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Boston College’s Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies will once again offer a Certificate in Jesuit Studies program this summer, combining four weeks of graduate-level coursework on campus with 10 days of experiential learning in Spain and Rome.
The nine-credit program is intended to foster leadership at Jesuit institutions by introducing new employees to the history, spirituality, and leadership methods associated with the Society of Jesus and its apostolates, while revitalizing that knowledge in longer-serving members of the community.
Participants will begin with the experiential learning component from June 24-July 3, followed by the coursework phase at BC from July 6-30. As part of the program, they will examine primary source documents in their historic settings – such as the letters of Jesuits founder Ignatius Loyola at his office in Rome – and, upon returning to Boston, participate in a series of workshops on contemporary challenges led by leaders of Jesuit institutions.
Two additional courses explore the history of the Society of Jesus – with a particular focus on American Jesuits – and and the particular dimensions of Ignatius Loyola’s text, the Spiritual Exercises.
The certificate program is one of several ongoing and forthcoming initiatives developed by the nearly year-old institute, which seeks to deepen understanding and appreciation of the history, spirituality, educational heritage, and pedagogical approach of the Society of Jesus.
The institute is headquarters for Jesuit Sources, a scholarly publishing house for Jesuit-related texts and studies, and home to an online bibliographical library of works in Jesuit studies with a searchable database. Other initiatives include ministry practicum opportunities for School of Theology and Ministry students, and a fellowship program for scholars to facilitate the completion and/or publication of academic work related the Society of Jesus.
In addition, the institute is co-organizing a biannual International Symposium on Jesuit Studies that will debut next month, providing a venue for academic exchange within the global community of scholars across different fields and disciplines.
To register for the Certificate in Jesuit Studies program, or for more information about the institute, see www.bc.edu/centers/iajs.html.