Document Type
Honors Thesis
Publication Date
5-2018
Abstract
When one thinks of the accomplishments of Ignatius of Loyola, it is hard to imagine that he is, to most moderns, little more than a name. Most people know at least something about the Society of Jesus, often called the Jesuits, but what about its founder? Though he is a canonized saint, he did not apply his own name to his order, as did Benedict, Francis, and Dominic. This, perhaps, tells us more about Ignatius than many scholars could. Following his ‘conversion’ he was a man who relentlessly deflected credit for his doings away from himself. Though he was the de facto leader of his group of companions, he often spoke of their doings as a body, and rarely as individual parts. When he was unanimously elected Superior General by his companions in 1540, he rejected their decision twice before his confessor gave him a signed note of approval.[1]
[1] See Caraman, 126.
Recommended Citation
Holden, Lee T., "Iñigo to Ignatius: The Spiritual Foundation of the Society of Jesus" (2018). Student Scholarship. 19.
https://digitalcommons.wofford.edu/studentpubs/19
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