Abstract
De Nicolas presents an hermeneutic exploration of the life and work of St. Ignatius of Loyola, including new translations of his essential metaphysical writings. Detailed philosophical analyses reveal the latent ‘embodied epistemology’ of Ignatius’ meditation system. Known as the spiritual exercises, this system is portrayed as a technology of the imagination capable of opening a way towards creative psychosocial development and/or spiritual transformation. Review discussion notes some striking similarities between major elements of the spiritual exercises, yogic meditation practice, and Freudian psychotherapy. The idea of embodied epistemology is recognized as a bio-psychosocial knowledge process, and the potential value of Ignatian metaphysics for students of human subjectivity is emphasized.