Customer Reviews

Teresa of Avila: Selections from The Interior Castle (HarperCollins Spiritual Classics)

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Teresa of Avila is one of the more remarkable figures in the history of Christianity. Living in a perilous time, when the Roman Catholic church was suspicious of anything that might develop into Protestant heresies and schisms, she walked a fine line between obedience to the political structure and obedience to God. It is often the case that mystics and spiritual giants are at odds with church structures of the day (this is rather ecumenical, reaching across Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant lines).

Teresa lived at time shortly after the explusion of the Jews from Spain (which occurred in 1492). Her own family was a converso family; hence, there were different dimensions to the wariness of the powers in the culture toward her activities. Being a woman at the time didn't help matters, either, as she defied the stereotypes in several ways, by seeking education and leadership opportunities, all the while being part of the discalced Carmelites, who strive to cultivate humility and poverty.

Teresa's life was not an easy one; she suffered physical ailments and political difficulties. However, she was also a sought-after advisor, spiritual leader, and fairly prolific author. Her various writings made her famous in her own day, but the towering achievement that has lasted over time is without doubt 'Interior Castle'. This text shows a spiritual journey on the inside, developing different walks through aspects of spiritual life and prayer developed in seven stages, or mansions.

The life of prayer is the castle, with seven stages of development. The first three stages are pieces that humankind can practice with their own efforts; the final four stages are those which are given from God, and God alone - no human effort can reach these places. The first mansion looks to the striving toward perfection of the human soul. The second looks to different pieces that give spiritual edification; sermons, readings, prayer practices, conversation, etc. The third mansion sets forth discipline and penance, striving toward good works while reaching for self-surrender. These are not easy stages, but are within the realm of human possibility.

The fourth mansion begins the mystical journey in earnest at the behest of God. Here Teresa uses a metaphor of water and a fountain to explain the soul, and explores graces as spiritual consolations. Here is the Prayer of Quiet. The fifth mansion continues the theme of water, looking toward a Prayer of Union, which leads naturally to the sixth mansion, where the soul is prepared for a marriage of sorts, as intimacy with God increases in the soul. The seventh and final, most interior mansion, which is heaven itself; metaphors here used include two candles joining as one, and the falling rain merging to become one with the river.

These mansions are based on visions; Teresa was compelled to write them down at the order of her ecclesiastical superiors, for she herself thought to keep them to herself. Her writing was done very late in her life, but even so, she took care to be humble and as non-threatening as possible; modern readers might be a bit taken aback by the self-deprecation of Teresa, and the general stance she seems to take towards women. This may have been an attempt to make an authoritative text written by a woman more acceptable to the male-dominated hierarchy of the time. However, not all of Teresa's humility should be dismissed or argued away in this manner. She is reputed to have said, 'There are more than enough books on prayer already,' in response to being told to write her visions. This might have been true (then and now), but few reach the power that Teresa's 'Interior Castle' achieve.

This book of selections is perhaps less intimidating than the unfiltered text (one of the better translations for English-speaking audiences is by Peers; an interesting re-cast is done by Mirabai Starr) - the selections here come from a translation done by the Paulist Press, and so will make pieces familiar for those who want to continue with their work with Teresa in greater depth.

Saint Teresa of Avila's spiritual insight is remarkable. Anyone who has read her work with reverence knows this.

I take particular exception to the Foreword to this edition of her work, though. Patricia Hampl seems to think it would be helpful to reiterate our 20th and 21st-century biases before we plunge into the interior world of Teresa. Her foreword is rife with irrelevant political commentary, to say nothing of its banal syncretism, a predictably dialectical approach to orthodoxy and freedom in traditional Christianity and a downright daft approach to the history of Teresa's time.

Dallas Willard, at the very least, has the good sense to remind the reader in his Introduction that this is a specifically Christian mystical text. However, he, perhaps unintentionally, sets up Teresa's work as something truly exceptional within the tradition. Far from it! Teresa is genuinely representative of an age when Christian mysticism was still rooted firmly in contemplative and sacramental piety. Contrary to Willard's observation on the rarity of Teresa's spiritual depth, Christian tradition has produced a treasure trove of mystical literature, of which Teresa's work is just one sparkling jewel.

These ostensibly silly commentaries mar the spiritual beauty of a woman who actually has something profound to say, and so I can't give the HarperCollins edition of Interior Castle five stars. The publisher would do well to find more qualified commentators.

St. Teresa of Avila was a daughter of the Church. For someone to write a foreward to her works and to malign the Church is both a contradiction and an affront to this holy woman.