Frequently Asked Questions for Jesuit Petitioners for the Indies
Volume Authors: Elisa Frei, and Christoph Nebgen
Copyright Year: 2025
The open access publication of this book was supported by the Open Access Publication Fund of Goethe University Frankfurt am Main.
E-Book
Availability: Published
ISBN (pdf): 978-1-947617-41-4
ISBN (epub): 978-1-947617-36-0
Publication: 24 October 2025
Hardback
Availability: Available soon
ISBN: 978-1-947617-29-2
Publication:
Price (excl. tax and ship.):
39.95$
Frequently Asked Questions for Jesuit Petitioners for the Indies
Volume Authors: Elisa Frei, and Christoph Nebgen
Copyright Year: 2025
The open access publication of this book was supported by the Open Access Publication Fund of Goethe University Frankfurt am Main.
E-Book
Availability: Published
ISBN (pdf): 978-1-947617-41-4
ISBN (epub): 978-1-947617-36-0
Publication: 24 October 2025
Hardback
Availability: Available soon
ISBN: 978-1-947617-29-2
Publication:
Price (excl. tax and shipping):
39.95 $
The Roman archives of the Society of Jesus hold over twenty thousand letters—litterae indipetae—in which young Jesuits petitioned their superiors for missions abroad. While these letters are currently well-studied, there is limited insight into the broader social, religious, and political contexts that shaped missionary appointments. This book fills that gap by presenting, translating, and analyzing three early modern documents that offer invaluable perspectives on mission readiness and application.
The first document is a Latin collection by Franz Xaver Amrhyn, S.J. (1655–1731), containing meditative and ascetic texts to help aspiring missionaries discern their vocation. The second is a manuscript formerly held at Ingolstadt, featuring practical advice on qualities required for Eastern missions and a Q&A section on petitioning Rome. The third, Misión a las Indias, is a 1620 Spanish handbook by Girolamo Pallas, S.J. (1594–1670), who upon arriving in Peru detailed his experiences and outlined strategies for navigating the application process.
Together, these documents shed light on the blend of spiritual, practical, and political considerations that informed missionary applications in the Jesuit order during the early modern period.
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Frei, E., & Nebgen, C. (2025). Interview with the missionary: Frequently asked questions for Jesuit petitioners for the Indies. Chestnut Hill, MA: Institute of Jesuit Sources. https://doi.org/10.51238/oaJY41a
Frei, Elisa, and Christoph Nebgen. Interview with the Missionary: Frequently Asked Questions for Jesuit Petitioners for the Indies. Chestnut Hill, MA: Institute of Jesuit Sources, 2025. https://doi.org/10.51238/oaJY41a.
Frei, Elisa, and Christoph Nebgen. Interview with the Missionary: Frequently Asked Questions for Jesuit Petitioners for the Indies. Institute of Jesuit Sources, 2025. https://doi.org/10.51238/oaJY41a.
Frei, Elisa, and Christoph Nebgen. Interview with the Missionary: Frequently Asked Questions for Jesuit Petitioners for the Indies. Chestnut Hill, MA: Institute of Jesuit Sources, 2025. https://doi.org/10.51238/oaJY41a.
© Institute of Jesuit Sources, Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies, All Rights Reserved
© Institute of Jesuit Sources, Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies, All Rights Reserved