The Jesuit Ethos aims at revisiting important moments in Jesuit history from the margins, and in light of the current global challenges. It argues that by examining Jesuit history from the margins, one better appreciates this history as a spiritual journey, a constant quest for the unity of hearts and minds among the members. Their cultural and political origins, the diversity of their ministries, their apostolic dispersion amid the “First Globalization,” and constant assaults from declared enemies kept the Jesuits on the verge of implosion and immolation and made the unity among their members a matter of survival. By analyzing how the Jesuits exploited their diversity of cultures and politics to build a global ethos, and how this global organization was sustained for the last 500 years, relevant lessons can be learned to address the ongoing challenges of our global community. While speaking to a broader, global-oriented audience, such a history might be the first of such by an African (thus its originality), in a context of shifting demographics in the Church and Society of Jesus, and questions about the identity of its institution and mission.

The first section of this volume deals with the formation of the Jesuit philosophy of education and with Jesuit education in Europe and America from its inception to the present. Included are discussions of how the Jesuit traditions of spirituality, education, and formation interface with the status of women, the challenge of modernity, and the renewed quest for authentic spirituality. The second section explores the Jesuit missions, history, and cultural insights, focusing primarily on interactions with native peoples of the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Rather than emphasizing Jesuits as teachers, this section highlights notable cases not previously studied where Jesuits have functioned primarily as learners and pioneers in South America, the American Southwest and Northwest, Africa, and India.

A Jesuit Education Reader is a collection of the best writing on the mission, challenge, and state of Jesuit education. This anthology will prove especially valuable to those who work in Jesuit education and other Catholic and Christian schools.

Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- List of Tables -- Foreword -- Acknowledgments -- 1 Introduction: The Idea of a Jesuit-Catholic University -- 2 Modus Operandi of This Hermeneutics of Leadership -- 3 Nurturing for Leadership -- 4 Leadership Behaviors and Styles -- 5 Translation of Values -- 6 Spirit of Jesuit-Catholic Leadership -- 7 Power and Jesuit-Catholic Leadership -- 8 Convergence Lens for University Leadership -- Bibliography -- Index.