Ignatian spirituality in the Church of Sweden,a qualitative study ABSTRACTThe purpose of this qualitative research study is to investigate the meaning of Ignatian spirituality for some employees in the Church of Sweden. The method used in the study is individual, semi-structured interviews with five employees in the Church of Sweden. To meet the purpose, three questions have been asked: 1)     What has the meeting with Ignatian spirituality meant to the informants of the study? 2)    How do the informants integrate their experiences from the Ignatian spirituality in their parish practice? 3)    How do the informants relate to their ecumenical encounters? The empirical material was then analyzed according to the three questions, mentioned above and in the relation to the thinkers within the field of Ignatian Spirituality. In the analysis, the material was organized according to three themes: the personal experience of Ignatian spirituality, the integration in the parish practice and ecumenical encounters. The results of the research show that the priests and deacons are indeed submitted to the Ignatian spirituality, in their whole life. They are familiar with the Ignatian tools and well informed about Ignatius of Loyola and his Spiritual Exercises. In their parish practice they tend to feel lonely, and they long for colleagues acquainted with the Spiritual Exercises, but since the Spiritual Exercises imbue their whole life, the Spiritual Exercises are evident in all their practices. They also dwell on how they can reach out, making the Gospel accessible also to those somewhat more resistant or not interested. All informants are ecumenical and talk about experiences of ecumenical encounters. The study indicates a clear parallel between the Ignatian Spirituality and Receptive Ecumenism, both movements obviously grounded in an introspection that opens possibilities for true meetings.

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Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 69-73).

Ignatius av Loyolas konkreta pedagogiska övningar attraherar samtidens kristna från olika samfund och i Svenska kyrkan växer intresset för den ignatianska spiritualiteten. Syftet med denna studie är att genom intervjuer, enkät och teori undersöka den ignatianska spiritualitetens framgång inom Svenska kyrkan i dag. Totalt 29 informanter har genom djupintervjuer och enkäter beskrivit sin ignatianska praktik. Informanterna i studien beskriver att den ignatianska spiritualiteten tar deras individuella erfarenheter i bruk. Detta samtidigt som syftet är att de ska förstå vad som är Guds vilja med livet. Informanterna upplever att den ignatianska spiritualiteten har gett dem möjlighet till en personlig gudsrelation samt gett dem nya pedagogiska metoder för att fördjupa sin tro och kunna se Gud i vardagen. Informanterna menar sig ha sökt en fördjupning av sin tro och att de funnit denna fördjupning genom den ignatianska spiritualiteten. Studiens teoretiska perspektiv utgörs av religionsfilosofen Charles Taylors teori om ”den subjektiva vändningen”, Linda Woodhead och Paul Heelas ”subjektiveringsteori” samt Karin Johannesons pastoralteologiska reflektion om andlig träning i en luthersk kontext. Taylor menar att kulturen i väst genomgått ett stort skifte som innebär att yttre auktoriteter förlorar i betydelse och den enskildes inre istället blir den främsta auktoritetskällan. Woodhead och Heelas subjektiveringsteori menar att människors immanenta gudstro växer i väst medan den transcendenta gudstron avtar och Johannesson presenterar tre viktiga kännetecken för andlig träning i en luthersk kontext. Hon menar att en sådan bör vara anti-individualistisk, ta sig uttryck i vardagen och sätta den fördjupade gudsrelationen i centrum I min studie blir Charles Taylors teori om den subjektiva vändningen synlig. Den ignatianska spiritualiteten talar till det personliga subjektet men förankrar praktiken i den kristna traditionen. Woodhead och Heelas subjektiveringsteori har jag funnit visst stöd för, men något som skiljer sig från teorin är att Gud som auktoritet inte förkastas. Ett intressant resultat som empirin visar är att informanterna uppskattar de auktoritära drag som spiritualiteten bär på. Studiens samlade bild av den ignatianska spiritualitetens funktion är i linje med Johannessons beskrivning av en anti-individualistisk andlighet, som tar sig uttryck i vardagen och som sätter den fördjupade gudsrelationen i centrum. Informanterna upplever att Ignatius pedagogiska metoder kan vara ett sätt att ge svenskkyrkliga handfast ledning i konsten att fördjupa sin tro på ett sätt som är i linje med luthersk teologi. Studien visar att metoderna fungerar väl i senmodernitetens subjektiva vändning utan att Gud som auktoritet överges.

