The outpouring of research on the Society of Jesus in recent decades has yielded a richer understanding of nearly every aspect of its history—with the notable exception of Jesuit spirituality. This talk revisits the case of Baltasar Álvarez (1534–1580) to suggest new directions for the historical study of the Society’s spiritual culture. A leading figure among early Spanish Jesuits, Álvarez was nevertheless censured by the Society for both his contemplative teaching and his deep ties to Teresa de Jesús, the founder of the Discalced Carmelites. The conflict that surrounded him sheds light on forces inside and outside the Society that were helping mold corporate Jesuit spirituality in the second half of the sixteenth century. Álvarez’s case also underscores that the early Society was a dynamic space in which diverse spiritual currents converged and interacted. This, in turn, highlights the need to reconsider prevailing historical narratives about Jesuit spirituality, which tend to present the order’s culture in monolithic—and straightforwardly “Ignatian”—terms.

Fr. Timothy O'Brien SJ

Timothy W. O’Brien SJ is a Visiting Scholar at the Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry. He recently earned a doctorate in the history of spirituality and religious life from Facultés Loyola Paris (formerly Centre Sèvres). O’Brien also holds graduate degrees in religious and cultural history from The Johns Hopkins University and the University of Chicago Divinity School.

Seminar History of the Jesuits

Monthly meetings to promote, present and discuss topics related to the history of the jesuits, from 1540 to the present day, in its various themes: art, architecture, spirituality, pedagogy, missions, science, anti-Jesuitism, expulsion and restoration.

Coordinated by Francisco Malta Romeiras, Maria João Pereira Coutinho and Fr. António Júlio Trigueiros SJ.

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