Lecture: Ignatian Exercises for Seekers

Last night, I attended a lecture at Boston College's School of Theology and Ministry given by Roger Haight, S.J. on providing the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola to contemporary seekers. His lecture was based on his work at Union Theological College in New York City where he offered a course on the Spiritual Exercises to students of diverse religious backgrounds. Students are Buddhists, Unitarians who self-define themselves as non-Christians, and nominal Christian without any formal religious experience.

Haight defined seeker as one who does not feel settled within a definite faith community, wants more coherence, greater direction, or a comprehensive meaning to the questions in life. One seeks answers to large questions of meanings and purpose. The seeker is a broad and inclusive term and does not refer to everyone even though a seeking component exists in all of us. He chose to offer this class as the seeker is becoming normative in society as many people are secular or schooled in a religious faith, but is not moved by the system in which they stand.

Spirituality is defined as the way people live - in light of a horizon of dealing with ultimate questions to human existence. Spirituality is not only lifestyle. It is the way in which one makes decisions and finds one's compass in life.

Within this context, Haight maintains that everyone can imaginatively enter into the story of Jesus - highlighting Jesus as a human being. The humanity of Jesus is key to universal relevance. We need to find a language that accommodates two audiences - the transcendent divine and the fellow human traveler (that was ratified during the Council of Chalcedon.)

In his talk, Haight outlined three exercises within the Spiritual Exercises as a point of reference: 1.) Seeking Principles and a Foundation, 2.) The Call of the King, and 3.) Finding God in all Things (Contemplation to attain Love.)

In Seeking Principles and a Foundation, Haight stresses human existence is freedom. He notes that we must seek those actions that nurture freedom in self and others, that freedom is most itself when it is not weighed down with attachments, and that we find meaning and purpose in existence when we choose.

In The Call of the King, he says that for Christians, the only place to find transcendence in the world is in the person of Jesus; for a non-Christian, it is in some other place, but one can appeal to Jesus as a leader who appeals to human freedom with a divine cause. The actions of Jesus represent what God is like. The actions of Jesus provide a template for complete human freedom.

In Find God in All Things, Haight refers to creation spirituality as it is transformed in the context of a personal God revealed by Jesus. Creation an existence become personal gifts that call for gratitude. One's action is motivated by the fundamental moral attitude of gratitude.

Haight's motivation is to reach out to those who are seeking and are not finding much connection with institutionalized religion. He roots spirituality within the story of creation with a cosmic personalism mediated by Jesus. One sees a radical commitment to the world and the people in it as responses of love to the Creator. Eschatology is the complete personal freedom within the Creator's freedom.