God's Arsenal : The Libraries of the Society of Jesus in the Early Modern Age (1540–1773) / Natale Vacalebre.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Vacalebre, Natale, author.

Series:

Library of the Written Word ; 148.

Early Modern History and Modern History E-Books online, Collection 2026.

Library of the Written Word ; 148

Early Modern History and Modern History E-Books online, Collection 2026

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Book History and Cartography.

History of the Book.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (378 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Other Title:

The Libraries of the Society of Jesus in the Early Modern Age (1540–1773)

Place of Publication:

Leiden ; Boston : BRILL, 2026.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This book offers the first comprehensive study of how Jesuit libraries were created, organised, and used across early modern Europe and throughout the overseas missions. Drawing on a broad range of archival and printed sources, including administrative records, lending registers, internal regulations, visitation reports, and personal correspondence, it reconstructs the daily management of collections and the reading practices within Jesuit institutions. By reconstructing the concrete gestures through which books were selected, classified, consulted, and circulated, and by showing how rules were followed, stretched, or ignored, the study exposes the procedural backbone that supported Jesuit teaching, scholarship, and institutional order. It also proposes a structured method for approaching the cultural and social history of these libraries, offering a new way to interpret the wider Jesuit knowledge system.

Contents:

Front Cover

Half Title

Series Information

Title Page

Copyright Page

Contents

Acknowledgements

Figures and Tables

Credits

Abbreviations

Note on Translations

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 Colleges, Books and the Ratio Studiorum: a Question of Method

1 Colleges and Teaching

2 Drafting the Ratio Studiorum

3 The Organisation of Studies

3.1 The Modus Parisiensis

3.2 The Structure of the Ratio Studiorum

3.3 Books and the Ratio Studiorum

Chapter 3 The Libraries of the Society of Jesus

1 Colleges and Libraries: the Society's Constitutions

2 The First Library Regulation: Coimbra (1545)

3 From Jerónimo Nadal's Regulations to the Regulae Praefecti Bibliothecae (1553-1582)

4 Implementation of Jesuit Library Regulations

5 Library Regulations in the Ratio Studiorum: the Selection of Books

6 The Bibliographical Selection Process: Catalogues, Internal Lists, and Repertories

7 Channels of Book Acquisition

7.1 Financial Endowments and Direct Purchases

7.2 Donations

7.3 Printing Production

8 Forbidden Books and Censorship

9 Classification and Cataloguing

9.1 Classification Systems: Possevino, Clement, Garnier

9.2 Catalogues

10 Library Services and Spaces

10.1 Lending Practices

10.2 A Theoretical Text on Book Lending: the Italian Compendium to Negroni's Commentary

10.3 A Variegated Reality: the Application of Book Lending Regulations

10.4 Library Staff and Spaces

Chapter 4 The Library of the Jesuit College in Perugia (1552-1773)

1 The Society of Jesus in Perugia

2 Relations with the University

3 The College Library: Formation and Development

4 The Inventory of 1565

5 The Development of the Library

5.1 Donations

5.2 Stable Revenues and Acquisitions

6 The Library Structure.

7 Towards an Interpretation of the Library: Catalogues and Inventories

Chapter 5 Conclusions

Documentary Appendices

Appendix 1 Cardinal Ghislieri's Privilege on Banned Books

Appendix 2 Nadal's Order on Banned Books for the Spanish Assistance

Appendix 3 Rule 8 of Il P. Giulio Negroni della Compagnia di Gesù sulle Regole Comuni della medesima Compagnia. Compendiato e tradotto

Appendix 4 Precepts on the Book Lending from the College of Huesca

Bibliography

Index of Names

Back Cover.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

Other Format:

Print version: Vacalebre, Natale God's Arsenal

ISBN:

9789004742727

OCLC:

1590084921

Publisher Number:

10.1163/9789004742727 DOI