Encyclopedia of Jesuit Translation Culture in Poland-Lithuania, 1564–1820
The Encyclopedia of Jesuit Translation Culture in Poland–Lithuania, 1564–1820 covers a period marked by the Jesuits’ profound influence on the religious, cultural, and intellectual landscape of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The chronological span of the encyclopedia, from 1564 to 1820, reflects two key historical moments. The starting point, 1564, marks the arrival of the Jesuits in Poland–Lithuania, a moment that catalyzed the establishment of Jesuit institutions and missions, where translation activities were not just a part but the central focus of their educational and evangelization efforts. The endpoint, 1820, represents the final expulsion of the Jesuits from the Russian empire, which had absorbed large portions of the Commonwealth after the partition of Poland. Although the Society of Jesus had already been suppressed in 1773, Jesuit translations and intellectual work continued to shape the region’s culture well into the early nineteenth century, a testament to the Jesuits’ unwavering commitment.
Throughout this period, the Jesuits played a crucial role in translating religious texts, educational materials, classical works, and scientific treatises into local languages such as Polish, Lithuanian, and Ruthenian. These translations were not only tools for spreading Catholicism but also for promoting humanist education and scientific knowledge. By engaging with these texts, the Jesuits (and their collaborators) significantly shaped Poland-Lithuania's intellectual and spiritual life during a time of religious and political change.
The Encyclopedia is structured into two parts: a Macropedia, which offers 70 concise overviews of major translation trends, and a Micropedia, which provides detailed entries on individual translators (287) and most frequently translated authors (100), a total of 459 articles. This comprehensive approach offers readers both broad historical perspectives and focused analyses of specific figures and works, ensuring a thorough understanding of the scope and significance of Jesuit translation culture during this formative period in the history of Poland–Lithuania in its pan-European context.
Throughout this period, the Jesuits played a crucial role in translating religious texts, educational materials, classical works, and scientific treatises into local languages such as Polish, Lithuanian, and Ruthenian. These translations were not only tools for spreading Catholicism but also for promoting humanist education and scientific knowledge. By engaging with these texts, the Jesuits (and their collaborators) significantly shaped Poland-Lithuania's intellectual and spiritual life during a time of religious and political change.
The Encyclopedia is structured into two parts: a Macropedia, which offers 70 concise overviews of major translation trends, and a Micropedia, which provides detailed entries on individual translators (287) and most frequently translated authors (100), a total of 459 articles. This comprehensive approach offers readers both broad historical perspectives and focused analyses of specific figures and works, ensuring a thorough understanding of the scope and significance of Jesuit translation culture during this formative period in the history of Poland–Lithuania in its pan-European context.
Scholars, researchers, and students in Jesuit Studies, early modern history, translation studies, and Slavic studies. Academics focused on religious history, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth studies, European intellectual history, and cultural studies would also find the work valuable, as would those interested in linguistics, philology, and educational practices of the Jesuits. The work may additionally appeal to a general audience interested in the history of translation, particularly within the contexts of religion and humanism.
Keywords: Jesuit translation culture, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, early modern translation studies, Catholic intellectual history, religious translation, Jesuit education, humanist literature, Catholic evangelization, translation in Jesuit missions.
Keywords: Jesuit translation culture, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, early modern translation studies, Catholic intellectual history, religious translation, Jesuit education, humanist literature, Catholic evangelization, translation in Jesuit missions.
Mirosława Hanusiewicz-Lavallee, Ph.D. (Catholic University of Lublin, Poland) is professor of early modern Polish literature at the Catholic University of Lublin. In addition to five monographs on Polish literature and culture, including The Call of Albion: Protestants, Jesuits, and British Literature in Poland–Lithuania, 1567–1775 (Brill, 2024), she has edited or co-edited ten volumes, most recently Defining the Identity of the Younger Europe (Brill, 2023), and authored numerous articles on early modern Polish literature.
Robert Aleksander Maryks, Ph.D. (Fordham University, New York) is professor of early modern history at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland. He has published widely on the history of the Jesuits, including the monographs Saint Cicero and the Jesuits (Ashgate, 2008) and The Jesuit Order as a Synagogue of Jews (Brill, 2010), as well as a dozen (co-)edited volumes. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Jesuit Studies, Brill’s Research Perspectives in Jesuit Studies, the Jesuit Studies book series, and the Jesuit Historiography Online.
Robert Aleksander Maryks, Ph.D. (Fordham University, New York) is professor of early modern history at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland. He has published widely on the history of the Jesuits, including the monographs Saint Cicero and the Jesuits (Ashgate, 2008) and The Jesuit Order as a Synagogue of Jews (Brill, 2010), as well as a dozen (co-)edited volumes. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Jesuit Studies, Brill’s Research Perspectives in Jesuit Studies, the Jesuit Studies book series, and the Jesuit Historiography Online.
Encyclopedia of Jesuit Translation Culture in Poland-Lithuania, 1564–1820
The Encyclopedia of Jesuit Translation Culture in Poland–Lithuania, 1564–1820 covers a period marked by the Jesuits’ profound influence on the religious, cultural, and intellectual landscape of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The chronological span of the encyclopedia, from 1564 to 1820, reflects two key historical moments. The starting point, 1564, marks the arrival of the Jesuits in Poland–Lithuania, a moment that catalyzed the establishment of Jesuit institutions and missions, where translation activities were not just a part but the central focus of their educational and evangelization efforts. The endpoint, 1820, represents the final expulsion of the Jesuits from the Russian empire, which had absorbed large portions of the Commonwealth after the partition of Poland. Although the Society of Jesus had already been suppressed in 1773, Jesuit translations and intellectual work continued to shape the region’s culture well into the early nineteenth century, a testament to the Jesuits’ unwavering commitment.
Throughout this period, the Jesuits played a crucial role in translating religious texts, educational materials, classical works, and scientific treatises into local languages such as Polish, Lithuanian, and Ruthenian. These translations were not only tools for spreading Catholicism but also for promoting humanist education and scientific knowledge. By engaging with these texts, the Jesuits (and their collaborators) significantly shaped Poland-Lithuania's intellectual and spiritual life during a time of religious and political change.
The Encyclopedia is structured into two parts: a Macropedia, which offers 70 concise overviews of major translation trends, and a Micropedia, which provides detailed entries on individual translators (287) and most frequently translated authors (100), a total of 459 articles. This comprehensive approach offers readers both broad historical perspectives and focused analyses of specific figures and works, ensuring a thorough understanding of the scope and significance of Jesuit translation culture during this formative period in the history of Poland–Lithuania in its pan-European context.
Throughout this period, the Jesuits played a crucial role in translating religious texts, educational materials, classical works, and scientific treatises into local languages such as Polish, Lithuanian, and Ruthenian. These translations were not only tools for spreading Catholicism but also for promoting humanist education and scientific knowledge. By engaging with these texts, the Jesuits (and their collaborators) significantly shaped Poland-Lithuania's intellectual and spiritual life during a time of religious and political change.
The Encyclopedia is structured into two parts: a Macropedia, which offers 70 concise overviews of major translation trends, and a Micropedia, which provides detailed entries on individual translators (287) and most frequently translated authors (100), a total of 459 articles. This comprehensive approach offers readers both broad historical perspectives and focused analyses of specific figures and works, ensuring a thorough understanding of the scope and significance of Jesuit translation culture during this formative period in the history of Poland–Lithuania in its pan-European context.