New Companion to Hispanic Mysticism

Hilaire Kallendorf, Ph.D. (2000) in Comparative Literature, Princeton University, is Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies at Texas A&M University. Her books include Exorcism and Its Texts (2003) and Conscience on Stage (2007), both published by the University of Toronto Press.

The Bainton Reference Works Prize Committee voted unanimously to award the prize to: The New Companion to Hispanic Mysticism ,ed. Hilaire Kallendorf. From the prize committee’s report: "This volume comprehensively covers a very important topic within the history of early modern religion – “Hispanic” mysticism. It provides not only a fine example of the state of current research, but also of new approaches to traditional topics and of new questions to be asked of the materials. Its innovative approach is most evident in the expanded geography of its vision that, looking beyond the traditional borders of Spain, now includes the Spanish possessions not only in the New World, but also in Europe (Portugal, Southern Italy, and the Netherlands). Such a larger geographical view of the field is echoed in the range of the discussions, with articles that consider the relationship of mysticism with such topics as gender, music, or space.Particularly noteworthy was the editor’s decision to seek contributions from scholars at various points in their career and from very different scholarly traditions (Anglo-American, Latin-American, Iberian, Dutch). This decision enriched the offerings and provided a healthy dose of diversity to the collection. The first four articles consider “larger trends” and thus provide a “survey” of the field that will be useful to scholars across the disciplines. The next eight consider “specific figures”, both male and female, both European and Latin American, and their relationship with such topics as gender, reform, Islam, or with their precursors, such as St. Catherine of Siena. The last five contributions illustrate the “interdisciplinary applications” the topic and current research both foster.The book is a terrific reference tool for anyone wishing to teach a course early modern mysticism in general or on Hispanic mysticism itself. Its introduction and its seventeen articles will be useful to scholars across the disciplines and the geography of Europe and its early modern expansion.Additional reviews“[…] the book is essential for any university library collection. Graduate students, theologians, and scholars in numerous disciplines will benefit from the text's interdisciplinary methodology and vision.” - Rafael Luévan, Chapman University, Orange, Calif., in: Theological Studies, December 2011, pp. 926-928“This new collection of essays enriches our understanding of Hispanic mysticism in several ways. […] the essays are well crafted (or well translated) and provide a wealth of information on religious thought, spiritual practice, early modern Spain, and a host of other subjects. The collection is not only a useful tool for scholars and students, but also a pleasurable read. Hilaire Kallendorf is to be congratulated.” - Barbara Mujica, Georgetown University, in: The Medieval Review 11.06.03"This book, then, sets a new agenda for the study of the Spanish and Portuguese mystics, in the Old World and the New. Its essays and their accompanying footnotes will prove a rich resource for further investigation." - Colin Thompson, Saint Catherine’s College, Oxford

• I. PrefaceColin ThompsonII. IntroductionHilaire KallendorfIII. Chapter SummariesIV. Larger Trends1. Religious AutobiographyFernando Durán López2. Traditions, Life Experiences and Orientations in Portuguese Mysticism (1515-1630)José Adriano de Freitas Carvalho3. New World Colonial Franciscan Mystical PracticeFrancisco Morales4. The Alumbrados: Dejamiento and Its PractitionersAlastair HamiltonV. Specific Figures1. Mother Juana de la Cruz: Marian Visions and Female PreachingJessica Boon2. John of the Cross, the Difficult IconJane Ackerman3. Teresa of Jesus and Islam: The Simile of the Seven Concentric Castles of the SoulLuce López-Baralt4. The Mysticism of Saint Ignatius LoyolaDarcy Donahue5. Cecilia del Nacimiento, Second-Generation Mystic of the Carmelite ReformEvelyn Toft6. The Influences of Saint Catherine of Siena and Saint Teresa of Ávila on the Colombian Nun Jerónima Nava y Saavedra (1669-1727)Clara Herrera7. A New Way of Living? Luisa de Carvajal and the Limits of MysticismGlyn Redworth8. From Saint to Sinner: Sixteenth-Century Perceptions of “La Monja de Lisboa” Freddy DomínguezVI. Interdisciplinary Applications1. The Gardens of Teresa of ÁvilaMaryrica Ortiz Lottman2. Home, Sweet Home: Teresa de Jesús, Mudéjar Architecture, and the Place of Mysticism in Early Modern SpainMaría Mercedes Carrión3. Interrupted Mysticism in Cervantes’s PersilesChristina H. Lee4. Suspensio Animi, or Mysticism in LiteratureElena del Río Parra5. “Through a Glass Darkly”: Music and Mysticism in Golden Age SpainTess KnightonVII. BibliographyVIII. List of FiguresIX. Index