Teresa of Avila and Jonathan Edwards on Prayer and Spirituality

Contemplative prayer has been a major source of contention in evangelical spirituality. Contemplative prayer is frequently mentioned as one apparent spiritual activity that is foreign to the scripture and Christian worldview and more resembling the New Age Movement and pantheistic Eastern religion by people who are skeptical of the mystical Christian tradition. This article will examine Teresa of Avila’s thought on mystical prayer, which is sometimes misinterpreted as a notion incompatible with evangelical theology of prayer. Hence, Teresa’s ideas of mystical prayer will be examined and compared with Jonathan Edwards’ concepts of prayer, which is considered to reflect evangelical theology of prayer. The comparison suggests that the contemplative, mystical prayer of Teresa is compatible with evangelical theology of prayer in its progress and purpose. Teresa and Edwards both understood prayer as an experience and progress that leads to the complete union with God, mediated by Christ and his words in scripture. This spiritual union with God will transform the devoted one with tremendous passion and strength to love and help others in their struggle and suffering. This study of Teresa’s thought of mystical prayer is expected to reinvigorate evangelical theology and praxis of prayer by learning from the rich spirituality of the Christian mystical tradition.

Dziewiętnastowieczne wydania polskich przekładów pism Świętej Teresy z Ávili

From the 1840’s to the end of the 19th century more than twenty editions of Polish translations of texts by Saint Teresa of Ávila, as well as the ones attributed to her, were released. It was attempted to popularise her works, information about her life and thought, as well as the cult of her, knowledge about Christian mysticism and the revival of religious life. Two important bibliographies presenting the reception of Teresa in Poland: one by Stefania Ciesielska-Borkowska (1939) and the other one by Benignus Wanat (1972) require complementing and corrections, which should find reflection in contemporary editions and catalogues. The paper presents all the editions of works by Teresa (fragments, all works, collections of works, as well as paraphrases), released in Polish in the 19th-century books and periodicals. It corrects the mistakes in bibliographical descriptions, which result from mistakes in the publications themselves, as well as errors in attribution. It refers to the authorship of anonymous translations and their undetermined bases, it characterises briefly the environments in which Saint Teresa’s works were translated and published. It presents the religious, literary, social and scientific purposes accompanying the texts by Teresa, as well as translation, editorial and ideological assumptions. It shows the editions of Saint Teresa’s texts in translations or paraphrases by: Sebastian Nucerin, Ignacy Hołowiński, Nina Łuszczewska, Eleonora Ziemięcka, Michał Bohusz Szyszko, Eleonora z Paprockich Szemiothowa, Zygmunt Krasiński, Lucjan Siemieński, Ignacy Domeyko, Karmela Wiktima od Jezusa (Amalia Zenopolska), Tadeusz Miciński, Henryk Piotr Kossowski, as well as anonymous translators.

O wpływie spuścizny Świętej Teresy z Ávili na piśmiennictwo i kulturę polskiego baroku

The subject of this article is to discuss the penetration of influences of Spanish mysticism, in particular, the works of Saint Teresa of Ávila, on the literature and culture of the Polish Baroque. The intercultural influence of Spanish mysticism on Polish artists is reflected in the translations of the writings of Saint Teresa of Ávila. The considerations focus on the influence of the mysticism of Saint Teresa on mystical autobiographies and anonymous poetry of Carmelite nuns from Krakow from the 17th and 18th centuries. The reflection also covers the centres of the veneration of the saint in Poland, in services and prayer books, and her popularisation through art. Mystical influences are also visible in the poetry of the 17th and 18th centuries, including poetry by Kasper Twardowski, Sebastian Grabowiecki, Stanisław Grochowski, Mikołaj Mieleszko, Zbigniew Morsztyn, Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski, Elżbieta Drużbacka, and Konstancja Benisławska. The Polish-Spanish ties situate the research issues undertaken in a comparative context, without which the studies on post-Tridentine spirituality would not have produced real achievements.

Królestwo Boże (Józefa Czapskiego podróż do Hiszpanii w roku 1930)

The author of the article describes a trip to Spain made by Józef Czapski in 1930. This outstanding painter and essayist, witness to the Katyń massacre, co-creator of the Parisian magazine "Kultura" [Culture] and Polish intellectual life in exile, at the time of visiting Madrid and its nearby areas for nearly two months was still a young artist, looking for the painting poetics closest to his soul. The visits to the Prado brought him two great discoveries: the works of El Greco and Goya. For Czapski, El Greco is a captivating example of religious painting and simultaneously – fidelity to the vision, the way of seeing the world. Goya fascinated Czapski with the thematic and stylistic range of his art – from “official” court portraits to dramatic records of nearly surreal visions, reflecting the artist’s fundamental belief in human depravity. The trip to Spain also had another meaning for Czapski – it was in a way a journey in the footsteps of St. Teresa of Avila, broadly: a reflection on the role of mystical experience in the spiritual life of man. From these two perspectives: artistic and religious, the encounter with the Spanish culture appears to be one of the more important and fateful episodes in the biography of Józef Czapski.

