Introductory notes for readers of this thesis - Theses - Flinders ...

During his time of convalescence Iñigo experienced his great conversion through asimple yet profound psycho-spiritual process that became the foundation for his methodof spiritual direction and the broader concept of Ignatian spirituality that has continued toinfluence millions of Christians to this day 8 . According to tradition, Iñigo called forreading material, asking specifically for the popular military/romantic novels that wereera’s equivalent of pulp fiction. Books were not a huge feature of life in Loyola castle:the only literature on hand was Ludolph von Sachsen’s Life of Christ and a book on thelives of the saints by Jacobos de Voragine (brought to the castle by Iñigo’s sister-in-lawMagdalen). Grasping at any escape from the desperate boredom of his convalescence,Iñigo began to read.In the midst of his reading, Iñigo would daydream and fantasy role play different lifescenarios, including his past exploits and future possibilities. He felt excited and enjoyedthe immediate experience of this kind of daydreaming. However, he also noticed that inthe hours following this kind of meditation he felt despondent and ill at ease. When hismeditative daydreaming also involved imagining himself with Jesus in the gospel sceneshe was reading 9 , emulating the deeds of the saints in service of Jesus, he often askedhimself the question: ‘What if I should do what St.Francis did, what St.Dominic did?’ 10Iñigo noticed that following these kinds of thoughts he experienced a profound lifting ofmood that endured well beyond the period of the actual reflective process, filling himwith a sense of wellbeing and peace.8 That there is a popular resurgence of interest in Ignatian spirituality, reaching far beyond the boundariesof the Jesuit order and the Roman Catholic Church is common knowledge. David Lonsdale notes the‘rebirth ‘of the exercises during the 1960’s through a movement from preached content to meditativecontent. The author also notes the massive broadening of Ignatian Spiritual practices as part of the generalsurge of interest in spirituality during the 1990’s. See D. Lonsdale, Eyes to see, ears to hear – anintroduction to Ignatian spirituality (Rev.Ed.) ( London: Darton Longman & Todd, 2000), 17-20. One ofthe clearest examples of the broad, global appeal of Ignatian spirituality is the popularity of the ‘SacredSpace’ website, www.sacredspace.org, hosted by the Irish Jesuit Society, this site draws millions of hitsfrom around the globe and across the Christian traditions.9 In fact this method of engaging with the text was a suggestion of the Ludolph, the author:’ to pause andrelish and savour (what was being read) … to make oneself present to the Gospel scene as if one wereactually there, listening and seeing what is happening … (and so) would experience great delight’. See G.Coleman, Walking with Inigo – a commentary on the autobiography of St.Ignatius (Gujarat, India: GujaratSahitya Prakash, 2001), 10-11.10 From J.C. Olin, ed., The Autobiography of St.Ignatius Loyola, Trans. J.F. O’Callaghan (New York:Fordham University Press, 1992), 23.31