Teresa of Avila 1515 – 1582
Teresa of Avila was a Spanish Carmelite nun, mystic, and reformer of religious life. Together with John of the Cross, she founded the Discalced Carmelite reform, which spread rapidly across Spain despite intense official resistance. Her autobiographical Life, the Way of Perfection, and the Interior Castle articulate a rigorous and luminous mystical theology centered on the soul's progress through stages of prayer toward union with God. She was the first woman named a Doctor of the Church, in 1970, and remains one of the most read Christian writers in any language.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Spanish
- Era
- Modern
- Movements
- Christian
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Teresa of Avila:
“Christ has no body now but yours; no hands, no feet on earth, but yours.”
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Attributed to Teresa of Avila:
“Patience obtains all things.”
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Attributed to Teresa of Avila:
“Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you. All things are passing; God never changes.”
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Attributed to Teresa of Avila:
“More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones.”
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Attributed to Teresa of Avila:
“It is love alone that gives worth to all things.”