Ignatian Communal Discernment in an African Setting: Small Christian Communities

Discernment is a central theme in Ignatian Spirituality and indeed, Christian spirituality. The life of Jesus is characterised by a series of discernments, which culminated in his election of God's will amidst suffering at Gethsemane. The Society of Jesus was born out of various discernments of St. Ignatius and his companions. However, there has been an almost exclusive treatment of discernment of spirits (as prescribed in the first and second weeks in the Spiritual Exercises) by many commentators to the neglect of discernment of God's will. The dynamics of discernment of spirits lead to both individual and communal discernment of God' s will.