The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius Loyola has been one of the greatest classics of Western spirituality for more than 400 years. Whether you are discovering it for the first time or you are an expert seeking fresh insight into the Exercises, you will profit from this unique new series. Your guide is Fr. Brian McDermott, S.J., former academic dean of the Weston Jesuit School of Theology. A spiritual director for 35 years, he has been Jesuit tertian director for the Maryland and New York Jesuit provinces since 1996.

The Exercises have guided countless Jesuits, other religious and lay people into a profound experience of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. It gained immeasurable success by staying close to the life of Christ, as revealed in the Gospels, and inviting believers to accompany Jesus in his being born, his ministry, his passion and death, and resurrection.

These 18 lectures will introduce you to the powerful dynamics of this timeless classic. Drawing on his own experience of directing the Exercises, Fr. McDermott will guide you into the riches of this text with expert commentaries and relevant contemporary theology.

Ignatius'' imagination was orderly and vibrant. Because of his conviction that believers are best able to grow in their spiritual lives through a combination of structure and flexibility, he developed his Exercises to offer both strengths. You''ll explore the series of progressive and cumulative prayer exercises, through which the believer experiences all the most important ''moments'' of the Christian journey.

This course is part of the Learn25 collection and includes a free PDF study guide.