ABSTRACT
The status and range of activities of the separated soul were analysed by several early modern Jesuits including Baltasar Álvares, Francisco Suárez and Antonio Rubio. Surprisingly, in historical studies on the works written by 122fathers of the Society of Jesus the topic of the separated soul has been relatively neglected. And yet, it raises several issues interesting from a systematic and doctrinal point of view, such as the distinction between the realm of natural entities and that of entities that are said to transcend or go beyond nature; the bond with the body in the soul’s terrestrial and in its heavenly life; the interaction among the members of the heavenly regions (God, the angels, and the blessed souls); and the range of activities to be attributed to the soul in its disembodied state. This paper discusses this intricate set of issues focussing on the broader theological context and the philosophical strategies involved.
