Spirituality and Educational Principles of Jesuit and Piarist Schooling in Present-Day Slovakia, 16th–18th Centuries

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https://doi.org/10.54937/nhe.2026.15.1.61-76

Autor/ Author: Štefan Lenčiš 

In: Notitiæ historiæ ecclesiasticæ

ISSN: 1338-9572 (Print)

ISSN: 2730-0153 (Online)

Ročník/ Volume: 15

Číslo/ Issue: 1

Strany/ Page Range: 61-76

Rok vydania/ Publication Year: 2026

Jazyk/ Language: Slovak

Vydavateľ/ Publisher: VERBUM – vydavateľstvo Katolíckej univerzity v Ružomberku

Abstrakt/ Abstract: This paper examines the educational activities of the Jesuits and Piarists from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, with particular emphasis on their contribution to the development of education in the territory of present-day Slovakia. It outlines the historical, religious, and social circumstances that influenced the establishment and development of their schools and presents the principal features of their educational traditions. Attention is also given to the organization of teaching, educational aims, curriculum, pedagogical methods, and the religious and moral formation of students.
Particular attention is paid to a comparison of the organizationally unified Jesuit educational model, shaped by the Ratio studiorum and classical humanist studies, with the Piarist tradition, which placed particular emphasis on accessible education, the schooling of children from poorer social backgrounds, and the gradual inclusion of practical and scientific subjects. At the same time, the paper takes into account that the actual form and content of education varied according to the historical period, the level of the school, and local conditions.
The paper shows that both religious orders made a significant contribution to the development of education, culture, and intellectual life. Although their educational activities were closely connected with the religious and social aims of the Catholic Church, they also contributed to the institutionalization of schooling, the improvement of teaching methods, and the broader dissemination of education. Their educational legacy became an important part of the history of schooling in present-day Slovakia, while several of their principles continue to provide inspiration for contemporary educational reflection.

Kľúčové slová/ Keywords: Jesuits, Piarists, education, schooling, Ratio studiorum, humanist education, history of education, present-day Slovakia

Citácia/ How to cite:
LENČIŠ, Štefan, 2026. Spiritualita a výchovno-vzdelávacie princípy jezuitského a piaristického školstva na území dnešného Slovenska v 16. až 18. storočí. Notitiæ historiæ ecclesiasticæ. Online. Roč. 15, č. 1, s. 61-76. ISSN 1338-9572 (Print). ISSN 2730-0153 (Online). Dostupné na: https://doi.org/10.54937/nhe.2026.15.1.61-76

Toto dielo je publikované pod/ This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.