St Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Calisthenics

I recently had to do a presentation for my History of Theology class on a text by St. Ignatius of Loyola called The Spiritual Exercises – specifically, the “Annotations” ammended to it.  For those who may not be as familiar with St. Ignatius of Loyola:

• He was born 1491 in Spain and became a strong defender of orthodox Catholicism during the early years of the Protestant Reformation. 
• He is not the Ignatius that many of us are likely most familiar — Ignatius of Antioch, who was one of the “Apostolic Fathers” of the early Christian Church
• St Ignatius of Loyola was a military man who was not, from my understanding, particularly religious in his youth, but who was converted over time through an arduous process
• While studying theology in Paris, he gathered around him a group of like-minded fellows, organizing them into what would become the “Company of Jesus,” later renamed “The Society of Jesus” (S.J.).  This religious order, more commonly known as the Jesuits, was characterized by their strict vows of allegiance to the person of the pope, and also for their dedication to discipline, obedience, and learning.  Marquette University, and many others, are run by the Jesuits. 

The introduction to the text, provided as part of Marquette’s History of Theology volume used in classrooms, has this to say about the Jesuits:

The Jesuits, “the shock troops of the papacy,” as they have been called, were instrumental in checking the further spread of Protestantism in the sixteenth century. The Jesuits’ reliance on rigorous education as a way of preventing the growth of heresy encouraged a more systematic and widespread education for the clergy and laity than the Church had hitherto provided.

These guys were defenders of their faith and wanted both clergy and laiety to know where to stand doctrinally in the face of growing dissertion to Protestant ideas.

With that context in mind, I turn to some of Ignatius’ teachings on the importance of specific “works” that can aid a person in reaching higher levels of spirituality.  Much of what he says is consciously opposed to what Luther and early Protestants were teaching.  The debate over works, justification, and grace is in play here.

The reason I decided to share these ideas on my blog is to highlight how an influential Catholic thinker came down on the grace vs. works debate, as he works his ideas into these “spiritual exercises,” and to make these ideas available to you to compare how acceptable they are in light of your own beliefs.  For Lutherans and other Protestants, Ignatius’ thoughts are likely unacceptably heavy on the “works” side. However, Latter-day Saints may comfortably identify with his advice and reasoning.  See what you think.

Just as walking, traveling, and running are bodily exercises, preparing the soul to remove ill-ordered affections, and after their removal seeking and finding the will of God with respect to the ordering of one’s own life and the salvation of one’s soul, are Spiritual Exercises.

St. Ignatius takes a very practical approach to spirituality. Apparently, by undertaking certain “spiritual exercises,” one may increase in spiritual power and righteousness, and move closer to God and salvation.  This is a very interesting idea to discuss in light of the rise of Protestantism and the whole faith vs. works debate.  Without getting ahead of ourselves, is this type of thinking acceptable at all in Lutheran/Protestant theology? (Note: These are the questions that I asked my fellow students in class. Sometimes it sounds like I am coming down against Ignatius, but my purpose was to evoke some responses from the minority Protestant members of our class.)

The sixth is that he who gives the Exercises, if he perceives that the one who receives them undergoes no spiritual commotions of the mind, such as sadness, nor any agitations of different spirits, ought carefully to inquire whether he performs the Exercises themselves at the prescribed times and in what way.

 Ignatius is obviously expecting some recognizable spiritual response that is a direct result of performing the exercises properly. Is this possible? Can our own works effect in us a spiritual reaction or change? If so, what role does Grace play in this process?

Man was created that he might praise and reverence the Lord his God, and, serving Him, at length be saved. But the other things which are placed on the earth were created for man’s sake, that they might assist him in pursuing the end of his creation; whence it follows that they are to be used or abstained from in proportion as they profit or hinder him in pursuing that end.

 Ignatius states that Man was created to serve God, and apparently, serving God leads one closer to salvation. Again, how would such a proposition hold up in the minds of Lutherans/Protestants and doctrine of pre-destination? Can we work towards our salvation?

The first time of examining is morning when a man ought, as soon as he rises from sleep, to decide to guard against some particular sin or fault which he desires to overcome.

The second is the afternoon in which he must ask of God the grace to be able to remember how often he has fallen into that particular sin or fault and to beware of it in the future. Then let him perform the first reexamination, asking account of his soul concerning the sin or fault already spoken of and, running through the parts of the day from the hour in which he rose down to the present, see how many times he has committed it.

The third time will be the evening in which, after the hour of supper, another review will have to be made by running through in like manner the several hours which have elapsed from the former examination to the present and in the same way remembering and enumerating the times he has been in fault.

 Here we have very precise instructions for maintaining oneself free from sin. Is this an instance of living more by the Law than by Grace? Is it an effective or even beneficial practice?  Is it even necessary for those who claim to be Christian and “alive” in Christ?

After reviewing the “five points” of self-examination, or process of repentance/forgiveness followed by confession, Ignatius claims that:

it is reasonable to expect that he who has thus rightly confessed and is thus rightly disposed will be much better prepared for the reception of the Eucharist, which aids in the highest degree both the expulsion of sin and the preservation and increase of grace received.

Do you agree or disagree that this process would be helpful to go through before partaking of the Eucharist?

The fourteenth: it must also be borne in mind that although it be most true that no one is saved except he who is predestinated, we must speak with circumspection concerning this matter lest, perchance stretching too far the grace of predestination of God, we should seem to wish to shut out the force of free will and the merits of good works, or on the other hand, attributing to the latter more than belongs to them. . . .

The fifteenth: for the like reason we should not speak on the subject of predestination frequently, and if it occur occasionally, we ought so to temper what we say as to give the people no occasion of erroneously saying: If my salvation or damnation is already determined regardless of whether I do ill or well, it cannot happen differently. It happens, consequently, that many neglect good works and other helps of salvation.

The sixteenth: it also happens not infrequently that from immoderate preaching and praise of faith without distinction or explanation being added, the people . . . become indifferent to good works which precede faith or follow it.

The seventeenth: nor must we push to such a point the preaching and inculcating of the grace of God that there may creep into the minds of the hearers the deadly error of denying the faculty of our free will. Concerning grace itself, therefore, it is allowable, indeed, to speak fully, God inspiring us, but no more than redounds to His more abundant glory, lest in our dangerous times both the use of free will and efficacy of good works be taken away.

 Here, Ignatius directly engages the debate of faith vs. works and what role pre-destination has in all this.  He very intuitively identifies the danger inherent in the doctrine of pre-destination — that if its already decided if I’m going to heaven or hell, and that nothing I do can possibly change that, then why make any effort to do good works? If I’m destined for heaven, good works aren’t necessary to help me get there, and if I’m destined for hell, then no amount of good works could ever save me from that fate! He also makes the important point that in all our talk of Grace, we need to remember that God has given us our free will and that will not be taken away.