ÁLVAREZ DE PAZ, DIEGO

Jesuit spiritual writer; b. Toledo, 1560; d. Potosí, Jan. 17, 1620. Álvarez de Paz entered the Society of Jesus in Alcalá, Feb. 24, 1578, and in 1589 went to Peru as a student of theology and remained there for the rest of his life. He began his active career as professor of philosophy, theology, and Sacred Scripture, and then served as rector in different colleges, vice provincial in Tucumán (1605–07), and provincial in Peru from 1616 until his death. His work as a spiritual writer is contained in three extensive volumes that treat, respectively: perfection; the overcoming of sin, vices, passions, and the practice of virtues, especially humility; and the search for peace through prayer. This trilogy is like a vast spiritual encyclopedia, noteworthy for the depth of insight, theological precision, clearness, and richness in dogmatic content, although from a literary viewpoint it is somewhat too profuse. His doctrine on affective prayer was based on the influence of A. Cordeses, SJ. Álvarez de Paz was the first Jesuit to make a detailed study of infused contemplation.

Bibliography: c. sommervogel, Bibliothèque de la Compagnie de Jésus 1:252–258. j. e. de uriarte and m. lecina, Biblioteca de escritores de la Compañía de Jesús a la antigua asistencia de España desde sus orígenes hasta el año de 1773, v.1 (Madrid 1925) 155–162. i. iparraguirre, Répertoire de spiritualité ignatienne de la mort de S. Ignace à celle du P. Aquaviva, 1556–1615 (Rome 1961). j. de guibert, The Jesuits: Their Spiritual Doctrine and Practice tr. w. t. young (Chicago 1964). a. astrÁin in Gregoriana 1 (1920) 394–424. e. ugarte de ercilla in Razón y Fe 58 (1920) 465–473; 59 (1921) 186–187. e. hernÁndez, Dictionnaire de spiritualité ascétique et mystique 1:407–409.

[i. iparraguirre]