Draw Me Into Your Friendship: A Literal Translation and a Contemporary Reading of the Spiritual Exercises

The book is a modern transcript of the Spiritual Exercises. By itself, it provides a good guide for the exercises in our modern context, without uncommon words or strange expressions. The condition of the book was almost as new, the delivery time was a lot less than promised. Great deal!

This is a new edition (1996) of Fr. Fleming's previous book entitled "Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius: A Literal Translation and a Contemporary Reading" published in 1978. It is still available from The Institute of Jesuit Sources, St. Louis, and has been reprinted several times. Fr. Fleming's contemporary reading of the Ignatius Spiritual Exercises uses current day language for both men and women, making it easier to understand the translation from the 16th century text. His reading is positioned parallel to the literal translation of the Ignatian Spanish autograph by Fr. Elder Mullan, S.J., a classic.It is a standard text in Regis College, Toronto School of Theology, for those studying the course on Ignatius Spiritual Exercises. I find it also invaluable to refer to from time to time when I am going through the Spiritual Exercises.

This is a great book for anyone interested in Ignatian spirituality. Fleming has both a literal translation of the Spiritual Exercises and a modern interpretation side by side. With this format, you can compare the two texts and decide for yourself when Fleming takes liberties with the text and what modern adaptations are appropriate. The modern adaptation is well done and applies current notions of social justice and other current theology while still being consistent with the orginal meaning of the text.