Paul Shore, a renowned historian of the Society of Jesus, describes in his book one of the significant Jesuit sites of Central and Eastern Europe—the city of Cluj in Transylvania. Here, in association with the newly established Habsburg domination, the Jesuits founded an important center for their menifold activities, which were aligned with the goals of the new political domination—well-known for its solidarity with the missions of the Catholic Church.

The author mentions in the beginning that the Great Principality of Transylvania was an early destination for the Society of Jesus, which played a significant role during this time period. But one of the most important issues presented at the beginning are the rather nationalistic perceptions of most historians, which did not allow objective research regarding the Jesuit presence in Transylvania.

The perspective of the presentation of this book is in line with an east-west axis of the political and cultural options of a remote and rather poor province. The establishment of the Uniate church was, from this perspective, more than just a religious option; it was a clear cultural and political movement toward the Occident.

In the first chapter of this book, “Uneasy Neighbors,” Paul Shore describes the beginnings of the Habsburg domination in Transylvania and the obvious association between the new political power and the Jesuits. The more subtle aspects of the political, economic, and ethnic (one of the most important aspects of the activity of the Society) relationships in this province are described briefly but accurately. The next chapter takes the presentation one step further and describes the birth of the Uniate church in Transylvania, considered a major attempt of the political power to spread Catholicism across the Romanian population too, but at the same time one of the most important achievements of the Jesuits in Eastern Europe. But, in the complex context of the time, not all of the Orthodox believers could be attracted to the new church, which caused a religious gap, visible later in the writings of many historians, mostly nationalists, who treated the Uniate church with their own preconceptions.

The description of the various aspects of the union, and of the relationships among the Uniate church, the Society of Jesus, and the Orthodox church as well continues in the next chapter titled “The Institution of Union.” These relationships and interactions are important in understanding the complex perception of the Uniate identity.

One of the most important fields of activity of the Jesuits was teaching at several schools organized by the society, complemented by plays and sodalities they organized. The first settlements in Cluj existed before the Austrian takeover of the province. After this point, schooling became one of the most important services provided by the Jesuits to the inhabitants of the city and a field in which many Jesuit students gained experience and education, achieving in a few cases European reputations. Another important contribution of the society was the shaping of the public architecture of the city, which represented “a special preoccupation” (113) in order to make it similar to other Central European Habsburg cities. In the following chapter, the author takes a closer look at the architectural role of the society in Cluj, symbolized mostly by the Jesuit church in the center of the city.

The first six chapters have a rather descriptive nature, but the last ones are more conclusive, bringing us explanations of the social role played by the Jesuits in Transylvania and the pursuit of social control, expressed in a large number of conversions. In this multicultural region that during this time period was still under Hungarian influence, an ethnic Hungarian dominance over the Society was logically established, creating a gap between them and the non-Hungarian inhabitants of Transylvania. This gap proved hard for many to overcome.

The balanced vision of the author, expressed in the nine chapters of the book, is completed with the depiction of the suppression of the society in 1773, with little reaction against it in Transylvania.At this point in time, the Piarist society began a new social function, taking over the role formerly played by the Jesuits, who had actually failed to establish a “deeply rooted Western-looking Catholic culture” (190) in Transylvania.

Based on a vast bibliography in many languages, this book is recommended to readers who are looking for an in-depth overview of the activities of the Jesuits in Transylvania during the eighteenth century.