Here are the rules, conferences and writings of these two Vincentian founders who, through service to the poor, left an indelible mark on the church in France in the seventeenth century and beyond to the present. Louise (1591-1660) first came to Vincent (1581-1660) for spiritual direction and they became coworkers and friends for the rest of their lives.

The Power of Religious Societies in Shaping Early Modern Society and Identities studies the value system of the French Catholic community the Filles de la Charité, or the Daughters of Charity, in the first half of the seventeenth century. An analysis of the activities aimed at edifying morality in the different strata of society revealed a Christian anthropology with strong links to medieval traditions. The book argues that this was an important survival strategy for the Company with a disconcerting religious identity: the non-cloistered lifestyle of its members engaged in charity work had been made unlawful in the Council of Trent. Moreover, the directors Louise de Marillac and Vincent de Paul also had to find ways to curtail internal resistance as the sisters rebelled in quest of a more contemplative and enclosed vocation.

This work is a study of the spirituality of St. Louise de Marillac. It makes Louise's spirituality accessible to today's Christian showing her as a model and guide. A perfect book for those wishing to have a deeper knowledge of Vincentian spirituality.

In one series, the original writings of the universally acknowledged teachers of the Catholic, Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, Jewish, and Islamic traditions have been critically selected, translated, and introduced by internationally recognized scholars and spiritual leaders. Miguel de Molinos (c. 1628-1696) was one of the most important figures in the religious controversy known as Quietism. Spanish by birth, he spent nearly his entire adult life in Rome, where he attracted wide fame as a spiritual director and gained the favor of several prominent figures. His Spiritual Guide (1675) recommended a life of spiritual simplicity and promoted what became known as the prayer of quiet. On publication it was an immediate bestseller, but the Guide's fame came to an abrupt end in 1685 when Molinos was accused of heresy and sentenced to life imprisonment. He died in prison in 1696. This Classics of Western Spirituality edition of the Spiritual Guide was translated from the new critical edition of José Ignacio Tellechea Idígoras. It provides an unabridged translation in modern English along with a historical introduction by the translator and a theological introduction by the eminent scholar Bernard McGinn. Book jacket.

Spiritual ideals in early modern Europe shaped political and social poor relief structures just as much as rationalization and effective administration colored ecclesiastical charity efforts. Thomas Max Safley examines the roles of the community in responding to poverty, whatever the context: religious, political, or private (the elite).