[pt] Esta dissertação roçará pelo ficcional. Teremos um Vieira personagem que, como ator, aparece em cena já idoso, invadido pelo passado, a recordar, a escrever, trazido pela narradora onisciente que lhe decifra gestos, palavras e até pensamentos. Através dele, conheceremos um pouco de sua vida e da vida de Inácio de Loyola, o seu grande mestre. Analisaremos, desde a sua gênese, a Reforma e a Contra-Reforma, a sua influência sobre Vieira e o seu posicionamento diante dos dois movimentos que mudaram a história da Igreja.. Neste contexto, examinaremos o movimento artístico que tanto influenciou Vieira, o Barroco - movimento de transgressão, com suas tendências e características, e o interesse da Igreja em dele apropriar-se para fazê-lo a sua arma de divulgação. Analisar-se-ão, finalmente, alguns sermões, começando pelos que se intitulam As cinco pedras da funda de Davi, e nestes sobretudo a questão do conhecimento de si mesmo, abordada por Vieira através das parábolas e histórias bíblicas por ele privilegiadas.Nos sermões do Rosário, referentes aos negros, atentarse- á para o forte cunho social e político que lhes é imprimido e a dura crítica aos senhores de engenho.Nos sermões do Mandato, tratar-se-á da contraposição do amor divino ao humano, destacando-se a questão do fino amor, proposta por Vieira, demonstrada através do contraponto entre a fineza dos dois amores, o divino e o humano, este sempre duvidoso e inconstante. / [en] This thesis borders on the fictional. Its protagonist is Vieira, already an old man, haunted by the past, reminiscing and writing, a character created by the omniscient narrator who deciphers his gestures, words and even thoughts. Through Vieira we learn something not only about his own life but also about that of Ignatius of Loyola, his great master. An analysis is made of the Reformation and the Counterreformation, from their very beginnings, and of their influence on Vieira, showing the stands he took in relation to the two movements that changed the history of the Church. In this context we will examine the artistic movement that had such influence on Vieira, the baroque - a transgressive movement, with its trends and characteristics, which the Church tried to appropriate for its own propaganda purposes.Finally, we will also analyze a few sermons, beginning with those known under the title The Five Stones in David`s Sling, with the emphasis on the issue of self-knowledge, which Vieira approaches by means of parables and favorite Biblical stories.In the Rosary sermons, which refer to the condition of black people, we underscore their very strong social and political flavor, with their harsh criticism of the powerful owners of sugar plantations.In the Mandate sermons, the theme is the contrast between divine love and human love; in them Vieira discusses the topic of fine love, demonstrating his views through a counterpoint between the fineness of the two loves, the divine and the human, the latter always doubtful and inconstant.

[pt] O discernimento é uma dimensão intrínseca à vida cristã. No contato com textos bíblicos podemos atestá-la desde os profetas passando por Jesus, Paulo e João. O discernimento nos insere numa vida de fé dinâmica, constantemente interpelada pela ação do Espírito Santo. Essas interpelações devem nos levar a atitudes concretas, onde o ser humano investe sua liberdade no projeto salvífico de Deus. Nessa dissertação propomos uma compreensão dessa realidade a partir da ótica de Inácio de Loyola, o que representa o modo como ele buscou captar e interpretar a vontade de Deus em sua vida e de como este modo proporciona mais qualidade no seguimento a Jesus Cristo. A marca da sua espiritualidade é o discernimento, o qual é baseado na sua forte experiência de Deus. Inácio enfatiza que Deus se faz ouvir e compreender nos condicionamentos humanos de cada época, nas experiências mais cotidianas; pode ser buscado e encontrado em todas as coisas. Neste panorama, ele resgata a dimensão pessoal da vida cristã, ao mesmo tempo em que proporciona uma unidade antropológica. Pois fala de um estar atento aos movimentos interiores (moções) de consolação e desolação, fazendo disso critério de discernimento. Mais, o discernimento inaciano restaura a liberdade e a responsabilidade na vida cristã, ao admitir que a busca e o encontro da vontade de Deus na vida de cada um cabe à pessoa. Esse traço do discernimento inaciano desemboca numa abertura mais confiante à ação do Espírito Santo e numa vida com mais sentido. / [en] Discernment is an intrinsic dimension of the Christian life. In contact with biblical texts, we can attest it from the prophets through Jesus, Paul and John. Discernment inserts us into a life of dynamic faith, constantly challenged by the action of the Holy Spirit. These challenges should lead us to concrete actions in which the human being invests his freedom into the salvific plan of God. In this thesis, we propose a comprehension of this reality from the perspective of Ignatius of Loyola, which represents the way how he sought to capture and interpret the will of God, and how this provides better quality in the following of Jesus Christ. The mark of Ignatius spirituality is discernment, which is based on his strong experience of God. Ignatius emphasizes that God is heard and understood from the human conditioning of each epoch, from the most everyday experiences; God can be sought and found in all things. Ignatius rescues the personal dimension of Christian life while providing an anthropological unit since he speaks about being aware of the inner movements (motions) of consolation and desolation, making of these the criterion of discernment. Further, ignatian discernment restores freedom and responsibility in the Christian life, since he admits that the search and the meeting of the will of God is up to each person. This feature of the discernment ends in an opening confident to the Holy Spirit and in a more meaningful life.

