Temor, misterio y oposición. Los jesuitas y las órdenes religiosas en la monarquía borbónica del siglo XVIII

Abstract

Fear, mystery and opposition. The Jesuits and the religious orders in the Bourbon monarchy during the 18th century

From the perspective of the history of mentalities and public opinion, in this paper we address the relationship between the regular clergy as a whole and the Society of Jesus, using an analytical framework that spans the 16th to the 18th centuries. Firstly, we will conceptually approach the existing disputes and rivalries among the former, plus the reasons that explain their animosity towards the Jesuits. We should not neglect the fact that discussions of grand scholastic and moral issues were part of the topical agenda during the early modern period. We must also take into account that enlightened reformism conducted a thorough critique of the regular clergy, and that the Jesuits had not only played a key political role from the royal confessional, but also as opinion makers, as illustrated by literary works like the ones of Father Isla. There were many reasons why the regular clergy positioned itself against the sons of St. Ignatius de Loyola.