Teresa of Avila – författare

One of the most influential - and best loved - spiritual autobiographies'I beg anyone who reads this account to bear in mind, for the love of the Lord, how wicked my life has been'Born in the Castilian town of Ávila in 1515, Teresa entered the Carmelite convent of the Incarnation when she was twenty-one. Tormented by illness, doubts and self-recrimination, she gradually came to recognize the power of prayer and contemplation - her spiritual enlightenment was intensified by many mystical experiences, including the piercing of her heart by a spear of divine love. She went on to found seventeen Carmelite monasteries throughout Spain, yet always denied her own saintliness. This frank account is one of the great stories of a religious life and, after Don Quixote, Spain's most widely read prose classic.Translated with an Introduction by J. M. Cohen

One of the most influential - and best loved - spiritual autobiographies'I beg anyone who reads this account to bear in mind, for the love of the Lord, how wicked my life has been'Born in the Castilian town of Ávila in 1515, Teresa entered the Carmelite convent of the Incarnation when she was twenty-one. Tormented by illness, doubts and self-recrimination, she gradually came to recognize the power of prayer and contemplation - her spiritual enlightenment was intensified by many mystical experiences, including the piercing of her heart by a spear of divine love. She went on to found seventeen Carmelite monasteries throughout Spain, yet always denied her own saintliness. This frank account is one of the great stories of a religious life and, after Don Quixote, Spain's most widely read prose classic.Translated with an Introduction by J. M. Cohen

Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle is one of the most celebrated books of Christian mysticism ever written. In this new edition, the classic translation by E. Allison Peers is united with fresh spiritual commentary by Dennis Billy, C.Ss.R., making it the only edition of this work to provide spiritual nourishment in an accessible form while remaining completely faithful to Teresa's mystical vision. Remarkably simple both in style and structure, Teresa's Interior Castle begins with the vision of the soul as a "castle made of a single diamond ... in which there are many rooms, just as in Heaven there are many mansions." Building on this image, Teresa constructs a work of stunning spiritual and psychological wisdom. In his commentary, Dennis Billy breathes fresh air into this timeless work by examining Teresa's thought in its historical context and summarizing her teaching in a brief and straightforward manner.

St. Teresa of Avila, one of the most interesting and important figures in the history of the Catholic Church, was also one of the most candid, entertaining, and brilliant correspondents of her century. This selection of letters offers a unique “behind the scenes” look at this most charming Doctor of the Church with details of her life not originally meant for the public. St. Teresa’s formal works—The Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection—were written with an eye toward censors. Her personal correspondence, however, tell the story of her life in vivid detail, including her struggles to reform the Carmelite order; Spanish mysticism in its formation; and the extraordinary range of relationships she maintained with priests, theologians, royalty, fellow religious, advisors, and friends. The letters begin when St. Teresa was forty-six—six years after she entered the Carmelite Monastery of the Incarnation in Avila, Spain—and continue until her death twenty-one years later. She exhibits worries, troubles, sadness, joy, triumphs, and questions throughout. Recipients of these letters, and the people discussed in them, include some of the famous and fascinating figures of late sixteenth-century Catholic Europe: St. John of the Cross; María Enríquez de Toledo y Guzmán, the Duchess of Alba; St. Peter Alcantara; St. John of Avila; Ana de Mendoza, the Princess of Eboli; and Jerónimo Gracián de la Madre de Dios. The story these letters tell is one of enduring importance to the history of the Church. From nascent beginnings to more detailed plans, it is possible throughout St. Teresa of Avila: Her Life in Letters to witness the birth of Spanish mysticism, the reform of the Carmelite Order, and the experiences of contemplative prayer and meditation that resulted in The Interior Castle.

The acclaimed modern translation of St. Teresa of Avila''s classic book on spiritual awareness and guidanceCelebrated for almost five centuries as a master of spiritual literature, 16th-century saint Teresa of Avila is one of the most beloved religious figures in history. Overcome one day by a mystical vision of a crystal castle with seven chambers, each representing a different stage in spiritual development, Teresa immediately wrote The Interior Castle. Probably her most important and widely studied work, it guides the spiritual seeker through each stage of development until the soul''s final union with the divine. Free of religious dogma, this modern translation renders St. Teresa''s work a beautiful and practical set of teachings for seekers of all faiths in need of spiritual guidance. It also places this classic book on spirituality —"a gem of mystical literature made accessible and relevant to the modern spiritual seeker" –Sharon Salzberg—in a contemporary context, reasserting its literary importance even after more than 400 years.