Jesuits and Their Spirituality: Connections with the Older Christian Spiritual Tradition

In Jesuits and Their Spirituality: Connections to Older Christian Spirituality, Rob Faesen S.J. presents a series of chapters that explore the rich diversity of Jesuit spirituality and its connections to earlier Christian traditions. In particular, he examines the relationship with the Devotio Moderna and other northern mystical authors, such as John of Ruusbroec and the Institutiones Taulerianae. Through a number of case studies that focus on figures such as Peter Canisius, Achille Gagliardi, Jean-Joseph Surin, Jean-Nicolas Grou, and others, Faesen demonstrates that Jesuit spirituality cannot be reduced to the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises alone. Rather, it has developed through a creative and ongoing dialogue with earlier spiritual and mystical texts. Within this context, the Devotio Moderna occupies a distinctive place. It is itself a multifaceted movement, represented by a range of authors including Florens Radewijns, Gerard Zerbolt, Gerlach Peters, and others.