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The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order, presuppose Roman Catholicism, but are today made by many who are not Catholics. Moreover, even Roman Catholics who make Ignatian Exercises often are not spontaneously inclined to obey Roman ecclesiastical authority. Neither avoiding the ecclesial dimension nor an authoritarian ‘follow the rules!’ provides spiritual directors with adequate orientation when working with issues at Church frontiers. This dissertation in pastoral theology seeks to navigate a middle position by moving beyond the individualism and the a-historical assumptions of the existing relevant literature. The dissertation remains close to the Ignatian primary sources, in the awareness that the Ignatian tradition needs to be constantly updated and that the contemporary ecclesial frontiers are not fully foreseen in the canonical texts. The main hypothesis is that a notion is needed of a ‘pilgrim Church’ in space and time, with Christians who are related to one another in a deep and fundamental sense. The minor hypothesis is that the individual needs to be open towards and prepared to learn from the Roman Catholic Church, in order to understand and to be profoundly moved by these exercises, but not necessarily to become a Roman Catholic. Having presented and discussed various approaches in the writings of twentieth-century and recent thinkers, this thesis puts forward its own ecclesiological position informed by Charles Taylor, Hans-Georg Gadamer and Karl Rahner. The aim is to take Ignatian studies forward by combining relational anthropology, hermeneutics and a sacramental understanding of the Church, and to apply this synthesis to the practice of giving Ignatian Exercises. The final chapter discusses a selection of cases in the light of my ecclesiological position. The synthesis and application claim originality.

Au début de son Traité fondamental de la foi, Karl Rahner avise le lecteur que l’introduction au concept de christianisme qu’il propose se déploie à ce qu’il nomme un « premier niveau de réflexion » (erste Reflexionsstufe). S’il le distingue explicitement du niveau de réflexion des sciences entendues au sens usuel, il n’en donne pas de définition formelle, s’employant plutôt à le mettre en œuvre. Curieusement, eu égard à l’importance que lui accorde Rahner, la question de ce « plan » alternatif de compréhension et de justification de la foi chrétienne est demeurée pratiquement sans écho (un constat formulé par Max Seckler en 1984 et renouvelé par Karl H. Neufeld en 2006). C'est à cette question du « premier niveau de réflexion » chez Rahner que s'attache la présente étude. Après avoir dressé un état de la question, nous y présentons les jalons du déve-loppement du concept chez Rahner, depuis ses articles sur la formation des prêtres en contexte de pluralisme jusqu’au Traité fondamental de la foi. Nous y montrons ensuite en quoi la référence de Rahner à l'illative sense newmanien, contestée lorsqu’elle n’est pas négligée par les commentateurs, peut être une clé d’interprétation de la notion qui nous occupe, le « sens illatif » (et la Grammar of Assent) éclairant le « premier niveau de réflexion » (et le Traité fondamental), et vice versa. Nous y voyons enfin comment cette référence à Newman met sur la voie des Exercices spirituels d’Ignace de Loyola, lequel aura été pour Rahner non seulement un maître spirituel, mais également un maître de théologie. Ce qui paraissait n’être au début qu’une indication d’ordre didactique se révèle dès lors comme une caractérisation fondamentale de la théologie telle que la com-prend Rahner. / At the start of his Foundations of Christian Faith, Karl Rahner informs the reader that his proposed introduction to the idea of Christianity unfolds on a “first level of reflection” (erste Reflexionsstufe), as he labels it. Although he very clearly differentiates this level from that of the sciences in their usual sense, he does not provide a formal definition of the former, opting rather to implement it in his own work. Considering the importance this alternative “plan” for the understanding and the justification of the Christian faith had for Rahner, it is strangely interesting to note that practically no echo of this matter is found in subsequent literature (as stated by Max Seckler in 1984, and again, Karl H. Neufeld in 2006). The present study is devoted, precisely, to this question of the “first level of reflection”. Following our literature review, we will present the key moments in the development of Rahner’s concept, from his articles on the formation of priests in a pluralistic context to his Foundations of Christian Faith. Next, we will demonstrate how Rahner's reference to Newman's illative sense, though challenged (when not neglected) by commentators, could be a means of interpreting the notion this thesis is concerned with, insofar as the illative sense (and the Grammar of Assent) may shed light on the “first level of reflection” (and Foundations), and visa-versa. Ultimately, we will see how this reference to Newman paves the way to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, who was to be, for Rahner, not only a spiritual master, but also a theo-logical master. Therefore, what appeared to be a simple didactical opening statement reveals itself to be, from then on, a fundamental characterization of theology as understood by Rahner.

