The Jesuits: A History

by Markus Friedrich, John Noel Dillon (Translator)

The most comprehensive and up-to-date exploration of one of the most important religious orders in the modern worldSince its founding by Ignatius of Loyola in 1540, the Society of Jesus—more commonly known as the Jesuits—has played a critical role in the events of modern history. From the Counter-Reformation to the ascent of Francis I as the first Jesuit pope, The Jesuits presents an intimate look at one of the most important religious orders not only in the Catholic Church, but also the world. Markus Friedrich describes an organization that has deftly walked a tightrope between sacred and secular involvement and experienced difficulties during changing times, all while shaping cultural developments from pastoral care and spirituality to art, education, and science.Examining the Jesuits in the context of social, cultural, and world history, Friedrich sheds light on how the order shaped the culture of the Counter-Reformation and participated in the establishment of European empires, including missionary activity throughout Asia and in many parts of Africa in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. He also explores the place of Jesuits in the New World and addresses the issue of Jesuit slaveholders. The Jesuits often tangled with the Roman Curia and the pope, resulting in their suppression in 1773, but the order returned in 1814 to rise again to a powerful position of influence. Friedrich demonstrates that the Jesuit fathers were not a monolithic group and he considers the distinctive spiritual legacy inherited by Pope Francis.With its global scope and meticulous attention to archival sources and previous scholarship, The Jesuits illustrates the heterogeneous, varied, and contradictory perspectives of this famed religious organization.

Genres: History, Religion, Nonfiction, Christianity, Politics, Catholic, Spirituality

861 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2022

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a man who studied under the Jesuits for eight years, I was curious to learn about the organization that shaped my education and subsequent life.

What I got with this book was not an easy read, but certainly a well-researched and thorough one. The German author Markus Friedrich takes the reader on a full tour of the history of the Society of Jesus from its founding in 1540, and also expounds at length on the theological underpinnings of the Jesuits’ way of life. I had hoped for a bit more emphasis on the Asian and American missions in the heyday of Portuguese and Spanish exploration, but the author was more focused on the spiritual outlook of the Society.

The book was a tough read because the author strives to capture every detail of his subject (including the dates of birth and death of every person mentioned in the book), and tends to repeat himself from one chapter to the next. Notwithstanding, I found the book quite captivating - members of the Jesuit order journeyed to India, China, and Japan, as well as to the Spanish and Portuguese colonies in America when a voyage to Asia took up to six months. I also found fascinating the Order’s ability to reconcile Catholic dogma with the teaching of secular subjects such as science and mathematics.

This isn’t a book for everyone, but if you are interested in exploring the mentality of the early modern period it is a worthwhile investment of time.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inevitably, given its genesis, rather German-focused, but a helpful resource integrating much recent scholarship from an array of languages. Markus Friedrich concentrates on the pre-supression apogee of the Society of Jesus. He's deft at examining issues like the Reductions in Paraguay, the Molinist context from which casuistry emanated, and the Chinese Rites controversy. He stresses how the caricature of the scheming, slippery spy-Jesuit served to back the Society into an anti-modernist, slavishly neo-Thomistic, and often right-wing leaning in the early part of the last century. However, the post-1814 restoration of the Jesuits gets short shrift compared to its rich history. And if their ranks have (not given figures in this book) been halved since Vatican 2, why does this drastic sea-change get only a sentence or so? Sure, vocations in Africa and in India are on the rise, but can this truly balance the loss of European and North American numbers, when so many institutions have been staffed in the Ignatian tradition? Allowing for this lapse, still, this may be compensated by the research evident in this volume, which has been translated smoothly, far as I can tell, by John Noël Dillon, who also assisted the author in updating references and proofing the English ed.

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

How is it that a 600+ page book feels so cursory? It’s genuinely strange- there is so much here, but it really just serves to illustrate how much of this subject is left implied or underserved. An undeniably interesting jumping off point but one that leaves the reader feeling like they’re missing something.

[Connor Sampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot.

It's a deep dive into the culture and world of the Society of Jesus, a major and influential Catholic society devoted to spreading the word of Jesus and the influence of the catholic church. They heavily promoted education and tended to lean in a more moderate direction than many Catholic contemporaries; they believed the Inquisition was problematic, the vast majority of exorcisms could have been solved with therapy, witch hunts were not productive, education made everyone better so the poor need access to education, and the earth definitely went around the sun.

There's lot in this book, and if you're just looking for a quick overview of the society then it will get overwhelming. If you stick with it, and enjoy the immersion into the world of the Jesuits, there's so many fascinating things here. Did you know some Jesuits held doors open so their Guardian Angels could step through first? I didn't! Some chapters are slower than others, such as discussions of Jesuit building design policies, but it all comes together to construct this wonderful vision into the mind and world of the society.

