Book Review Summary: A Mission Undecided by David Harold Barry

In his review of A Mission Undecided: The Jesuit Presence in South Africa, 1875–2021, South African Jesuit Sean Van Staden offers both an insightful historical overview and a deeply personal reflection on Jesuit identity and mission in South Africa. The book, written by Fr. David Harold Barry, SJ, an Irish Jesuit who has served in Zimbabwe for over 50 years, is a companion to his earlier work, A Mission Divided, on Jesuits in Zimbabwe.

Barry’s title captures his central thesis: that the Jesuit mission in South Africa has historically been “undecided,” marked by uncertainty about its purpose and direction. Although the Jesuits have maintained a continuous presence in the country since 1875, their work has often lacked a unified sense of identity or mission focus.

Initially, Jesuits did not intend to settle permanently in South Africa. The region was merely a launching pad for the Zambezi Mission, the broader Jesuit enterprise north of the Limpopo in what is now Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi. Early Jesuit establishments such as Dunbrody and Highlands primarily served as formation centers for missionaries heading north. Only St. Aidan’s College in Grahamstown, a school run by Jesuits for nearly a century, represented a stable local apostolate until financial mismanagement led to its closure.

Following this early “Cinderella phase,” South Africa’s Jesuit presence continued but with little coordination. In the post–Vatican II and apartheid eras (1970s–2000s), Jesuits launched diverse initiatives ranging from parish ministry and retreat work to social engagement and academic chaplaincies. However, Van Staden noted, these efforts were often driven by individual initiative rather than collective discernment, reflecting the ongoing struggle for identity and direction.

A major shift came in 2007 with the founding of the Jesuit Institute South Africa, envisioned as the first distinctly and deliberately Jesuit work in the country. Rooted in spirituality, social justice, and theology, and supported by strong lay collaboration, the Institute represents the culmination of decades of searching for a coherent, discerned mission.

Van Staden highlighted several recurring themes in Barry’s monograph: Identity and discernment, which links Jesuit uncertainty and the broader quest for self-understanding within South Africa; resilience shown in the Jesuits’ capacity to endure despite small numbers, failed institutions, and social upheaval; shift from individualism to community, a move from “lone wolf” Jesuits to a more collaborative, communitarian spirit; ongoing challenge of race evident in the scarcity of black South African Jesuits and the lingering perception that Jesuit works serve primarily white elites; and integration and collaboration evident in the transition from isolation to full inclusion in the Southern Africa Province, symbolizing a maturing sense of mission.

A particularly thought-provoking aspect of both Barry’s book and Van Staden’s reflection is the question: what does it mean to fail? Many early Jesuit works, including schools, missions, and houses, no longer exist. Yet their spiritual and pastoral impact endures in lives transformed, parishes named after Jesuit saints, and continuing traditions of justice and discernment.

Van Staden describes A Mission Undecided as a rich, well-researched, and deeply reflective narrative, which is neither a dry academic history nor a popular novel, but something between the two: a contemplative account of Jesuit identity, mission, and discernment. He, however, noted minor editorial flaws (mislabeled photos and minor typographical issues) but praised the book’s substance and accessibility.

Ultimately, the work invites both Jesuits and lay collaborators to reflect on the meaning of vocation, the lessons of history, and the call to “live and serve with greater clarity and community.”

By Pamela Adinda, HUC International and Communications Coordinator