A Spiritual Getaway: The Motivations, Experiences, And Benefits Of A Silent Retreat
2011 DOI: 10.1163/ej.9789004207271.i-360.7 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Survey |
|---|---|
| Population | Retreatants at a Jesuit retreat center in the Southeast |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Retreatants reported that personal retreat activities, including prayer, meditation, and study, played a major role in their coming to know Christ more clearly, love him more dearly, and follow him more nearly. |
Abstract
Retreatants at a Jesuit retreat center in the Southeast were surveyed to assess their motivations for going on retreat, the retreat experience itself, their evaluation of the retreat, and its effect on them. The retreats were based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius which is a collection of prayers and contemplative practices designed to enhance one's spirituality. This chapter contributes to the scholarly literature primarily by examining what Ignatian spirituality offers those on a spiritual journey. In the chapter, a practice-oriented spirituality like Ignatian spirituality offers spiritual seekers that deepen their relationship to the sacred. It investigates an example of lived religion and found that personal retreat activities including prayer, meditation, and studying played a major role in retreatants knowing him (Christ) more clearly, loving him more dearly, and following him more nearly. Keywords: Ignatian spirituality; silent retreat; spiritual exercises