The Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living

by Timothy M. Gallagher

St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, is one of the most influential spiritual leaders of all time, yet many readers find his Rules for Discernment hard to understand. What can Ignatius teach us about the discernment of spirits that lies at the very heart of Christian life? In The Discernment of Spirits, Fr. Timothy Gallagher, a talented teacher, retreat leader, and scholar, helps us understand the Rules and how their insights are essential for our spiritual growth today. By integrating the Rules and the experience of contemporary people, Gallagher shows the precision, clarity, and insight of Ignatius's Rules, as well as the relevance of his thought for spiritual life today. When we learn to read Ignatius correctly, we discover in his remarkable words our own struggles, joys, and triumphs. This book is for all who desire greater awareness of God's action in their daily spiritual lives, and is essential reading for retreat directors, spiritual directors, priests, and counselors.

Genres: Catholic, Spirituality, Religion, Faith, Christian, Christianity, Theology

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2005

Reviews

[booklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book isn't something one reads for pleasure or even information so much as for utility. St. Ignatius of Loyola—the author of the fourteen rules for discernment of spirits—was a soldier before he was a saint. He was into results. His style was spare and to the point. Think, math book or a tech manual—what it takes to get the job done.

In writing about Ignatius’s rules for discernment of spirits, Fr. Gallagher updates and expands them for us in a way I believe would please the soldier-saint. He gives navigation tools for the spiritual journey.

Rule 1: Pertains to persons heading away from God and toward serious sin and describes how the spirits act in such persons.

Rule 2: He then considers faithful persons, those who are “rising from good to better in the service of God our Lord,” and how the spirits reverse their action in these with respect to the persons previously designated.

Rules 3 and 4: Ignatius sketches the two types of spiritual movements: spiritual consolation and spiritual desolation.

Rules 5 through 9: Ignatius instructs faithful persons on how to resist spiritual desolation while they are in it. This was the most helpful section for me and might be for many people.

Rule 10: He then teaches how to prepare for spiritual desolation before it begins, storing up, in time of spiritual consolation, the energy they will need for future resistance to spiritual desolation.

Rule 11: Ignatius invites discerning persons to live with spiritual balance and maturity, neither thoughtlessly “high” in spiritual consolation nor helplessly “low” in spiritual desolation.

Rule 12: Ignatius teaches that if faithful persons resist when the enemy first begins his temptations, the enemy will be completely defeated. He has no strength at all except in the weak resistance of those he tempts. The enemy, Ignatius tells us, is essentially weak.

Rule 13: He encourages the faithful to speak to the appropriate spiritual person of the enemy’s “wiles and persuasions”.

Rule 14: The ultimate refinement of discernment in this set of rules is reached when discerning persons become capable of defeating the enemy’s personalized attacks even before he begins his attack.

Speaking just for myself I knew ‘spiritual desolation’ as well as ‘spiritual consolation’ for many years before having labels to affix to what was happening inside me. I’ve also struggled—sometimes successfully, other times not—with how to handle spiritual battles. Spiritual consolation doesn’t require much effort to ‘handle’, although when properly understood, it can help prepare for the other times, much like Joseph’s seven years of feast followed by same amount of famine. Would that this book had been around 20 years ago.

If you would like a sampling of what Fr. Gallagher has to say, you can hear him here. Thanks for that tip Kate!

[Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an enriching book to guide one through a very different, yet masterful contemplative manner of prayer.
It is very interactive, too, and the reader is not expected to be passive but very engaged. As a Jesuit, St. Ignatius looks at Catholicism in ways that are beyond the norm and this book can create a passionate zeal in readers.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the causes of these passions, once they have been set forth by the teachings of the elders, are immediately recognized by all, nonetheless, before they are revealed, though we are all harmed by them and they are present in everyone, no one knows of them.

[Adam Ybarra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another "must have" for EVERY Catholic Christian

[Ramón S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro imprescindible para comprender bien las reglas de discernimiento que propone San Ignacio de Loyola en los ejercicios espirituales.
Se centra en las 14 reglas de discernimiento de la primera semana de los Ejercicios.
La explicación es impecable, sencilla y clara.
Un libro para estudiar y tener a mano

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

We read this with my book group, one chapter a month. Gallagher did a great job of breaking down and explaining Ignatius’ rules of discernment for our own spiritual lives. The book suggests strategies for overcoming discouragement and feelings of spiritual abandonment. Our group had some great discussions over the various chapters and most found it very helpful.

