Objectives: This seminar proposes a historical-critical study of the principal texts authored by St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), founder of the Society of Jesus.

Learning outcomes: Help students to identify and evaluate the histor‧ical sources of Ignatian spirituality and consider their contemporary inter‧pretation.

Contents: Texts will include the Autobiography , the Spiritual Exer‧cises , the Spiritual Diary , and selected letters by St. Ignatius, read with at‧tention to their historical context and theological content.

Methodology: Sessions will include lectures by the instructor, student presentations, and discussions. Students will also gain practical experience by using important resources such as the Monumenta Historica Societatis Iesu and the web-based Portal to Jesuit Studies.

Means of evaluation: Students will be graded on the basis of class par‧ticipation, presentations on the assigned reading, and a final paper.