Jean-Joseph Surin

Jean -Joseph Surin SJ ( born February 9, 1600 Bordeaux, † April 22, 1665 in Bordeaux) was a French Jesuit and is considered an important mystic and spiritual writer.

At eight, he took a vow of chastity, with ten years he has been trained by a Carmelite nun in meditation technique. The age of twelve he has in the church of the Carmelite monastery a vision of the essences of God, and then enters the Jesuit College. In 1626 he was ordained as a priest. 1629/30 he studied in the third year of study at Louis Lallemant in Rouen. From 1634 to 1637 he was sent as an exorcist to Loudun to exorcise the Ursulines, who were held to be possessed and had been so shocked by a scheduled host desecration, that he offered his own mind may be possessed rather than that of the prioress Jeanne des Anges. He is convinced that his prayer had been answered. From 1635 to 1651 he showed signs of schizophrenia and was even exorcised. He had been temporarily paralyzed and had his obsessions alienated perceived and enjoyed it. Never but he had ceased to pray. Upon entering the pulpit and the sign of the cross is all this miraculously vanished, similar to the writing down or dictating what was his doctor appeared miraculous. Anyway, Surin has started again in 1654 with the dictation, his main work, the Catéchisme spiritual, written in this way, and preached again from 1656. He had been healed Eight years before his death. He then devoted himself entirely to the spiritual life.

In the history of Christian mysticism Surin is typical of a modern-day emphasis on the subjective, psychological experience dimension. By perfect renunciation and " general transfer " he sees a oneness with the divine grace feasible. Surins mental Catechism has been temporarily censored by the Catholic authorities. In the 20th century has, inter alia, mysticism Michel de Certeau researchers interested in Surin. Pope Francis remarked in 2013 about himself, he was " on the other hand am the mystical flow of Louis Lallement and Jean -Joseph Surin " close.

Works

• Catéchisme spiritual, Paris 1659, published by the Prince of Conti
• Michel de Certeau (ed.): Guide spiritual, Paris 1963.
• Les Fondements de la vie spiritual, Tires du livre de l' imitation de Jésus Christ, anonymous, Paris 1667
• Cantiques spirituels de l' amour divin, pour l'instruction et consolation of âmes devotees Bourdeaux / Paris 1660. * Etienne Catta: Poésies spiritual sur les divers estats de l' amour divin ( spirituels with the Contrats, 1655), Paris 1957.

• Louis Michel, Ferdinand of dispensing (ed.): Lettres spiritual. Édition critique. Vol 1: 1630-1639, Toulouse, 1926, Vol 2: 1640-1659, Toulouse 1928 ( = Bibliothèque de la Revue d' ascétique et de mystique, Vol 1 and 2; selection output, 233 letters ).
• Michel de Certeau (ed.): Jean -Joseph Surin, Correspondences. Paris 1966 (594 letters ).
• Lettres inedites, Lyon 1845.