Jesuit Writings of the Early Modern Period: 1540-1640

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.