Jesuits: Mission and Values

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This course will explore the mission and values of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) within the context of their centuries of work in education. When St. Ignatius of Loyola founded the Society of Jesus in 1540, he quickly discerned that education was the medium through which the Jesuits could fulfill the three goals of their mission: the service of faith, the betterment of souls, and the promotion of the common good. These goals are embodied in the mission and values of Jesuit colleges and universities today. This course will pursue two interrelated objectives. First, the exploration of the theology, spirituality, and history of the Jesuits, focusing on their work in education. Second, the application of the materials covered in the first part of the course to a contemporary iteration of Jesuit mission: The Spirit of Georgetown. Thus, this course will introduce students to the Jesuits and their worldview, and, then, invite them to encounter and explore their own self-understanding and their own voice vis-à-vis the values embodied in the Spirit of Georgetown.