Au début de son Traité fondamental de la foi, Karl Rahner avise le lecteur que l’introduction au concept de christianisme qu’il propose se déploie à ce qu’il nomme un « premier niveau de réflexion » (erste Reflexionsstufe). S’il le distingue explicitement du niveau de réflexion des sciences entendues au sens usuel, il n’en donne pas de définition formelle, s’employant plutôt à le mettre en œuvre. Curieusement, eu égard à l’importance que lui accorde Rahner, la question de ce « plan » alternatif de compréhension et de justification de la foi chrétienne est demeurée pratiquement sans écho (un constat formulé par Max Seckler en 1984 et renouvelé par Karl H. Neufeld en 2006). C'est à cette question du « premier niveau de réflexion » chez Rahner que s'attache la présente étude. Après avoir dressé un état de la question, nous y présentons les jalons du déve-loppement du concept chez Rahner, depuis ses articles sur la formation des prêtres en contexte de pluralisme jusqu’au Traité fondamental de la foi. Nous y montrons ensuite en quoi la référence de Rahner à l'illative sense newmanien, contestée lorsqu’elle n’est pas négligée par les commentateurs, peut être une clé d’interprétation de la notion qui nous occupe, le « sens illatif » (et la Grammar of Assent) éclairant le « premier niveau de réflexion » (et le Traité fondamental), et vice versa. Nous y voyons enfin comment cette référence à Newman met sur la voie des Exercices spirituels d’Ignace de Loyola, lequel aura été pour Rahner non seulement un maître spirituel, mais également un maître de théologie. Ce qui paraissait n’être au début qu’une indication d’ordre didactique se révèle dès lors comme une caractérisation fondamentale de la théologie telle que la com-prend Rahner. / At the start of his Foundations of Christian Faith, Karl Rahner informs the reader that his proposed introduction to the idea of Christianity unfolds on a “first level of reflection” (erste Reflexionsstufe), as he labels it. Although he very clearly differentiates this level from that of the sciences in their usual sense, he does not provide a formal definition of the former, opting rather to implement it in his own work. Considering the importance this alternative “plan” for the understanding and the justification of the Christian faith had for Rahner, it is strangely interesting to note that practically no echo of this matter is found in subsequent literature (as stated by Max Seckler in 1984, and again, Karl H. Neufeld in 2006). The present study is devoted, precisely, to this question of the “first level of reflection”. Following our literature review, we will present the key moments in the development of Rahner’s concept, from his articles on the formation of priests in a pluralistic context to his Foundations of Christian Faith. Next, we will demonstrate how Rahner's reference to Newman's illative sense, though challenged (when not neglected) by commentators, could be a means of interpreting the notion this thesis is concerned with, insofar as the illative sense (and the Grammar of Assent) may shed light on the “first level of reflection” (and Foundations), and visa-versa. Ultimately, we will see how this reference to Newman paves the way to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, who was to be, for Rahner, not only a spiritual master, but also a theo-logical master. Therefore, what appeared to be a simple didactical opening statement reveals itself to be, from then on, a fundamental characterization of theology as understood by Rahner.