Archive FM

AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast

"Go Set The World On Fire" and Other Things St. Ignatius Never Said with Bart Geger, SJ

If you've ever been to a Jesuit institution, chances are you've been told to, "Go and set the world on fire." You’ve perhaps walked down halls lined with the text of St. Ignatius’ famous prayer for generosity. And you may have been moved by Fr. Pedro Arrupe’s well-known prayer about falling in love. But did you know none of those things were ever said? At least, not in the way you think. Today's guest is Fr. Bart Geger, SJ, a research scholar at the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies, assistant professor at the School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College and the general editor of "Studies in the Spirituality of Jesuits." He’s also the editor of a forthcoming new edition of the autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola. As Bart will discuss — and as you might have already guessed — some of the most famous lines attributed to St. Ignatius or Fr. Arrupe are misattributed, if they were ever uttered at all. Now, you might say: Who cares? Prayers that teach me to be generous and to serve God are good, right? Falling in love with a God who IS love is a beautiful thing, no? Well, it’s complicated – and that’s where Fr. Geger comes in.
Broadcast on:
06 May 2020

If you've ever been to a Jesuit institution, chances are you've been told to, "Go and set the world on fire." You’ve perhaps walked down halls lined with the text of St. Ignatius’ famous prayer for generosity. And you may have been moved by Fr. Pedro Arrupe’s well-known prayer about falling in love. But did you know none of those things were ever said? At least, not in the way you think. Today's guest is Fr. Bart Geger, SJ, a research scholar at the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies, assistant professor at the School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College and the general editor of "Studies in the Spirituality of Jesuits." He’s also the editor of a forthcoming new edition of the autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola. As Bart will discuss — and as you might have already guessed — some of the most famous lines attributed to St. Ignatius or Fr. Arrupe are misattributed, if they were ever uttered at all. Now, you might say: Who cares? Prayers that teach me to be generous and to serve God are good, right? Falling in love with a God who IS love is a beautiful thing, no? Well, it’s complicated – and that’s where Fr. Geger comes in.