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Ignatius of Loyola - knight and saint, mystic and ascetic, founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) - was one of the great figures in Western Christianity.

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Library Journal Review

This may be the first psychoanalytic biography of Ignatius of Loyola. Jesuit Meissner (psychoanalysis, Boston Coll.) is well qualified for authorship. All aspects of the saint's life are analyzed in detail from a Freudian perspective. In addition to the obviously decisive battle injury, the following are seen as crucial influences: family background, his mother's death when he was an infant, his experience as a knight, and the historical setting of devoutly Catholic 15th- and 16th-century Spain. The book will appeal largely to specialists in psychoanalysis or to those with a deep interest in Ignatius. Nonspecialists will find more information than they want to know. Recommended for theological, seminary, and university libraries.-- Larry Seilhamer, St. Paul's Coll., Lawrenceville, Va. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

Meissner's biographical and pyschoanalytic study of Ignatius of Loyola, mystic, saint, and founder of the Jesuits, is a masterful work that succeeds on several levels. First, it is a lively, detailed and very readable account of St. Ignatius's life. Second, it shows the hidden motivations and drives of this man as seen through psychoanalytic (Freudian) eyes. Although Meissner, who is both a Jesuit and psychoanalyst, interprets Ignatius's deeds and mystical experiences in terms of pyschoanalysis, he does not fall into the trap of reductionism. His own deep understanding of spirituality balances his psychoanalytic perspective. The reader begins to understand how psychological woundings can in fact be a spur to enduring and heroic accomplishments. At the same time the reader clearly understands some of the psychological causes of certain religious attitudes and experiences. The work helps to elucidate the distinction between quasi-mystical experiences, which are primarily psychological in origin, and more authentic ones. Similarly, it displays how authentic mystical experiences can become colored through the mystic's psyche. Highly recommended for both graduate and upper-level undergraduate students. A. McDowell; Ithaca College