Muskhelishvili Nikolay; Antonenko Andrey

On Ignatius’ of Loyola spiritual practice and the vision in La Storta

Abstract

This article studies the problem of comprehension of Ignatius’ of Loyola spiritual method. The fi rst part of the article outlines the basic principles that are necessary to carry out the study as to the functioning of the inner speech as the language of mind; it also pays special attention to N.I. Zhinkin’s conception of the twofold structure of the inner speech. The second part analyses Ignatius’ methodology of prayer described in the Spiritual Exercises and compares it with the tradition of lectio divina on the base of Guigo’s II text. The article studies in more detail the refl ection of the priciple of transitivity in the Spiritual Exercises, thanks to which principle the one who practises it acquires the objective of the possibility of communication with God. The transitivity is clearly implemented in the event placed in the title of the article which happened to Loyola in the shrine of La Storta, the analysis of which continues the aticle. The autocommunicative nature of this event — it had happened to Ignatius before writing the Spiritual Diary, — and those visual and auditive components that are present in it allow one to make a conclusion about the interrelationship of the visions and the gift of the “discourse” as constituent elements of Loyola’s religious method of spiritual self-cognition in the Spiritual Diary.

Keywords

Ignatius of Loyola, autocommunication, inner voice, practice of prayer, religious method, lectio divina, transitivity

References

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Information about the author

Muskhelishvili Nikolay

Academic Degree: Doctor of Sciences* in Psychological Sciences;
Academic Rank: Professor;
Place of work: Russian State University for the Humanities; 6 Miusskaya Sq., Moscow, 125993, GSP-3, Russian Federation;
Post: Professor, Educational and Resear ch Centr e of Religious Studies;
ORCID: 0000-0002-6253-6244;
Email: muskh.symbol@mail.ru.

*According to ISCED 2011, a post-doctoral degree called Doctor of Sciences (D.Sc.) is given to reflect second advanced research qualifications or higher doctorates.

Antonenko Andrey

Student status: Graduate student;
Place of study: Russian State University for the Humanities; 6 Miusskaya Sq., Moscow, 125993, GSP-3, Russian Federation;
ORCID: 0000-0001-9800-1252;
Email: akantonenko1145@gmail.com.