John W. Padberg, S.J., director, Institute for Jesuit Sources
"Ignatian Humanism vividly portrays our contemporary search for a spirituality that responds to our desire for God."


Joann Wolski Conn, associate professor of religious studies, Neumann College
"Modras integrates fascinating history, contemporary theology, and inspiring spirituality with consistent focus on central issues for our day."


Book Description
Ignatian spirituality is a dynamic and ever-evolving practice that has great relevance in the twenty-first century. In Ignatian Humanism, author Ronald Modras explains the importance of a sixteenth-century spirituality in a post-modern world and reveals the impact Renaissance humanism had on Ignatian spirituality and the Society of Jesus. In this vividly written and meticulously researched book, Modras explores the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola, his founding of the Society of Jesus, and the development of the Spiritual Exercises. He also outlines the characteristics of Renaissance humanism and its influence on Ignatian spirituality and the Jesuits. This impact is made tangible in five compelling biographies of Jesuit heroes and humanists: Matteo Ricci, Frederic Spee, Karl Rahner, Pierre Theilard de Chardin, and Pedro Arrupe.


About the Author
Ronald Modras is professor of theology at St. Louis University. He is the author of five other books and lectures throughout the United States, England, Israel, and Germany. He currently resides in Webster Groves, Missouri.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order, is one of a mere handful of individuals who has permanently changed the way we understand God. In this vividly written and meticulously researched book, Ronald Modras shows how Ignatian spirituality retains extraordinary vigor and relevance nearly five centuries after Loyola's death. At its heart, Ignatian spirituality is a humanism that defends human rights, prizes learning from other cultures, seeks common ground between science and religion, struggles for justice, and honors a God who is actively at work in creation. The towering achievements of the Jesuits are made tangible by Modras's vivid portraits of Ignatius and five of his successors: Matteo Ricci, the first Westerner at the court of the Chinese emperor; Friederich Spee, who defended women accused of witchcraft; Karl Rahner, the greatest Catholic theologian of the twentieth century; Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, the scientist-mystic; and Pedro Arrupe, the charismatic leader of the Jesuits in the years following Vatican II.

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