The Cambridge Companion to the Jesuits (review)

The Cambridge Companion to the Jesuits, edited by Thomas Worcester, S.J., provides an interesting assortment of articles, which consider both the Society of Jesus and its founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola. The articles embrace a breadth of subject matter as the following subdivision of the table of contents suggests: Ignatius of Loyola, European Foundations of the Jesuits, Geographic and Ethnic Frontiers, Arts and Sciences, and Jesuits and the Modern World. Each article provides either a new insight into previously mined material or an exposition of new sources and how these fit into the wider field of Jesuit studies. Of the various scholars who have contributed, the diverse backgrounds make for an interesting edited volume. The individual articles are generally well written, although some could have benefited from a stronger editorial hand.

Jesuit studies have progressed to a point where historical conferences on early-modern history usually consider a specific Jesuit or a topic fundamentally influenced by the Jesuits. In light of this emphasis and familiarity with Jesuit history among many historians, one may inquire as to the general direction or purpose of this companion. If it were composed for the novice historian of Jesuit studies, then perhaps the volume could have been improved by a more detailed explanation of the basic workings of the Society of Jesus, more along the lines of what Philip Endean’s article did for the Spiritual Exercises and Nicolas Standaert accomplished in his article on the Jesuits in China. Both of these provided more introductory and contextual material. Many of the articles refer to fundamental terms that are well known to the seasoned historian, but perhaps still a puzzle for the newcomer to the field. A chapter, for example, on some of the basic sources of Jesuit history—such as the Constitutions, the Spiritual Exercises, the letters of Ignatius, and an explanation of the Monumenta—would have been helpful. If the book were composed for the more seasoned historian, more could have been incorporated into the text, such as descriptions of archival deposits, past and current historiographical trends, and possible areas of future study. Certainly if the latter were the case, the bibliographies could have contained more sources from non-English speaking authors.

Several “why” questions emerge concerning this work: Why chapters on Japan and China, yet little on India? Why a chapter on the suppression and restoration of the Jesuits and the post-Vatican II Church but little on the nineteenth century where crucial battles occurred within the context of the Italian Risorgemento and Otto von Bismarck’s Kulturkampf, all loci of intense Jesuit involvement? Some opportunities were missed. For example, the article on Jesuits and women spoke of what did not happen (i.e., no female branch of the Jesuits) or what happened to the women who tried to model their manner of living on the Jesuits instead of addressing the valued and consequential role played by women patrons of the arts and the role of wives and widows as patrons and protectors of the Society’s efforts, as well as discussing the relationship between members of the Jesuit order and women who went to them for spiritual direction. Of course, no volume can do everything but why certain episodes were described and others were not could have been made clearer to the reader.

In sum, the book is helpful as to the specific areas addressed by each of the authors, but for a companion to the study of the Jesuits, a clearer focus as to its general purpose might have assisted the reader.