Landmarking City Church & Jesuit Urban Strategy

Publisher Description

Landmarking provides the first in-depth study of St. Ignatius' revolutionary urban vision for the Jesuit order. The dynamic process of actualizing Ignatian mission strategies in city centers provides the unifying core for this narrative. Unlike any orders before them, the Jesuits located their apostolates in highly visible downtown locations, where they could not only save souls but also dialogue with urban culture. Lucas documents the profound effect this "urban mission" has on Jesuit identity and metropolitan culture. From the order's Roman foundation through its choice of sites and activities in Goa and Cuzco (sixteenth and seventeenth century), Macao, Beijing, Prague, St. Mary's City (seventeenth century), San Francisco (nineteenth century), Chicago, and New York (twentieth century), Lucas points to a characteristically Jesuit strategy for choosing sites for apostolic purposes. Seventy-two maps, charts, and rare engravings illustrate the text.