A.J. Mendoza's Reviews > The Spiritual Exercises

This is a wonderful source for understanding spiritual formation in the 16th century. Though this should not be read as a book, for it functions as a manual for leaders in St. Ignatius' retreats. That being said, there are sections where St. Ignatius outlines the principles he wants his leaders to emphasize. This contains great practices that translate wonderfully today (e.g. the Examen) and some that would be more difficult to employ (e.g. the use of imagination to construct a hell and heaven experience to teach the wretchedness of sin and the necessity of virtue). The brilliance is found within random paragraphs in which St. Ignatius mentions powerful nuggets of truth on a diversity of topics.

Interestingly enough, I ran into more disagreeable material from St. Ignatius than was expected. For instance, the foundation for his whole work is believing that mankind was made to praise God as a means for salvation. Thus, all things in this world must only serve that purpose, otherwise the experiences of this world must be treated with discontent. However, St. Ignatius misses the image of God motif from Genesis in which we are designed to be co-regents with God upon this earth. A vocation of royalty for the sake of spreading the Kingdom of God. In fact, St. Ignatius comes off more conservative then what was expected from a spiritual formation guru.