Alban Goodier (1869–1939)

A balanced and informative read, Jonathan Wright employs a playful -at times smug - tone to his examination of the origin, suppression and rebirth of the Church's most controversial order, the Jesuits. As a Jesuit trained student and teacher, I smiled and cringed throughout the read wishing Wright had focused just a bit more on the pedagogical contributions - good and bad - the Society of Jesus has imparted to students all over the world.

My father in-law, having attended St. John Bapst High show more (not a Jesuit institution) in Bangor, ME, was pleased to hear about the incredible persecution and successful evangelism the patron of his alma mater had.

A historian first, theologian second Wright undoubtedly respects religion's role in the world without entirely convincing the reader that he himself practices it. show less

This is the history of the Jesuits, the Catholic Society of Jesus. It is a scholarly book, well-written but it could be wished it had more historic incidence. I think it would have made the book more readable.

If you are interested in the history of the Jesuits, then I recommend this book especially if it is a scholarly interest.

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1357804.html

This is not a terribly impressive book. It is a more or less chronological account of details of history featuring the Jesuits, with no deep analysis and rather few hard facts - nothing at all to explain their internal structure, miserably brief accounts of how they were founded in 1534 and re-established in 1814. Wright is slightly better on the various political controversies that Jesuits have been involved in, though even here his analysis show more basically amounts to there being two sides of the story. He is good on the Jesuits' contribution to science. He is wholly inadequate on their contribution to colonialism. I can't really recommend this book. show less

Narración de la Vida pública de Cristo. Escrita con unción. Procura transmitir las enseñanzas no en abstracto sino a través de ejemplos.