Founded at Boston College in 2014, the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies seeks to deepen understanding and appreciation for the history, spirituality, educational heritage, and pedagogical approaches of the Society of Jesus.
The Institute hopes to serve as a dynamic and collaborative scholarly resource—both at Boston College and around the world—for important coursework, publications, symposia, online materials, and other programs that convey the distinctive character of the Jesuit mission.
In addition to the Portal to Jesuit Studies, programs and services provided by the Institute include:
PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
Certificate in Jesuit Studies
The immersion, online, and on-campus graduate courses offered through the Certificate in Jesuit Studies program present a variety of opportunities for participants to develop a deep, informed understanding of the spirituality, history, pedagogy, leadership methods, and other aspects associated with the Society of Jesus and its apostolates.
Ever to Excel
Ever to Excel brings high school students to Boston College for one week in the summer in order to learn more about Jesuit spirituality, history, and education and to deepen their faith.
Feore Family Lecture Series on Jesuit Studies
The Feore Family Lecture Series, which features the presentation of the George E. Ganss, S.J. Award, recognizes the contributions of the world’s preeminent scholars in the field of Jesuit Studies.
International Symposia on Jesuit Studies
Crossing thematic, chronological, and disciplinary boundaries, the International Symposia on Jesuit Studies offer annual opportunities for academic exchanges. Symposia have a global impact, attracting a diverse community of scholars, thus far, in Nairobi, Seville, and Boston.
Jesuit Studies Café
A series of informal conversations, Jesuit Studies Café presents unique opportunities for people to engage with the world’s preeminent scholars working on the history, spirituality, and educational heritage of the Society of Jesus. These discussions – hosted at the Institute over coffee and also available via Zoom video-conference – are free and open to the public. To join these online discussions, to find out how to lead one of these discussions, and for additional details, please contact the Institute (iajs@bc.edu).
SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION
Fellowships
The Institute’s in-residence fellowships facilitate the completion and/or publication of academic work related to the Society of Jesus.
Jesuit Sources
Jesuit Sources has published more than 100 volumes to preserve, maintain, and expand for scholars around the world important texts and studies in Jesuit history, spirituality, and pedagogy.
Collaborative Scholars
Institute collaborates with scholars from around the globe, whether at their home institutions or during temporary stays in Boston, by supporting and disseminating their research, offering temporary office space and access to resources at the Institute and Boston College, and providing means for scholars to collaborate with one another.
DIGITAL PROJECTS
The contents of these projects are aggregated within the search capabilities of the Portal to Jesuit Studies.
Jesuit Online Bibliography
Accessible in Open Access at jesuitonlinebibliography.com, the Jesuit Online Bibliography is database of bibliographical records for scholarship (books, chapters, articles, reviews, dissertations, and others materials) in the field of Jesuit Studies. Editorial oversight of bibliography is a collaborative effort between Jesuit research centers and archives as well as scholars and publishers. To learn more, please contact jesuitportal@bc.edu.
Jesuit Online Library
This database allows users to search 39 Jesuit titles, across more than 150,000 pages in more than 1,000 volumes simultaneously or to browse single volumes individually. The Jesuit Online Library includes books and journals in English, Spanish, Latin, and French. The Institute collaborates with rightsholders to make these titles available online at no cost to the users or publishers.
Jesuit Historiography Online
The Jesuit Historiography Online is an Open Access resource that will consist of more than 70 essays on a variety of topics and in a variety of disciplines associated with the history of the Society of Jesus. An interactive guide is available for the essays currently available.
Digital Indipetae Database
The indipetae were letters written by Jesuits to their Superior General in application for the extra-European missions, usually called the “Indies.” The Digital Indipetae Database is an open access resource that allows for the exploration of the indipetae of both the Old and the New Society.
Journal of Jesuit Studies
For the first five years of the peer-reviewed quarterly dedicated to the study of Jesuit history, the Institute allowed for Open Access to the Journal of Jesuit Studies, during which time the publication was indexed by both SCOPUS and the Web of Science as monthly downloads increased from 500 to more than 4,000. An interactive guide is available for research articles available in Open Access.
Studies in the Spirituality of Jesuits
A journal dedicated to Jesuit history and spirituality, Studies examines the spiritual doctrine and practice of Society of Jesus through scholarly essays. It is a product of the Seminar on Jesuit Spirituality, whose membership is composed of Jesuits appointed from their provinces in the United States. An interactive guide is available for all the volumes of Studies currently available through the Jesuit Online Library (1968-2017).
More about the Institute, its mission, and its staff can be found at www.bc.edu/iajs.