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Spiritus: A Journal of Christian Spirituality 3.2 (2003) 277-280



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The Spiritual Exercises Reclaimed: Uncovering Liberating Possibilities for Women . By Katherine Dyckman, Mary Garvin and Elizabeth Liebert. New York: Paulist Press, 2001. 366pp. $22.95.

Saint Ignatius of Loyola wrote his famed Spiritual Exercises as a guidebook for directors who might lead persons to seek and find the will of God in their lives. Through disciplined self-examination, meditation on Scripture, and imaginative reflection, the Exercises offer a dynamic pattern for increasing awareness of one's [End Page 277] desires, the presence of God in the world and the pattern of commitment to Jesus Christ. Written in the 16th century, the Exercises have shaped lives of faith from Ignatius' day to our own, as they continue to serve as the format for spiritual direction in daily life, weekend and weeklong reflection, and 30-day retreats.

While rich in possibilities for spiritual growth and awareness, the Exercises are unavoidably conditioned by the worldview and outlook of Ignatius and his day. They were written, after all, by a young man whose life had been lived (in part) in the pattern of militaristic chivalry and worldly romance. While a change of heart led him into a life of teaching and ministry of the Gospel, his language often reflects the experience of soldier and romantic, seeing Jesus as "Commander-in-Chief" and employing metaphors rooted in the gender stereotypes of his day. In addition, the Exercises reflect medieval notions of penance and punishment (including chastising the body with sensible pain), and a hierarchical notion that prioritizes church authority over individual assent. The language of the Exercises and ideals reflected therein has, thus, the potential to turn contemporary people away from the text.

Recognizing these problems and possibilities, Katherine Dyckman, Mary Garvin and Elizabeth Liebert have set out to reclaim this foundational text. The greatest resource Ignatius provides them in this task is his emphasis on the uniqueness of each person's relationship to God and the adaptability this principle engenders. Indeed, Ignatius himself wrote, "The Spiritual Exercises must be adapted to the condition of the one who is to engage in them" (Introductory Observation #18, Spiritual Exercises, trans. Louis Puhl [Westminster, MD: Loyola Press, 1951], 7). This opens a space for the seeker and guide to explore new possibilities in Ignatian spirituality. Since the specific interest of the authors is to reclaim the Exercises for women, they undertake the process of reinterpretation with the tools of feminist thought and employ feminist strategies in their revisioning of Ignatius' important text.

Among the most creative strategies for revisioning is the way the authors expand on the many forms of prayer represented in the Exercises. Ignatius offers the examen, meditation, imaginative contemplation, and application of the five senses, all in deep connection with Scripture and the individual's life experience. Dyckman, Garvin and Liebert augment this list for application today. The authors use feminist reconstruction and hermeneutical methods to enhance Ignatius' reading of Scripture to include the experience of women. They also expand prayer-forms to include dreams, positive reflections on one's gifts and experiences, and meditation on classics in theology and literature, including novels and poetry. Drama, film, art, dance, music, yoga, body movement, fantasy and breath prayer, film, television, newspapers and magazines all are encouraged as potential avenues for the centering and embodied reflection Ignatius emphasized.

In addition to the life-giving possibilities inherent in Ignatius' approach, Dyckman, Garvin and Liebert draw special attention to the elements that raise problems from a feminist perspective, notably the notions of sin, suffering and the maleness of Christ. On these topics, the authors skillfully explain the contemporary feminist critiques to provide cautionary guidance for each of the four weeks of Ignatius' Exercises. For example, Week One's emphasis on sin could potentially promote a negative self-image (159). In response, they explain the feminist critique of sin as having been constructed out of masculinist experience, and update Ignatius to incorporate the concept of social or structural sin (163). Week Two's...

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