Saint Teresa of Ávila
At a glance:
- Series: Dictionary of World Biography: Renaissance
- Categories: Women’s Issues, Religion, Ethics
- Subcategories: Reformation, Christianity, Christians, Churches, Theology, Theologians, Catholic Church, Catholics, Saints, Prophets, Monks, Nuns, Monasteries, Convents
- Curriculum: Women’s History, Renaissance History, Spanish/Portuguese History
Article abstract: This patron saint of Spain and doctor of the Church was active in reforming monasticism in Spain. She is also known for her mystic writings, which describe how mental prayer can bring the soul through successive stages to union with God.
Early Life
In the sixteenth century, in the aftermath of the victory over the Muslims and of the expulsion of the Jews, religious fervor, controversy, and fanaticism dominated Spain. The Inquisition was established to impose purity of thought on the peninsula. In this atmosphere of religious zeal, the...
[The entire page is 2230 words long]
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