Jesuitry (Noun)
Meaning
The theology or the practices of the Jesuits (often considered to be casuistic).
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- The pastor's flexible moral guidance was dismissed by some as jesuitry, allowing him to justify almost any action.
- Critics of the Catholic Church have long accused its Jesuit order of employing jesuitry to soften the teachings of Christ.
- His arguments were seen as an example of jesuitry, attempting to justify sinful behavior through complex theological reasoning.
- The 17th-century philosopher Blaise Pascal famously criticized the jesuitry of the Society of Jesus for its perceived willingness to condone immoral conduct.
- Many saw the theologian's use of jesuitry as a means to obscure, rather than illuminate, the moral ambiguities of the original doctrine.