Jesuit Writings of the Early Modern Period

Book excerpt: Of the many Catholic religious orders established in the wake of the Protestant Reformation, none was as influential--or as controversial--as the Society of Jesus, better known as the Jesuit Order. Beginning with key selections from Ignatius of Loyola's Autobiography and Spiritual Exercises, the documents collected here show how the Order grew, in its first hundred years, from a handful of companions to an international organization praised by friends for its missionary, educational, and scholarly achievements--and reviled by enemies for its influence on church and state affairs throughout the world. Headnotes to the selections provide historical, religious, and political context; footnotes identify proper names, historical events, and literary allusions, and offer suggestions for further reading. A map, an index, and eighteen illustrations are also included.