500 years ago, St. Ignatius of Loyola, a soldier turned religious convert, created the Society of Jesus. My guest today argues that many of the principles Ignatius used to guide the Jesuit order are just as applicable to living a flourishing life today.
His name is Father James Martin, he became a Jesuit priest after a stint in corporate America, and he’s the author of The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life. Today Father Martin and I discuss why the insights of Ignatian spirituality have proven useful to people from various faiths and backgrounds, and what these insights can teach us citizens of modernity. We discuss why you should pay more attention to your desires, the benefits of living simply, and how to free yourself from what Ignatius called “disordered attachments.” We also explore how not to be disappointed with your friends, how to improve those relationships, and how to think the best of others and ourselves.
While Father Martin’s advice is obviously given in the context of faith, nonbelievers will also find plenty of insights in this show.
Show Highlights
- The story of Ignatius of Loyola and how the Society of Jesus came to be
- The sometimes humorous, but also tragic vanity of Ignatius
- How Fr. Martin found his way into the priesthood, and the Society of Jesus specifically
- 4 tenets of Ignatian spirituality
- The difference(s) between Christianity and Stoicism
- Why folks from all walks of life have appreciated the message of Fr. Martin’s book
- What is “the examen”? How does one practice it?
- Why should we pay attention to our desires?
- How do you learn to want to want the things you know are good?
- What are “disordered attachments”? How do they mess us up?
- How do we get over our disordered attachments?
- “Act like your best self would”
- How to live simply without becoming a monk
- What is the principle of the presupposition? How can it help our relationships?
- How to love people as they are
- Keeping and nurturing friendships in adulthood
- The virtue of obedience
Resources/People/Articles Mentioned in Podcast
- AoM series on spiritual disciplines
- Thomas Merton
- What Do You Want to Want?
- You Can’t Return to Eden
- Agere contra — acting against
- Why You Should Go to Church — Even If You Aren’t Sure of Your Beliefs
- Want to Feel Like a Man? Then Act Like One
- Francis of Assisi
- Building Your Band of Brothers
- How Not to Be Disappointed With Your Friends
- On the Importance of Keeping in Touch With Old Friends
- 5 Types of Friends Every Man Needs
- Don’t Just Lead Well, Follow Well
- Doing Good vs. Doing Nothing
Connect With Fr. Martin
Listen to the Podcast! (And don’t forget to leave us a review!)
Listen to the episode on a separate page.
Subscribe to the podcast in the media player of your choice.
Podcast Sponsors
Spotify. Spotify is making it easy for you to stream this podcast and many others like it on your mobile device, desktop app, and smart speaker. Open the app on your mobile device or desktop, click on the “browse” channel then click on the “podcast” section to find the Art of Manliness and many others.
Stitcher Premium. Marvel is unveiling their first scripted podcast ever, and it’s available exclusively on Stitcher Premium. In Wolverine: The Long Night, you’ll be immersed in a murder investigation that explores a string of mysterious deaths in Burns, Alaska. To listen now, go to wolverinepodcast.com and use the code MARVEL for a free month of Stitcher Premium.
Proper Cloth. Stop wearing shirts that don’t fit. Start looking your best with a custom fitted shirt. Go to propercloth.com/MANLINESS, and enter gift code MANLINESS to save $20 on your first shirt.
Click here to see a full list of our podcast sponsors.
Recorded with ClearCast.io.
Read the Transcript
Coming soon!
The post Podcast #392: How Jesuit Spirituality Can Improve Your Life appeared first on The Art of Manliness.
(via The Art of Manliness)
