Ignatian Spirituality: Origin, Concepts, Attitude

Introduction

The dynamic changes in the present-day society and a great number of international conflicts make
many people realize the necessity of the social structure transformation. A lot of researchers in the
social studies recognize the importance of spirituality in the life of individuals and collectives. The
recent research investigates the issues of the human spiritual nature, its expressions, and
significance. Ignatian spirituality provides a unique perspective on the nature of reality and the role of
the human being in the social and personal life. Ignatian spirituality offers the citizens of the global
community to practice awareness in their everyday life and provides them with the values of freedom,
consciousness, and love. The concepts and ideas grounded in the peace-loving philosophy have a
potential of becoming the keys to the creation of the social balance and improvement of the social
interactions.

The Origins of the Ignatian Spirituality

St. Ignatius of Loyola, a philosopher and a soldier, was a founder of the Society of Jesus. The
Ignatius’s perception of the human spirit and nature is extensively described in his writings
“Autobiography,” “Spiritual Exercises,” “Spiritual Journal,” etc. Ignatius was interested in theology and
studied many of the theories, but his religious development “was not founded on imitation of others
but rather on the main features of his own experience” (Coghlan, 2005, p. 92). Ignatius found God in
all the things around him and learned from him. The perception of eternal God became the basis of
the Ignatian spirituality. Based on his personal experience, Ignatius developed an original techniques
and principles of practice and spiritual prayer.

The Concept of God

The specific elements of the Ignatian spirituality include the concept of God as a ubiquitous
phenomena, spiritual contemplation, the responsive actions, and the spiritual practice. According to
the Jesuit perception of the world, the God’s energy is in everything, and it can be regarded as a
central subject of Ignatian spirituality. One can find God both in material things and intangible
substances of the different character: social, cultural, intellectual, and others. In this way, a person
can interact with God through his or her work, creativity, relationships, and even thoughts. The
concept of ubiquitous God brings sublimity into the regular daily activities and elevates them to the
spiritual level. The Ignatius’s focus on the importance of the spiritual practice inevitably ensues from
his sublime attitude to life and the nature of things.

The Perception of the Spiritual Practice

According to the Ignatian tradition, a spiritual person is inspired to act “in a way that embodied a
return of God’s love to God and to others” (Menkhaus, 2009, p. 448). It is not concerned merely with
the acts of devotion or the religious offerings, but it is reflected in the way one responds to the daily
situations in his life. God is embodied in every person one can meet in his or her life, and by treating
people with the due respect and warmth, one is involved in spiritual practice. The consciousness is
one of the crucial aspects of the Ignatius’s perspective on practice. When in a good mood, people
mostly treat their companions in a good way, it may happen unconsciously and habitually. However,
when a person chooses to behave in a particular way, it makes a great difference. Therefore, it is
important to learn how to discern the presence of God’s energy in life.

The Concepts of Discernment and Contemplation

The discernment capability can be acquired through contemplation. The spiritual contemplation and
the awareness can be regarded as the distinctive features of the Ignatian Spirituality, and they take a
special place in it. Overall, contemplation can be understood as observation of one’s actions,
thoughts, emotions as well as the observation of the external events, people, and natural
phenomena. According to Ignatius, contemplation and the conscious approach help to reveal God.
And when it happens, life acquires a new quality of peace and unconstrained devotion.

The Significance of Ignatian Spirituality for the Society

Although the Ignatian spirituality is religious in its nature and the expression of devotion to God is its
main concern, the practice according to the Ignatian principles and the discernment of the spiritual
nature leads to the improvement of personal and social life performance. The principles and main
elements of the Ignatian spirituality are functional and can easily be adopted by individuals. The
“ethics of understanding and respect” are of tremendous significance in the modern world (Menkhaus,
2009, p. 452). When the conflicts on the regional and global scales are frequent, the rates of the legal
activities increases and the level of social injustice gathers momentum, the integration of the spiritual
values into the social culture is of great use.

Conclusion

It is possible to assume that the adoption of the Ignatian values at the personal level leads to the
psychological content and well-being. The methods of the spiritual practice offered by Ignatius of
Loyola can help to cope with daily life challenges and problems more effectively and, as the result,
the stress level can be reduced significantly. The integration of the Ignatian principles into the
collective culture requires the official recognition and the rise of the public awareness. Although
Ignatian spirituality may not be accepted by masses, the philosophy continues to draw the attention of
those who are interested in psychological sustainability, scholars, and researchers. The further
investigation of the spirituality will contribute to the in-depth understanding of the Ignatian
conceptions’ impacts on the social performance and the psychological state of human beings.

References

Coghlan, D. (2005). Ignatian spirituality as transformational social science. Action Research, 3(1),
89-107. Web.

Menkhaus, J. (2009). Ignatian spirituality and the just peacemaking theory. Peace Review: A Journal
of Social Justice, 21, 448–456. Web.