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Ignatian Mysticism
Fr. Paul Coutinho reviews the powerful meaning and spiritual significance of mysticism within Ignatian Spirituality in this 12-lecture series (5-CD set). Through this revealing course, you will learn that the key to Ignatian mysticism is not to find God in all things but to allow God to find us in all things- not just to love God, but also to receive God's love. With Dr. Countinho as your guide, you will come to understand the powerful mysticism in the Ignatian tradition, and you will explore every-day practices designed to connect you to this mystical tradition. Discover for yourself how a personal relationship and mystical union with God is life-changing.
Audio CD
Published May 6, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 31, 2019
An Experienced Walk with an Introspective Saint
AT A GLANCE:
Fr. Coutinho gives a deep and informed look at Ignatian spirituality that achieves its goals, though it is somewhat repetitive and not comprehensive.
CONTENT:
Ignatius of Loyola is one of the most influential saints within Catholicism and will most likely come to be known as a Doctor of the Church. He is the founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and his ideas of relation to God are still widely studied.
Going into these lectures one should be familiar with the saint and his history, as these are hardly discussed here. The Society and its past are covered in a few minutes at the beginning and end of the series, but virtually all of its run-time is devoted to spirituality as the title suggests. These ideas are abstract, dealing largely with matters of relation to God in theological and often technical terms that will make the lectures difficult for non-Catholics to follow. His main thesis focuses on man's search for identity with the divine and his realization of the interconnected nature of all living creatures.
NARRATOR:
As a Jesuit, Fr. Coutinho leads Ignatian spiritual retreats and is well-versed in the subject. His voice is pleasant and lectures deliberately timed and structured. His teaching style is soaked in lifelong reflection and prayer. While lofty and ruminating, the presentation never feels off-topic.
It should be noted that he holds some novel doctrines. For example, he expresses the view that one should receive communion before (rather than after) confession, as the ensuing change of heart will help create the proper disposition of penitence in the believer.
OVERALL:
I would recommend this to Catholics with some familiarity in the area, perhaps to refresh their memories and deepen an understanding of Ignatian spirituality.
AT A GLANCE:
Fr. Coutinho gives a deep and informed look at Ignatian spirituality that achieves its goals, though it is somewhat repetitive and not comprehensive.
CONTENT:
Ignatius of Loyola is one of the most influential saints within Catholicism and will most likely come to be known as a Doctor of the Church. He is the founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and his ideas of relation to God are still widely studied.
Going into these lectures one should be familiar with the saint and his history, as these are hardly discussed here. The Society and its past are covered in a few minutes at the beginning and end of the series, but virtually all of its run-time is devoted to spirituality as the title suggests. These ideas are abstract, dealing largely with matters of relation to God in theological and often technical terms that will make the lectures difficult for non-Catholics to follow. His main thesis focuses on man's search for identity with the divine and his realization of the interconnected nature of all living creatures.
NARRATOR:
As a Jesuit, Fr. Coutinho leads Ignatian spiritual retreats and is well-versed in the subject. His voice is pleasant and lectures deliberately timed and structured. His teaching style is soaked in lifelong reflection and prayer. While lofty and ruminating, the presentation never feels off-topic.
It should be noted that he holds some novel doctrines. For example, he expresses the view that one should receive communion before (rather than after) confession, as the ensuing change of heart will help create the proper disposition of penitence in the believer.
OVERALL:
I would recommend this to Catholics with some familiarity in the area, perhaps to refresh their memories and deepen an understanding of Ignatian spirituality.
December 1, 2023
This is a fantastic series of lectures in mysticism in the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises (which I'm currently walking through a 32-week version of). Paul Coutinho brings his experience as a Jesuit to these lectures but also his experiences of growing up in India surrounded by other mystical elements of spirituality.
Coutinho focuses on the contemplative core of Ignatian spirituality, saying Ignatian service is not "doing great things for God," (as Ignatius was preoccupied with in his early faith) but receiving the love of God which naturally spills out into the rest of the world. Likewise, Ignatian discernment is not parsing out the will of God, but growing in relationship and oneness with God, so that discernment comes naturally. I can tell you if I had understood these two concepts in the last 5 years of my life, I could've prioritized contemplation much more and saved myself loads of burnout and disillusionment. I felt for a long time that every moment of my time must be tied in a measurable way to the benefit of others, but that's just not realistic because "I cannot give away what I don't have." Coutinho posits that when we operate like that, we carry out "acts of love" which are not "loving acts" - the distinction being that these "acts of love" were just using people to prove to ourselves and other people how wonderful we are! Yikes, guilty!
Something I noticed quickly in walking through the Spiritual Exercises was the similarity to Buddhism in talking about inordinate attachments. I find this refreshing because Christians could stand to learn more about how attachments cause us suffering (or to commit sins) and that we must cease clinging to anything - even God Coutinho says! "I need to depend on God without being dependent on God."
Finally, I must say that the Ignatian/Jesuit view of God is so refreshingly good: "if you go through life expecting some good, you are placing limits on what life can offer you. 'Everything I have is yours!' says God!"
Coutinho focuses on the contemplative core of Ignatian spirituality, saying Ignatian service is not "doing great things for God," (as Ignatius was preoccupied with in his early faith) but receiving the love of God which naturally spills out into the rest of the world. Likewise, Ignatian discernment is not parsing out the will of God, but growing in relationship and oneness with God, so that discernment comes naturally. I can tell you if I had understood these two concepts in the last 5 years of my life, I could've prioritized contemplation much more and saved myself loads of burnout and disillusionment. I felt for a long time that every moment of my time must be tied in a measurable way to the benefit of others, but that's just not realistic because "I cannot give away what I don't have." Coutinho posits that when we operate like that, we carry out "acts of love" which are not "loving acts" - the distinction being that these "acts of love" were just using people to prove to ourselves and other people how wonderful we are! Yikes, guilty!
Something I noticed quickly in walking through the Spiritual Exercises was the similarity to Buddhism in talking about inordinate attachments. I find this refreshing because Christians could stand to learn more about how attachments cause us suffering (or to commit sins) and that we must cease clinging to anything - even God Coutinho says! "I need to depend on God without being dependent on God."
Finally, I must say that the Ignatian/Jesuit view of God is so refreshingly good: "if you go through life expecting some good, you are placing limits on what life can offer you. 'Everything I have is yours!' says God!"
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews