John W. O’Malley was University Professor in the Department of Theology at Georgetown University and the author of many books, including Four Cultures of the West, Trent, Vatican I, What Happened at Vatican II, and The First Jesuits (all from Harvard); The First Jesuits has been translated into twelve languages. He was a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the American Philosophical Society, and a recipient of the Harvard Centennial Medal as well as Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Society for Italian Historical Studies, the Renaissance Society of America, and the American Catholic Historical Association. O’Malley was a member of the Society of Jesus and a Roman Catholic priest.

Neither fazed nor overwhelmed, Father O’Malley never loses sight of the forest among the myriad trees… In this book three tenacious myths bite the dust. The first is that Ignatius had a detailed blueprint for his companions… A second myth is that the Jesuits were founded to combat the Reformation and to spearhead its Roman Catholic riposte, the Counter-Reformation… The third myth is that the Jesuits were founded as the pope’s shock troops… Far from being a simple chronicle, it is an account of how the Jesuits, led by the internal dynamism of the Holy Spirit, responded to unpredictable events and new needs.

• Introduction 1. Foundations before the Founding Ignatius and the First Companions The Spiritual Exercises 2. Taking Shape for Ministry The Basic Framework The Campaign for Self-Understanding Pastoral Ideals and Practice Programs of Ministry 3. Ministries of the Word of God Preaching Sacred Lectures Conversation and Publication Teaching Christianity Missions to the Countryside The Exercises in Practice 4. Sacraments, Worship, Prayer Confession and Casuistry Holy Communion and the Eucharist Holy Orders Music and Worship Prayer 5. Works of Mercy Peacemaking Hospitals and Prisons Ministry to the Dying Ministry to Prostitutes Orphans and Daughters of Prostitutes Jews and New Christians Confraternities and the Marian Congregations 6. The Schools Toward Messina and Beyond The Faith in Education Transcending the Modus Parisiensis Jesuit Education Failures, Frustrations, and Crisis Training the Clergy The Impact of the Schools 7.