Ignatius of Loyola was the founder of the concept of “spiritual exercises” these were practices that were meant to prepare ones soul for the transition into heaven. These exercises consisted of prayer, meditation, and other spiritual activities that aimed to “[be] preparing and disposing the soul to rid itself of all inordinate attachments… seeking and finding the will of god.” Ignatius differentiates the “material” and “spiritual”  spheres, thus allowing the possibility of “saving ones soul” by the act of using the things created on this earth to achieve his end for which he is created and remove and cleanse himself in practices such as spiritual exercises of the things that are a hindrance to him. This belief of Loyola leads him to the conclusion that ones desire and choices should be what will let them achieve the end for which one is created.

In Loyola’s “Rules for Thinking with the Church” He is discrediting protestant ideals by siding with catholic tradition. This is seen is his support for confession, mass, relics, and Lent. Loyola writes, “what seems to men white I will believe black if the hierarchical church so defines.”  It is this belief that lead many protestants to have a problem with the church in the first place. This belief shows that unity in church thinking is held very highly in Loyola’s eyes, and is even higher than the right to question how one is interpreting what they are preaching. This belief coincides with the religious unity the catholic church has always desired. The overarching theme in this passage was that the faith and obedience in church officials would lead you to greater religious devotion.

Ignatius of Loyola’s attitudes of the church had become very popular as he seemed to neutralize the ideas of Luther and the reformation church. While Luther and Loyola had both come to realize the justness of god Loyola had gone about it in a way of reaffirming many of the Churches practices such as indulgences, relics, and so on. I think that his beliefs were so popular because his emphasis was on all the ways that you can deepen your relationship with god and cleanse your soul through spiritual exercises. This practice may have become so popular because of all the missionaries that we’re focused on teaching people about it and because of the reformation they’re may have been many catholic people looking for a new way to worship god but still be practicing the same beliefs.