenes to the Council of Trent, 1495-1563 an Essay with Illustrative Documents and a Brief Study of St. Ignatius Loyola » Read Now
by John C. Olin. 152 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, History, Entire Library

ôThis book introduces people to [16th-century Catholicism]; it is also helpful to seasoned scholars.ö -America The sixteenth century in Europe is characterized historically by the religious upheaval known as the Reformation, with attention generally focusing on Luther and the other Protestant...
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ôThis book introduces people to [16th-century Catholicism]; it is also helpful to seasoned scholars.ö -America The sixteenth century in Europe is characterized historically by the religious upheaval known as the Reformation, with attention generally focusing on Luther and the other Protestant reformers who broke from the established church. This development however, major as it was, is not the whole story of reform in the sixteenth century. Underlying and encompassing the Protestant Reformation was a broader search for religious renewal and reform that remained within the Catholic Church and is sometimes referred to was the Catholic Reformation. This volume focuses on this surprisingly neglected aspect of sixteenth-century religious reform, filling an important need in Reformation studies. John C. Olin, well known for his writings on Erasmus and the Reformation, shows how Catholic reform did not begin in opposition to Protestantism but as a parallel movement, springing out of the same context and responding to very similar needs for religious change and revival. The book opens with an introductory essay that views the course of Catholic reform from the initiatives of Cardinal Ximenes, who became archbishop of Toledo and primate of Spain in 1495, to the work of the Council of Trent in 1563 û years of crucial importance for the survival and revival of the Catholic faith. Following the essay are several key documents, including the preface to the Complutensian polyglot bible and decrees of the Council of Trent, that illustrate from contemporary sources the character of the movement of Catholic reform. There is also a brief study of St. Ignatius Loyola, as well as numerous illustrations and an extensive bibliography.
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11.

The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola » Read Now
by S. J. Mullan. 206 pgs.

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12.

The Counter-Reformation, 1550-1600 » Read Now
by B. J. Kidd. 271 pgs.

Collections: Religious Studies, History, Entire Library