THE ENEMY OF HUMAN NATURE FROM IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA'S PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Unlike many spiritual authors of his time or earlier times, Ignatius of Loyola prefers to use the term “enemy” or, even, the expression "enemy of human nature”, when speaking of the devil. We investigate such expressions in this paper: we analyse their occurrence in Ignatian writings and explore the sources from which Ignatius may have drawn. The difficulty in tracing their origins leads us to investigate separately the meaning of "enemy” and “human nature” in Ignatius’ semantic/cultural horizon, and then to combine these terms and formulate some hypotheses about the meaning Ignatius gave to the expressions under investigation. What emerges is a vision of an eschatological combat taking place in the heart of every man and woman, in which what is at stake is precisely the interpretation of human nature and the full accomplishment of man in God.

KEYWORDS: Enemy of Human Nature. Demon. Ignatius of Loyola. Eschatological Combat. Modernity.