The Construction of Ignatian Spirituality in France: 1954–1966: The Case of the Journal Christus

This contribution examines the key aspects of the aggiornamento of Ignatian spirituality promoted by French Jesuits through the journal Christus between 1954 and 1967. The founding of the journal can be understood as a response to a sense of identity crisis among French Jesuits, likely provoked by the Fourvière crisis and the abrupt end of the worker-priest movement, which was eventually prohibited by Rome. In this context, the call to reconnect with Ignatian sources became imperative to foster theological and spiritual reflection capable of shedding light on the tensions of the present. The generation led by Maurice Giuliani, Michel de Certeau, and François Roustang—who spearheaded this editorial project—distanced itself from the hermeneutics of their predecessors, particularly Joseph de Guibert, as regards the spiritual history of the Society of Jesus. Instead, they emphasized a mysticism of action, the necessary integration of spirituality and apostolic works, the ecclesial implications of Ignatian service, and a bold, increasingly open dialogue between Ignatian tradition and the human sciences.