Power and Violence in Ignatian Education

Abstract

Since 1548, Ignatian education has been offered in thousands of educational institutions run by the Society of Jesus. The aim of the article is to identify manifestations of power and violence in this education. The author uses the historical method, analyzing the documents produced by the Jesuits before their suppression in 1773, when a relatively uniform system of teaching and upbringing was in force in their institutions around the world. The author notes that Ignatian education was inspired by the spirituality and experiences of the founder of the Order, Ignatius of Loyola was as a self-demanding man, determined and at the same time sensitive and open. He created a thriving, highly hierarchical institution with a global reach, but able to flexibly adapt to local conditions. Despite their laudable aims, Jesuit schools offering Ignatian education have been marked by symbolic, structural and physical violence, and most Jesuits have sided with those of power and importance for centuries. It was only in the 20th century that they took a more decisive stand on the side of those most in need.