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Ignatius of Loyola and Thomas Aquinas
A Jesuit Ressourcement
Edited by Justin M. Anderson, Matthew Levering and Aaron Pidel
Imprint: Catholic University of America Press
Though the relationship between Jesuits and Dominicans has historically been marked by theological controversy, Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, shows remarkable affinity for the Thomistic tradition, the tradition advanced above all by the Dominican order. When writing the Jesuit Constitutions, in fact, Ignatius made Thomas Aquinas’s Summa Theologiae the primary textbook for Jesuit theological formation. The contributions to this volume—originating from Jesuits, Dominicans, and lay scholars alike—explore different aspects of the complex yet illuminating relationship between Ignatius and Thomas. The themes range from the general relationship between the early Jesuits and scholastic theology to the attempts by Francisco de Toledo, the first Jesuit cardinal, to apply Thomistic reasoning to the religious and legal status of Jewish converts to Christianity. Other contributions compare Ignatius and Thomas on topics of significant interest for dogmatic, sacramental, and spiritual theology: spiritual experience, the ordering of the passions, the use of the imagination, prudence and discernment of spirits, frequent communion, Mariology, the "hierarchical church," and the limits of obedience.
Students of Ignatius of Loyola, Thomas Aquinas, second scholasticism, Christian-Jewish relations, and spiritual theology in general will find this volume an invaluable contribution.
Justin M. Anderson is professor and Chair of Moral Theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology at Seton Hall University. Matthew Levering holds the James N. and Mary D. Perry Jr. Chair of Theology at Mundelein Seminary and is the author and editor of a wide range of scholarly books. Aaron Pidel, SJ, is assistant professor of theology at Marquette Univesity and author of The Inspriation and Truth of Scripture: Testing the Ratzinger Paradigm.
"Fills an interesting and timely niche, showing how two different traditions within Catholicism (both alive and well) intersect more than one might expect."
~Dylan Schrader, author of A Thomistic Christocentrism: Recovering the Carmelites of Salamanca on the Logic of the Incarnation (CUA Press)
"The 2023-25 Jubilee in honor of St. Thomas Aquinas, encouraged by Pope Francis, is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on how the Angelic Doctor's thought compares with that of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Readers who wish to deepen their theological understanding of Ignatian spirituality and Jesuit religious life will greatly benefit from this book's unique contributions. So will those who know Aquinas and wish to explore the historically rich Jesuit interpretation of his thought."
~Cardinal Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer, SJ, Prefect emeritus of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith
"An enduring and effective ressourcement in contemporary Catholic theology cannot be the recovery of a single school, even the school of St. Thomas. The many fine essays in this volume show us one fruitful direction a wider ressourcement can go, taking St. Ignatius of Loyola as a central figure and bringing him and the early Jesuits into conversation with the school of St. Thomas. This volume will deepen our understanding both of the Jesuit tradition and of St. Thomas, and, it may be hoped, encourage a search for further possibilities of retrieval among the measureless riches of the Catholic tradition."
~Bruce D. Marshall, Southern Methodist University
"The intersection of Ignatius and the Jesuits with Thomas Aquinas is interesting from historical, spiritual, and theological perspectives. It is also quite relevant today. We have a Jesuit pope and other prominent Jesuit voices. We are once more confronted with competing views of the value of speculative and pastoral approaches to theology. Is theology just history? Is it sociology? Is it literature? Or is there enduring value to scholasticism, especially Thomism? This book shows how Ignatius and his order esteemed Thomas, used Thomas, and contributed to Thomism. There are some good lessons for contemporary academics and voices within the Church. The book addresses some timely topices such as frequency of Communion, obedience to superiors, and religious liberty."
~Dylan Schrader, author of A Thomistic Christocentrism: Recovering the Carmelites of Salamanca on the Logic of the Incarnation
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