Biography
Teresa de Jesus (Saint Teresa of Ávila, 1515–1582) was a nun, theologian, philosopher, poet, and mystic, who reformed the Carmelite Order and founded fourteen convents throughout Spain. Described in her day by the Papal Nuncio as “restless, pacing, disobedient, and stubborn,” Teresa needed all those characteristics on the road to her canonization (1622) and proclamation as the first woman to be named a Doctor of the Church (1970). Teresa wrote prolifically, across multiple genres. Her memoir, The Life of Teresa de Jesus, rivals Augustine’s Confessions as a chronicle of religious and spiritual awakening. She also wrote a philosophical treatise, Interior Castle; didactic volumes for the Carmelite Order, The Way of Perfection and The Book of Foundations; and numerous meditations, letters, exclamations, and theological observations. Teresa also wrote poetry throughout her life, of which 31 poems survive. Her poetry encapsulates the broad range of her interests and achievements—from monastic education to mystical experience.
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