{"product_id":"great-risks-had-to-be-taken-the-jesuit-response-to-vatican-ii","title":"Great Risks Had to Be Taken: The Jesuit Response to Vatican II","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this review of Great Risks Had to Be Taken the author offers a clear, firsthand account of how the Society of Jesus responded to the Second Vatican Council. This historical memoir is best for readers interested in Catholic history, ecclesiology, and the internal renewal of religious orders; the single biggest reason to buy is Patrick Howell's direct perspective on how rediscovering Ignatian spirituality and restructuring mission shaped modern Jesuit identity. The tone is reflective rather than polemical, making it a useful primary-source informed narrative for students and engaged lay readers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eKey Features\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFirsthand memoir:\u003c\/strong\u003e Howell provides personal insight into the Jesuits' experience during and after the Council, giving readers an eyewitness perspective on turbulent years.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHistorical scope:\u003c\/strong\u003e The narrative covers decades of change from 1958 to 2018, helping readers trace long-term developments rather than isolated events.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFocus on renewal:\u003c\/strong\u003e It explains how the Council's mandate to return to founders influenced a renewed Jesuit mission centered on contemporary needs.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIgnatian heritage:\u003c\/strong\u003e The book underscores the role of St. Ignatius of Loyola and Jesuit spiritual tradition as anchors for institutional reform.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBalanced tone:\u003c\/strong\u003e Howell's approach mixes hope and consternation, which helps readers understand internal debates without one-sided rhetoric.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWho It's For\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is ideal for readers of \u003cstrong\u003eCatholic history\u003c\/strong\u003e, theology students, and clergy who want an insider account of how a major religious order navigated the postconciliar era. It is also suitable for lay readers engaged in church renewal who want to understand the practical implications of the Council for religious life and mission.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThose looking for a detached academic monograph full of footnotes or a purely chronological institutional history should look elsewhere; Howell writes as a participant-observer, so readers seeking exhaustive archival apparatus or strictly neutral analysis may find this memoir's personal tone less fitting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePros \u0026amp; Cons\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePros\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProvides an authentic \u003cstrong\u003eeyewitness perspective\u003c\/strong\u003e on the Jesuits during a critical period of change.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eConnects Ignatian spirituality to practical decisions about mission and structure, helping readers see continuity amid reform.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe long temporal span gives a measured view of developments from the Council into the 21st century.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCons\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe memoir format means it is more reflective than exhaustively documented, so readers seeking detailed citations may be disappointed.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTitle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGreat Risks Had to Be Taken: The Jesuit Response to the Second Vatican Council, 1958-2018\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAuthor\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePatrick J Howell\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSubject\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eJesuit history and postconciliar renewal\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTime period covered\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1958-2018\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePerspective\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePersonal memoir and historical reflection\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOur Verdict\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGreat Risks Had to Be Taken is a valuable memoir for anyone wanting an insider's view of how the Jesuits responded to Vatican II; its strength is the combination of lived experience and clear explanation of how Ignatian tradition shaped renewed mission, making it worthwhile for students and engaged readers despite its memoir limits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes this book cover the period immediately after Vatican II?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes. Howell writes about the turbulence right after the Council and traces developments from the late 1950s onward.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs the book scholarly or personal?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt is primarily a personal historical memoir that offers reflective analysis rather than an extensively cited academic study.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho wrote the book?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe book is written by Patrick J Howell, who writes from direct experience within Jesuit renewal movements.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Patrick J Howell","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48620118671579,"sku":"1532661800","price":42.68,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0724\/1043\/1707\/files\/81Xn-xTfnFL._SL1500.jpg?v=1778514977","url":"https:\/\/gearmusthave.com\/products\/great-risks-had-to-be-taken-the-jesuit-response-to-vatican-ii","provider":"GearMustHave","version":"1.0","type":"link"}