REGUERA, EMMANUEL DE LA

Jesuit mystical theologian; b. Diocese of Burgos, 1668; d. Rome, 1747. Reguera entered the Society of Jesus in 1682, and after teaching philosophy and theology for many years he was called to Rome to act as a revisor general for the society. He published a work entitled Praxis theologiae mysticae, opusculum selectum auctoreP. Michaele Godinez … hispanice primum editum, nunc vero latine redditum et plenis commentariis … illustratum (2 v. Rome 1740, 1745). This was much more than a translation into Latin of Godinez's Práctica de la theología mystica (1681); it added to that small work an extensive and valuable commentary. Reguera's Praxis was one of the finest summae of mystical theology of the 18th century, but its merit was somewhat obscured by the order and method he imposed on himself by electing to construct his treatise on the basis of the work of Godinez. Dominikus Schramm, OSB, in his Institutiones theologiae mysticae (Augsburg 1774 and many times reprinted) provided a résumé of the Praxis that put the doctrine of Reguera in better order. It was through this résumé that the Praxis was best known and exercised its influence. Reguera was among the revisors general appointed to examine the Direttorio mistico of G. B. scaramelli and favored its publication.

Bibliography: j. de guibert, La Spiritualité de la Compagnie de Jésus (Bibliotheca Instituti Historici 4; Rome 1953), Eng. The Jesuits: Their Spiritual Doctrine and Practice, tr. w. j. young, ed. g. e. ganss (Chicago 1964).

[p. k. meagher]