A concise history of the Jesuits: from Ignatius to Pope Francis

"This is the first book in the new The Jesuits: Frontiers, Foundations, Influences series, edited by David Collins, SJ. Markus Friedrich, the leading historian of the Jesuits, tells the story of the Society of Jesus from its founding by Ignatius of Loyola in 1540 to the papacy of Francis, the first Jesuit pope. In brief and very readable prose, Friedrich shows how the Jesuits have simultaneously been rigorous enforcers of church doctrine and alarmingly (to some) progressive. By examining the Jesuits' role as educators, missionaries, and religious leaders, Friedrich shows how the Jesuits have shaped both the Catholic church and the modern world. Friedrich published a much longer history, which was published in English by Princeton. This shorter volume is much more approachable and should reach a wider audience"-- Provided by publisher.