Duplicity behind Stained Glass: Childlike “Self-knowledge” and the Role of Community

The recent revelation of Jean Vanier (1928–2019) and historical cases of sexual manipulation and abuse of six women workers at L’Arche (Trosly-Breuil, France, 1970–2005) is a reminder of our human fragility. This article explores the question of how we, as people working in religion, can seek greater integration so as to avoid, as far as possible, the self-deception and duplicity that can lead to profound harm of others. Through engaging with two theologians—Teresa of Avila (1515–1582) and George MacDonald (1824–1905)—we gain insights concerning discernment of our blind spots, plus wisdom regarding ways to safeguard ourselves from duplicity. Teresa reminds us of the need to continually develop authentic “self-knowledge,” and the importance of a courageous, discerning community—both a perceptive spiritual director and honest peers who are willing to challenge leaders and speak up. MacDonald highlights the need for spiritual discernment and a “childlike” posture (rather than self-elevation to a revered “guru” status), to help us live more integrated, genuine lives. Both dialogue partners are explicitly Christocentric and emphasize the ongoing work of the Spirit, opening our eyes and ears to the reality of who we truly are, and the importance of imitating and being “in Christ,” in order to be freed from self-obsession, duplicity, and self-deception.

大德蘭和十字若望所心儀的《雅歌》

<p>西方神祕主義論及人神之愛，都多少牽涉到《舊約．雅歌》的主題與象徵。在神祕冥合的高峰上，我們尚且聆聽到大德蘭《默思〈雅歌〉》和十字若望《靈歌》的間奏與和鳴。我們為此把《雅歌》、《默思》、《靈歌》三者綜合起來沉思，盼能浸潤在屬天綸音的律動下，獲致身、心、靈的諧協、啟發與進境。</p> <p>&nbsp;</p><p>Christian mysticism has its affinity concerning the Spiritual Love between God and Man as visualized in the Song of Songs. Great mystical writers as St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, having meditated on the symbols and themes of the Song. of Solomon, have left to us beautiful passages which we may benefit abundantly when reflected upon their thoughts. Hopefully we attempt to make a survey on the Connections and discrepancies among the three masterpieces-the Song of Songs, Teresa’s Meditations on the Song of Songs, and John of the Cross’ Spiritual Canticle.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

Nuns and Convents in Colonial Latin America

Soon after European settlements were established in Latin America, the Catholic Church became the most important colonial institution, extending its power to all aspects of life. Prevalent views on gender among the new settlers and religious authorities, and an environment of religious fervor, fostered the rapid creation of female convents in the urban centers of Mexico and Peru in the mid-16th century, spreading to other areas of the continent later during the colony. Female cloisters were already common in the Iberian Peninsula since the Middle Ages, yet they became more popular after the religious revival of the Counter-Reformation (1545–1648). The Spanish mystic Teresa of Avila (b. 1515–d. 1582) became the model for many women to follow in the Hispanic world. Her reform of the Carmelite order brought even more popularity to the already widespread practice of life in the convent for women of all social classes. Nuns followed a religious rule that emulated the life of the saints and Jesus; they kept a strict schedule that included prayer, spiritual exercises, and physical penitence. The reformed orders would also harvest their food, make their clothes, and take care of housekeeping, while the unreformed cloisters allowed servants and slaves to perform those chores. The nuns who entered the latter convents had to provide a dowry, while nuns in reformed convents lived out of charity. Choosing conventual life was common during this time period. However, their choice was not always informed by religious devotion; many times it responded to social circumstances. The convent became a solution for the increasing number of women of European descent who could not find suitable husbands in the postconquest years in Latin America. Religious and gendered views of the time encouraged the protection of women from the dangers of the world. Women were considered weak and more prone to sin, therefore their enclosure and close supervision by male religious authorities was not only deemed ideal but also necessary; at the same time women were seen as simpleminded and therefore more likely to receive spiritual favors from God. Nuns’ prayers were considered beneficial for those whom they interceded for. Ultimately it became a matter of social and spiritual status for a city to be able to establish a convent. However, convents were not monolithic institutions, and significant differences existed between them depending on the place where they were established, the rule they followed, and the political and economic circumstances of the times.

The figurativeness of the language of St. Teresa of Ávila

This paper aims at analyzing The Interior Castle of St. Teresa of Ávila using a stylistic approach. The Interior Castle was inspired by the author’s vision of the soul as a diamond in the shape of a castle containing seven mansions, which she interpreted as the journey of faith through seven stages, ending with union with God. The stylistic analysis of the chosen text combines intuition and detailed linguistic analysis of the text. The form and style of the text are an integral part of the work’s meaning and value. In our analysis of The Interior Castle, lexical and syntactical expressive means and stylistic devices are discussed in order to explore the figurative meanings of the language employed.