St. Ignatius of Loyola's Spiritual Exercises and Their Contribution to Modern Introspective Subjectivity

Author:

Sluhovsky, Moshe

Format:

Journal Article

Year:

2013

Journal Title:

The Catholic Historical Review

Volume:

99

Issue:

4

Language:

English

Abstract:

The author discusses St. Ignatius of Loyola's Spiritual Exercises in their sixteenth-century context. He argues that Ignatius introduced a number of technical changes to the late-medieval tradition of undertaking spiritual exercises and that these changes were of utmost importance. They widened significantly the practitioner's control over his or her spiritual growth and the access of the laity to spiritual exercises and introspective techniques. But due to this "democratizing impulse," they also ignited fear among conservative theologians, who recognized (accurately) the resemblances between Ignatius's Spiritual Exercises and Alumbradismo. This led to a dramatic curtailment of the Exercises' "democratic" potential in the last years of the sixteenth century.

Who (Jesuits):

Ignatius, of Loyola, Saint, c.1491–1556

What (Subjects):

Spirituality -- Spiritual Exercises

When (Centuries):

16th century

21st century

Page Range:

649–674

ISSN:

88080