At some point you will want to have and read the text of the Spiritual Exercises. There are a number of versions available for you to choose. I want to mention a few of them here. Then I'll make an observation about the difficulty of actually using the text by itself and without a spiritual director. Third, I'll offer a few resources that explain the ideas and tools of the Exercises. Finally, I'll tell you about my aim and goal.
First, the editions of the Spiritual Exercises.
I have used several editions of the Spiritual Exercises over the years. I am not qualified to speak on the integrity of the various translations, so I am only going to mention two editions that I recommend, due to readability and layout.
The edition I am using for the second time is the one by Louis J. Puhl published by Loyola Press (to the right). It is readable. nicely laid out and a major bonus is that every page has wide margins and an intentionally large bottom margin for note taking.
The other version I like is the Vintage Spiritual Classics edition that has a preface by Avery Dulles. This is the most readable translation (for me) and was done so for modern audiences. It also has 40 pages of preface materials about the Spiritual Exercises and Ignatius of Loyola which is a very nice bonus (see below to the left).
Second, the observation on the difficulty of doing the Exercises.
This may seem a bit strange, but the Spiritual Exercises text itself has been described as a manual for "directors" and not "retreatants." In other words, the Spiritual Exercises are not a self-explanatory manual that can be easily followed and practiced by an individual on their own.
When I was first introduced to these exercises more than ten years ago in a doctoral course on spiritual formation, I asked the three different spiritual directors teaching the course - was there a nice, accessible manual/workbook that one could use to go through the exercises on their own. They answered - not to their knowledge.
A few years later I was undergoing my training in spiritual direction and also going through the Spiritual Exercises under the direction of the Spiritual Renewal Center of Syracuse, I asked the same question of the directors. Their answer was basically the same. They had produced their own "manual" which was pretty good, but really designed to supplement their teaching and provide some guidance for exercises.
I am going to do some major internet research to see if that situation has changed.
Third, a few resources to help you understand the main ideas and tools.
There are several books that are written on the ideas and methodologies contained in the Exercises. These books are useful to understand the ideas, theology, spirituality and methodology, even though they don't really capture or reproduce the process of the Exercises itself. But if you want to understand the "spiritual theory" behind the Exercises and have some guidance for formation out of that theory, any of the books below will be useful.
The Inner Compass: An Invitation to Ignatian Spirituality by Margaret Silf. A very nice book, well done.
Spiritual Freedom: From an Experience of the Ignatian Exercises to the Art of Spiritual Guidance by John J. English, S.J. Hmmm, very nice also a notch or two better than the Inner Compass for exploring the "theory" of the Exercises.
The Ignatian Workout: Daily Spiritual Exercises for a Healthy Faith by Tim Muldoon. And again, another nice book with some practical guidance woven throughout the book.
You could pick any one of these books and use it while reading through (working through) the Exercises and you would come away understanding the essentials of Ignatius' approach to spiritual formation and have some practical suggestions, even if you are not really getting
Finally, my aim and goal.
I have been designing and writing workbook curriculum for several years now. I have a pretty good understanding of developmental processes and develop curriculum that unfolds and implements the process.
I am not going to give the full format on this blogsite (because it will be material that I hope to publish) but I will give some guidance and help for those who are interested in working on the Exercises.
Brian Rice
Leadership ConneXtions International
www.lci.typepad.com
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