The Origin of the Jesuits

by James Brodrick, S J Brodrick, Joseph N Tylenda S.J. (Foreword)

It was mid-summer, 1940. Paris had fallen. Brittania anticipated German invasion. Against this backdrop, the English Province of the Society of the Jesuits, like their brothers throughout the world, sought an appropriate way to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Jesuit order. To mark the occasion, Father James Brodrick, S.J., an historian with a wry wit, had written a spirited account of the origins of the Jesuits and their founding fathers. Although severely restricted by wartime rationing of paper, printers Longmans, Green and Co. Ltd. proceeded with a limited run, and the first edition of "The Origin Of This Jesuits" was born. Now considered a classic of Jesuilica, no finer short introduction to the history and the spirit of the Jesuit order has ever been written in English or any language. Many reprints later, Loyola Press is proud to present this special paperback edition of the original Brodrick text, with a new foreword by Joseph N. Tylenda, S.J. A beautifully re-designed arid historically significant cover completes the updated work.

Genres: History, Catholic

274 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1940

About the author

Father James Patrick Brodrick, SJ

Reviews

[J-T]

I'm mainly reading this one to learn about Francis Xavier's travels to India, China and Japan.

[Paul DeCelles · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brutal read. Written in very old English. However, it was pretty insightful and explains the creation of the jesuits decently well. A lot of footnotes and resources so there appeared to be a lot of historical credibility for the stories told within the book. Would recommend reading specific chapters but not all the way through it was really difficult to follow.

[Darren]

It's a pretty good read. Broderick is famous for his knowledge concerning the history of the Jesuit. But, if you're looking for intrigue, and the "ugly" truth, I'd advise you to look elsewhere.

[Billy McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent