Spiritual regeneration: New Religious Orders; Loyola and the Jesuits; beliefs, discipline and influence
The Catholic Church fought back against the Reformation by creating new religious orders. The most powerful was the Jesuits, founded by Ignatius Loyola, who trained priests to spread and defend Catholic faith worldwide.
Real World
The Jesuits operated like a highly trained rapid-response unit: within decades of their 1540 founding, Francis Xavier had reached India and Japan, demonstrating a global reach no Protestant organisation could match and making Jesuit missionary work central to Catholic survival.
Exam Focus
Specify the Jesuits' three main roles — education, missions, and combating heresy — rather than describing them vaguely; precision is rewarded in 'explain' and 'assess' questions.
Essay Framework
Use PEEL to structure every paragraph. Tap each step for guidance and an example.
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