[Rachel Wong · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4⭐️) Read this in tandem with an audio course on Formed that features Fr. Gallagher for a class. Fr. Gallagher breaks open a rich and well-known spiritual tradition within the Catholic faith with deft and clarity, making Ignatius’ Discernment of Spirits digestible and tangible. While the book and the audio course are redundant of each other, read independently this is a wonderful resource that I know I will consult again and again as I go through my own spiritual life.

[Joseph Trujillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly powerful insight into the struggles of the spiritual life, although the writing style at times seems somewhat clunky/inaccessible.

Things don’t always need to be written in an overly-simplified manner, yet for the spiritual guidance being offered here, *slighty* simplifying the writing style would allow the exact same message to be relayed without the reader needing to do as much mental work to understand phrases and passages.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

To an extent, Ignatius helps us grow an awareness of our spiritual pulse. You know how mental body scans can help you build greater awareness of physical changes within your body (interception)? Ignatius’s rules help with strengthening the spiritual equivalent, and how to respond accordingly. Every Christian should learn this.

[Macy Vollert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely fantastic and has incredible material. Shoutout Mrs Minarcin 🙏

[Florence Bernice]

During a Theology of the Body and the Interior Life course, while Father Gallagher was kindly signing my book--

Me: I was thinking Father, when you become canonized, I will have a third class relic from you.

Fr. Gallagher: (smiles broadly) Well that's encouraging!

[Birney Bull · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is great stuff, if God uses these frequencies with you. (And maybe He doesn't, which is fine, but we all should at least know how to tune them in, in case the voice mail box needs emptying! I've felt all my life like there were messages there for me, but until this book, I really haven't known how to access them, and certainly not how to evaluate them.)

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone should read Ignatius' 14 Rules for Discernment even if they don't read this book. This book explains the rules well in a long format with situational examples. Rule 13 was fire.

[Cody Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are incredible resources for those seeking to grow in the spiritual life and clarify interior movements of the heart. The rules of the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius are presented in their original text, explained with precision and clarity, and reinforced through practical examples. This is the best volume to start with, followed by Fr Gallagher's book on the Examen, and then "Spiritual Consolation" (which pertains to the "second week" of the Spiritual Exercises). I read this a couple years ago but didn't pick it back up until this year. Well worth your time to read this short book, become familiar with these principles, and return to them (along with a spiritual director of some sort) when facing uncertain decisions.

What I love most about St. Ignatius, and why he is so deeply Catholic, is his entire spirituality is about freedom, choice, and holistic integration of the person. God gave us freedom not for its own sake, but so that we may choose Him. Our hearts are wounded and deceitful, but still made by God; our very selves and personalities, while conditioned and warped by sin, are also given by God. With Christ we are called to be crucified and die to ourselves--but not so that we may stay dead, but so that we may be resurrected with Christ. Our hearts are redeemed, not annihilated. Rather than prescribing rote conformity, the rules of Ignatius help us actually train our hearts and minds to understand and choose God's will in our unique circumstances, leaving vast landscapes open for us to explore with God. Ignatian spirituality, as the very name "Spiritual Exercises" suggests, is therefore all about training--training for awareness, understanding, choice--but all within the unrepeatable circumstances of each of our God-given lives.

[Lucina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gosh this is a great guidebook to the spiritual life. Fr Gallagher breaks down St Ignatius’ rules in a consume yet comprehensive way. I watched my prayer transform as I read these rules, and I have come out much more spiritually mature. If you pray daily, I’d certainly recommend this book.

I love Fr Gallagher’s conclusion: “That message of freedom from captivity is still the message of the Savior today. It is the message conveyed by Ignatius, a faithful disciple of the Savior who proclaims liberty to captives. It is the message of his fourteen rules for discernment: to let those oppressed by spiritual desolation and the deceits of the enemy to go free. Discernment of spirits is the quest for that freedom, a spiritual adventure that leads surely to the God whose love never ceases to call our hearts” (Gallagher, p 187).

[Emmanuel Levy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! Fr. Gallagher dives so deeply into each of the 14 rules of discernment, line by line and even word by word, to explain what Ignatius means in his writing. He then gives practical examples and ways to apply the rules in our own lives that I have already benefitted from. One quote by John Henry Newman that summarizes the importance of being able to discern good v evil spirits: “Although the causes of these passions, once they have been set forth by the teachings of the elders, are immediately recognized by all, nonetheless, before they are revealed, though we are all harmed by them and they are present in everyone, no one knows of them.” We all have experience with consolation and desolation — getting the to root of these experiences and acting in ways to accept what comes from God and reject what comes from the Enemy is so important and Ignatius gives a short and concise set of rules to aid us in growing in faith, hope, and love for God!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little long-winded if you ask me, but spending three months with this book has profoundly changed everything for me when I think about discernment. Ignatius takes these unknown ideas that are “present in everyone” and sheds light on them until they are “recognized by all.” A must read for anyone trying to better understand themselves and the way God works in our lives!!!

