Search

The article explores how to theologically reflect on the practices of spiritual direction, discernment, and the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, considering these practices as potential sources for understanding God's work in the world. Topics include the role of the Holy Spirit in providing graces and gifts to Christians, the communal aspect of these gifts as described in the New Testament, and how discernment serves as a gift of the Spirit that fosters love.

The article delves into the Two Standards meditation in St. Ignatius's Spiritual Exercises, providing a political philosophical perspective. It analyzes the imaginative narrative and rhetorical structures, linking discernment tasks with reflections from political philosophy, exploring the contrast between the leadership of Satan and Christ, and examining biblical resonances related to choices between life and death, liberty and bondage, and light and darkness.