Then there's the chapters which are just fascinating. Take the missionary activities for example. We have Jesuits trying to engage with the highest levels of court philosophy in China, contrasted with a missionary Jesuit trudging through the north American snow, surviving by eating leather and preying that the local shaman doesn't kill him in the night. In south America we even see Jesuits trying desperately to protect their new converts from European slave catchers. Trying so hard that they begin arming the locals with guns. Fascinating.

There's so very much in this book that I could write about it for hours, but let's keep this brief and attempt a conclusion.

If you want a quick simple history, this may not be for you. If you want to travel through the antiquated world of a once powerful society, learning about their beliefs, goals, and lives, then this is an excellent book. I was uncertain about this book going in, but I'm very glad to have read it.

[Jose Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a big book reads like a textbook:
• I especially liked learning about St. Ignatius and how the order was founded. His military background shaped how the Jesuits operated—structured, disciplined, mission-focused.
• Their vow of obedience to the Pope really stood out to me. And the fact that they weren’t tied to bishops or local parishes gave them the flexibility to go where they were needed most.
• They basically ran the order like a Fortune 500 company—but for saving souls. Global communication, leadership structure, intense training. Way ahead of their time.
• I liked how they encouraged personal prayer and a deeper experience of God’s love—not just external rituals or formal sacraments.
• Their early devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus really stood out. You can see the roots of modern-day Catholic spirituality forming in how they lived and taught.
• They were strong promoters of daily Eucharist and regular confession—centuries before it became normal. That personal, daily relationship with God was something they actively encouraged.

[James R · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the prologue and regret it completely. It's not worth the time to even read the table of contents or flip through.

The author tries to present himself as unbiased, saying he's giving a neutral historical account that isn't either promoting "the saints" (yes, he puts "saints" in quotes, which is cringe) or addressing "conspiracy theories." So why write the book? The prologue doesn't give any compelling reason for why this book is needed.

Anyone who says they're unbiased is a liar & is hustling their audience. Why write a book if you're not passionate about the subject? What's the purpose? Unless you're writing a book with a purpose for today, why tell people about history? This annoys me to no end when people write books without any real reason for doing so. Just giving a history is absolutely meaningless, it should only be done to have impact today. Overloading people with random facts is absolutely pointless. Furthermore, it's impossible to write a comprehensive history of anything, so I'm immediately skeptical of any of these thick books that try to give some kind of grand scope of history or narrative, they're almost all propaganda, lies, and terrible.

I'll stick with other non-academic sources on The Jesuits. The Jesuits have been nothing but elites meddling in politics since day 1. The Jesuits are the most corrupt and evil institution (the Dominicans & Franciscans give them a run for their money) that has ever existed, created by European elites (as all religious institutions were just clubs for the troubled elites) in order to promote European elite interests throughout the world, such as Franciscans coming to America & oppressing native, to Dominicans leading the torture of "heretics" in Europe, which was nothing but power plays between elite European powers.

The Jesuits today are having to reconcile with their history of meddling in absolutely everything, from owning slaves, to torture, getting native Americans to agree to extinction, being involved with politics, abuse, genocide, war crimes, money theft of incredible proportions, and on and on. The Jesuits are trying to present themselves as a liberal force for good (think of James Martin), but this is just part of the scam; they're still nothing but a group working to continue elite control. The Nazis and Mafia only wish they had the power & organization of The Jesuits.

The Jesuits have largely served their purpose, globalization and control by the elites is basically finished. The Jesuits have been an enemy of humanity for hundreds of years and the sooner they're made universally illegal and despised the better.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was fine for those with a deep interest in the theology and philosophy of the Jesuits, but for those who are looking for a history of the Jesuits as diplomatic and political actors, particularly those at the forefront of European contact with other civilizations, this book was completely underwhelming. Only a paragraph or two about Jesuit activity in China and Japan - I read through several chapters just to get to that and was thus extremely disappointed.

[WSF]

An authorative, fascinating history of the Jesuits, with particular emphasis on the period up until 1814, when the Order was rehabilitated by the papacy. This is a scholarly history, which covers all bases, and yet the writing is consistently clear and pungent. The treatment of controversial issues is judicious and evenhanded, allowing the facts to speak for themselves. The English translation reads exceptionally well.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always fascinating reading about the ancient institution of the Catholic church. I have been curious about the Jesuits, one reason being the Reacting game "Ban the Jesuits" that I had the chance to play at a conference a few years ago.

[Amber Meller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, though a little long winded

[RYAN PHAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drags along a lot. Good overview of Jesuit history