The Jesuits
A History from Ignatius to the Present
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- $17.99
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- $17.99
Publisher Description
As Pope Francis continues to make his mark on the church, there is increased interest in his Jesuit background—what is the Society of Jesus, how is it different from other religious orders, and how has it shaped the world? In The Jesuits, acclaimed historian John W. O’Malley, SJ, provides essential historical background from the founder Ignatius of Loyola through the present.
The book tells the story of the Jesuits’ great successes as missionaries, educators, scientists, cartographers, polemicists, theologians, poets, patrons of the arts, and confessors to kings. It tells the story of their failures and of the calamity that struck them in 1773 when Pope Clement XIV suppressed them worldwide. It tells how a subsequent pope restored them to life and how they have fared to this day in virtually every country in the world. Along the way it introduces readers to key figures in Jesuit history, such as Matteo Ricci and Pedro Arrupe, and important Jesuit writings, such as the Spiritual Exercises.
Concise and compelling, The Jesuits is an accessible introduction for anyone interested in world or church history. In addition to the narrative, the book provides a timeline, a list of significant figures, photos of important figures and locations, recommendations for additional reading, and more.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Perhaps no organization within the Catholic Church has been both reviled and admired as much as the Society of Jesus, whose members are known as Jesuits. O'Malley (What Happened at Vatican II), a Jesuit priest and professor of theology at Georgetown University, is a masterful historical scholar and he knows how to tell a lively story. He divides the history into four periods, including the founding of the order; its early years; its suppression, when it was disbanded for over 70 years; and the modern and postmodern eras. The founding of Jesuit schools is an especially fascinating topic, as the establishment of educational institutions was not an original intention of Society founder Ignatius Loyola. Yet it is now what Jesuits are primarily known for worldwide. Another intriguing historical episode is the Chinese rites controversy, which pitted the Jesuits against the Dominicans in a battle over missionary tactics abroad. The Jesuits certainly made their share of enemies over the past five centuries, some of whom tried to wipe the organization out of existence. O'Malley's book would make an excellent introductory text for anyone interested in the history of the Society of Jesus, the Catholic religious order that nurtured Pope Francis I and thousands of other great men.