Ronald Modras

My personal experience with Catholicism has been rather rocky of late. I won't go into the details, but the whole child molestation thing took a toll on my commitment. I've also had some trouble reconciling my progressive political views with some aspects of the Church. Ronald Modras' Ignatian Humanism is an impressive volume that helped remind me why I became a Catholic. Modras outlines the concept of Ignatian humanism as a commitment to human dignity and freedom as well as a commitment to service. It' a broad concept that has evolved over time and Modras takes great pains to show the evolution of the ideals. Rather than being stuck in an ossified historicism, the author shows Ignatian humanism through a series of biographical portraits of Jesuits.

Ignatius of Loyola is profiled, as are Matteo Ricci, Friedrich Spee, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Karl Rahner, and Pedro Arrupe. Each of these individuals has made Ignatian humanism unique in its commitment to social justice, tolerance and reconciliation with modern science. This form of humanism does not retreat from the world but rather seeks to sanctify it through good works. It does not reject other faiths and beliefs (or unbelief, for that matter), but instead tries to find common ground with people regardless of background or philosophy. For me, this book created a bridge back to my Catholicism -- something I haven't had for a few years. Instead of being entrenched in tradition, Ignatian humanism has a more dynamic view of human nature. Modras rightly points out how this view differs from Ignatius of Loyola's own day, but also points out how, within his own context, Ignatius' ideas were themselves out of the mainstream. Traditionalists may have trouble with this book -- it definitely veers in the direction of the progressive wing of the Church, but others will find this a heartening book that shows how one can find their place in the modern Church.… (plus d'informations)