Resources on the Catholic, Jesuit Tradition

Romero and Creighton, "Towards a More Faithful Role for Philosophy"

M. Ross Romero, SJ and David Creighton, "Towards A More Faithful Role for Philosophy in Catholic Higher Education: 50 Years After the Land O'Lakes Statement" (reproduced with permission of the authors).

Select External Resources on the Web about the Jesuit Tradition and Ignatian Spirituality

The following resources might be helpful for introducing or refreshing instructors on the meaning of key concepts in the Jesuit tradition that might inform some content, discussion, assignment prompts, or a general way of proceeding in Ultimate Questions classes. Some might even be appropriate to assign to students. All of the online postings are short, written as blog entries or short essays, and are written by Jesuits and sometimes non-Jesuit Catholics.

They are identified as being more appropriate or meaningful for Ultimate Questions: Theology [T] or Philosophy [P] classes. Also noted are some entries that might be helpful for Cura Personalis 2 sections.

The Spiritual Exercises [T, P]

Ian Peoples, SJ, “Jesuit 101: The Spiritual Exercises, the Heart of Jesuits,” The Jesuit Post, September 3, 2021. 

The Spiritual Exercises, Strength in Suffering, Vocation [T]

Emmanuel Arenas, SJ, “Facing a Firing Squad, Would You Call Out to Christ the King?,” The Jesuit Post, September 24, 2021. 

First Principle and Foundation: [T, P]

Josh Hinchie, SJ, “Jesuit 101: The First Principle and Foundation: What Are Human Beings Made For?,” The Jesuit Post, January 7, 2022. 

Daniel Mascarenhas, SJ, “St. Ignatius’s Principle and Foundation,” The Jesuit Post, January 26, 2022. 

First Principle and Foundation and Discernment [T]

Fr. Richard Conlin, “Ignatian Discernment: First Principle and Foundation,” The Prodigal Catholic Blog, September 12, 2016. 

Discernment, Consolation, and Desolation [T, P; also good for CP2]

Reynaldo Belfort Pierrilus, SJ, “Jesuit 101: Finding Our Way through Ignatian Discernment,” The Jesuit Post, November 5, 2021. 

Discernment and Vocation

Kari Kloos, “Vocation, Discernment, and the Human Heart in Augustine,” Journal of Religion & Society, Supplement Series 15 (2018), 82-90. Available here.

First Principle and Foundation: Humans Made for Adoration [T]

José Dueño Gorbea, SJ, “I was anxious, then I remembered God created me to adore, not to work,” The Jesuit Post, January 28, 2022. 

The Presupposition [T]

Ian Peoples, SJ, “Jesuit 101: The Presupposition, A Guide for Better Conversations,” The Jesuit Post, February 4, 2022. 

Ignatian Contemplation [T, also good for CP2]

Tucker Redding, SJ, “Jesuit 1010: Ignatian Contemplation, Encountering God Through Our Imagination,” October 4, 2021. 

Jesuit Education / “Men and Women for Others” [T, P]

Pedro Arrupe, SJ, “The Promotion of Justice and the Formation in the Alumni Associations / ‘Men for Others’,” speech delivered August 1, 1973. 

The International Commission on the Apostolate of Jesuit Education (ICAJE), “Characters of Jesuit Education,” report of commission published in 1986; full and abridged versions available; (aimed at secondary education, but explicitly applicable to universities)

John O’Malley, SJ, “12 Characteristics of Jesuit Education,” (less than 4 minutes).

Ignatian Pedagogy [T, P]

“What Is Ignatian Pedagogy?”

Jesuit Formation [T, P]

Venancio “Benny” Calpotura, SJ, “The Sculpting Process of Jesuit Formation,”