Friday, December 7, 2007

Today we're reading from the Life of St. Teresa, founder of a the order of Discalced Carmelites, and great mystic writer. Please follow the link to a brief biography from the Catholic Encyclopedia.

Teresa wrote several books, including the Life, The Way of Perfection, and The Interior Castle, classics in the field.  Another mystic who was equally famous, also from Spain (note how much of the Catholic reform comes from Spain), St. John of the Cross, was acquainted with her.  Her Life, which she wrote under obedience at the command of her confessor, belongs in the tradition of saint's lives, although she was not canonized until after her death. Even during her lifetime her spiritual biography was intended to serve as inspiration for others.

At the outset of the book, Teremsa, who was born in 1515, claimed that her early life was full of evil and vanity.  She took vows in 1537, but complained that the convent was not strict enough.  There was a lack of proper discipline in many monasteries during that time, which led to serious repercussions.  What saved her was reading another spiritual autobiography, St. Augustine's Confessions.  She underwent a conversion, after which she began to hear voices and have visions, some of which she describes in her Life.

A major incident in the section we are reading is the Transverberation of her Heart; in fact, a feast is named for this event, and it is depicted in Bernini's statue.  Physically, St. Teresa was not rugged; she experienced poor health throughout her life.  In spite of this she was incredibly active:  she was appointed to reform her order and to be the foundress of several convents.  It is an unlikely combination to find such an administrative role in combination with mysticism, but then again it is not unprecedented either--St. Augustine became a Bishop, and another great mystic, Gregory the Grea,t became pope in the 6th century. 

Questions:

1. Our selection begins with Teresa's reservations about some of her experiences. The process of discernment is extremely important in this narrative, because it is essential that she be able to distinguish whether her experiences are of divine or demonic origin. She had been hearing voices ("locutions"); at the point of this chapter she begins to have visions as well. How does she "see" Jesus? Is it the kind of sight that mortals are accustomed to in everyday life? If not, what kind of sight is it?
2. What are some of the emotions she experiences with these visions? How do the visions affect her understanding?
3. Note the occasions throughout the narrative when she refers to her confessors. What is their role in her spiritual life? She has a variety of experiences with different ones, some of them good, others not. Pick out examples of each.
4. What does she mean when she says she suspects her visions may have been a "fancy" on her part? What is the difference between fancy and imagination?
5. Note the following terms on p. 11: aridity; desolation; inebriated; intellectual vision. We will discuss these terms in class.
6. How does she manage to determine the source of some of her visions, on p. 11 and 12?
7. On p. 18, paragraph 16, Teresa describes the Transverberation of her heart. This is the moment that is represented in Bermini's statue. Look carefully at the artwork and read Teresa's words. What is your response? Are there things about either her account or its representation that are disturbing?
8. What does she mean by "impetuosities," and how does she distinguish this kind of emotion from the feelings she experienced earlier in her spiritual life?
9. What are some of the metaphors she uses to describe the soul?

Laurel Carrington carringt@stolaf.edu
Most recent update: December 5, 2007

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