[Katie]

This is really the go-to book on Ignatian discernment of spirits, and for good reason! My only criticism is that it gets kind of long and repetitive at times. But it’s so relatable, and really does help explain you to yourself.

[Marie Cloonan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just adore Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Best practical advice on how to navigate the spiritual stirring in every person’s heart.

[Matthew Purt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really is a must read.

[Kelly Guilbeau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read like a textbook but had some “aha” moments

[Fr Adam Zettel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this teaching and want all my spiritual friends to adopt it and practice it. I grow tired of the over academic and precise style of the book, and am happy I was able to listen rather than having to drudge through reading it on paper. However, every serious Christian should get to know and understand and use the rules of St Ignatius, and Gallagher probably has the best modern explanation of them.

[Kathryn Looney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felt a little redundant at times but still very helpful!!

[Sally Khouzam · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has taken me one and a half years to complete this incredible book. It has blown me on so many levels.
First of all I am really passionate about Ignatian Spirituality and I have read a lot in this subject . But I have never read for a spiritual director that is as astutely accomplished and masterfully nuanced a writer as Fr Timothy Gallagher. He is a true soldier of Christ and Ignatius. His very intricate and clear explanations and descriptions of the rules of discernment have been imprinted in my mind . Second of all , it has taken me so long to finish this book because it’s been an eye opening journey that can only be lived step by step lest I miss any of his revealing truths. I know this is abook that I will read again and again and treasure as one of my most prized companions on my spiritual journey . This is a must read for anyone searching for Truth in his life .

[Elizabeth Rahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fantastic explanation of Ignatius's 14 Rules of Discernment of Spirits. The examples used are drawn from the lives of saints, religious, and laity assisting with concrete understandings of how these Rules play out in spiritual lives.

[Kevin Estabrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Ignatius's fourteen rules constitute a program for progressive growth in discernment of spirits. A humble and persevering effort to live according to the wisdom of these rules, assisted by a spiritual guide and with trust in God's always sufficient grace, gradually forms the mature spiritual person, able to discern and overcome the deceptions of the enemy, faithfully fulfilling God's will, and growing in love. This is the goal of the discernment of spirits."

I read this one chapter a day as part of my daily spiritual reading. This was an excellent way to read this book, to allow the lessons to sink in and to reflect on the rules throughout the day.

Since "spiritual consolation and spiritual desolation are common experiences for all persons who seek God" such a book is helpful to all of us as "Ignatius spiritually explains us to ourselves".

I look forward to reading Fr. Gallagher's other books.

[Dave Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fr. Timothy Gallagher breaks down Ignatius' rules for discerning everyday living and "the larger picture" in lay man's terms, no pun intended. This is a must read for people who have oscillated between tough choices, seem stuck between a rock and hard place, need guidance and don't really want to listen to their idiot friends/relatives or want to listen to all of the above and the include the Man upstairs because He will have your innermost desires at the vanguard of His plan. He directly quotes St.Ignatius but then explains it out and gives real life examples with real life people. Dopeness. Reading/Praying through this book will make you spiritually equivalent to the depth and breadth of a Trappist monk...if you implement, that is!

I give this 5 burritos!

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Halfway through this book I doubt I would have given it a 5-star rating, but about rule 9 something clicked. And then I went on a 72-hour silent retreat based on Saint Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises, of which these 14 Rules for Discernment are a part, kind of an appendix. For me, trying to understand and incorporate the Rules has a cumulative effect, they build upon each other. Now that I have a better lay of the land both for the Rules for Discernment and of how the entire Spiritual Exercises work, I'll be returning to this for a deeper read, and taking daily action on what I've learned so far.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this immediately following my completion of Fr. Gallagher's book Discerning the Will of God. This book is much headier than its predecessor, and really breaks down all of Ignatius' rules on discernment. I haven't studied his rules previously, and I found this book to be a helpful overview of them, with some practical examples. It was good for me to better understand some of the ways God can challenge us during our spiritual journey, how to build up good habits for challenging times ahead, and how to be on the lookout for consolations and desolations in my life. This book could be reread many times, and a reader would find new insights to apply to everyday life.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book ever!! If everyone in the world read this, they could figure out the answers to so many of their inner struggles and how to discern what is happening and what they can do. Awareness is key to the spiritual life. This is also a must read for anyone who is a counselor or spiritual director.