"Go, set the world on fire!"
- St. Ignatius of Loyola
The Ignatian spiritual tradition embodies the practices and principles laid out by St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, and his companions. Over the last 500 years these practices and principles have shaped the foundations of Jesuit, Catholic higher education in significant ways: inspiring our care for whole persons; grounding our commitment as men and women for and with others; animating our critical reflection, dialogue, and social action; inviting our attention to the ongoing presence of God in all things. The Ignatian spiritual tradition underwrites Santa Clara University's vision of educating citizens and leaders of competence, conscience, and compassion and cultivating knowledge and faith to build a more humane, just, and sustainable world.
Below are reflections and resources on the mission, vision, and values of Jesuit, Catholic higher education as it has developed into the present day:
John W. O 'Malley , S. J.
“How the First Jesuits Became Involved in Education.” The Jesuit Ratio Studiorum: 400th Anniversary Perspectives. New York: Fordham University Press, 2000.
General Congregation 32
"Decree 4: Service of Faith and the Promotion of Justice." Documents of the Thirty-Second General Congregation of the Society of Jesus. Rome: Institute of Jesuit Sources, 1975.
Pedro Arrupe, S.J.
"Men and Women for Others." Society of Jesus. Valencia, Spain: 1973.
34th General Congregation
"Decree Five: Our Mission and Interreligious Dialogue." Documents of the Thirty-Fourth General Congregation of the Society of Jesus. Rome: Institute of Jesuit Sources, 1995.
Ignacio Ellacuría, S.J.
Commencement Address Santa Clara University. Santa Clara: Santa Clara University, June 1982.
Promotio Iustitiae
"We Live in a Broken World." Promotio Iustitiae Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat: Reflections on Ecology, No 70, 1999.
Carl F. Starkloff, S.J.
"As Different As Night and Day." Studies in the Spirituality of Jesuits, Volume 28, 4 Sept. 1996.
General Congregation 34
Documents of the Thirty-Fourth General Congregation of the Society of Jesus. Rome: Institute of Jesuit Sources, 1995.
Rev. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J.
“The Service of Faith and the Promotion of Justice in American Jesuit Higher Education.” The Santa Clara Lecture. Santa Clara: Santa Clara University, 6 Oct. 2000.
- A Charism for Dialog - Advice from the Early Jesuit Missionaries in Our World of Religious Pluralism
Francis X Clooney, S.J.
“A Charism for Dialog.” Studies in the Spirituality of Jesuits, Volume 34, 2 March 2002.
Pope Francis
"Justice in the Global Economy Building Sustainable and Inclusive Communities." Promotio Iustitiae Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat: Task Force on the Economy, No 121, 2016.
The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
Some Characteristics of Jesuit Colleges and Universities: A Self-evaluation Instrument. Washington, DC: Association of Jesuit Colleges & Universities, 2012.
Adolfo Nicolás, S.J.
Challenges to Jesuit Higher Education Today. Mexico City, Mexico: Networking Jesuit Higher Education: Shaping the Future for a Humane, Just, Sustainable Globe, 23 Apr. 2010.
Promotio Iustitiae
"Justice in the Global Economy Building Sustainable and Inclusive Communities." Promotio Iustitiae Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat: Task Force on the Economy, No 121, 2016.
Cardinal Turkson
Our Future on a Shared Planet: Silicon Valley in Conversation with the Environmental Teachings of Pope Francis. Santa Clara: Santa Clara University, 3 November 2015.
“SCU and the Legacy of the UCA Martyrs.” UCA Martyrs 25th Anniversary. Santa Clara: Santa Clara University, 16 November 2014.
