Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices. (Prayer of Teresa)
Teresa of Ávila, born Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda Dávila y Ahumada on March 28, 1515, in either Ávila or Gotarrendura, Spain, grew up in a devout Christian household. Her family had converso roots, meaning they were Jews who became Catholics, a fact that would later influence Teresa’s spiritual journey. Teresa de Lucena was born in Toledo, Spain in 1467, a violent year in a tumultuous century. She was considered a New Christian, a conversa, because her family had converted to Catholicism from Judaism before she was born, after waves of violent antisemitic riots swept across Iberia.
She was the fifth of six daughters born to a well-respected converso family of scholars and physicians. But like all conversos in fifteenth-century Spain, Teresa’s life was disrupted by civil unrest as tensions between New Christians and Old Christians erupted into violence. Teresa lost both of her parents by the time she was twelve; by seventeen, she had lived in seven homes in five cities.Teresa’s early life was marked by a deep interest in the lives of saints, even prompting her to run away with her brother at the age of seven in pursuit of martyrdom. The death of her mother when Teresa was eleven led her to embrace the Virgin Mary as a spiritual guide. She later attended a school for Augustinian nuns in Ávila, further deepening her religious education.
In 1534, at the age of 20, Teresa entered the Carmelite Convent of the Incarnation in Ávila. Initially resistant to religious life, she eventually embraced contemplative prayer, drawing inspiration from spiritual works like Osuna’s Third Spiritual Alphabet. During this time, Teresa began experiencing mystical visions and severe illnesses, which she attributed to divine intervention. These experiences would later form the foundation of her religious writings and mystical insights, setting her on a path that led to significant reforms within the Carmelite order.
Teresa’s mystical experiences became central to her spirituality, especially her famous vision of the transverberation in 1559, where she felt an angel piercing her heart with a golden spear. This vision, along with others, solidified her commitment to spiritual reform. She wrote about these mystical experiences in her autobiography, The Life of Teresa of Jesus, which was intended to defend her ecstatic insights. Teresa also authored The Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection, which serve as spiritual guides for her Carmelite sisters, emphasizing prayer, contemplation, and the journey of the soul toward union with God.
As Teresa grew disillusioned with the lax spiritual practices at the Convent of the Incarnation, she initiated a reform of the Carmelite order in 1562, founding the stricter Discalced Carmelites. Her first reformed convent, St. Joseph’s in Ávila, initially faced opposition, but eventually gained acceptance. Over the next two decades, Teresa founded 17 convents and several monasteries for men, working closely with St. John of the Cross to spread her reforms across Spain. Her efforts were instrumental in revitalizing monastic life during the Counter-Reformation.
Despite her successes, Teresa faced significant opposition from unreformed Carmelites, who persecuted her and her supporters in 1576. Forced into “voluntary” retirement, Teresa continued to appeal to King Philip II of Spain, who eventually intervened. In 1580, a papal decree formally recognized the split between the reformed and unreformed Carmelite orders, allowing Teresa’s reforms to continue without further hindrance.
Teresa of Ávila died on October 4 or 15, 1582, in Alba de Tormes, Spain, while traveling between convents. The discrepancy in the date of her death is due to the calendar change from Julian to Gregorian during that period. Her last words, “My Lord, it is time to move on. May your will be done,” reflect her lifelong devotion to God. Forty years after her death, she was canonized by Pope Gregory XV in 1622. In 1970, she became the first female Doctor of the Church, as declared by Pope Paul VI, recognizing her lasting impact on Christian mysticism and spirituality.
In Hilary Pearson’s article, the Jewish roots and influences on Teresa of Avila are explored through several lenses, primarily her converso heritage. Here are some key points and quotes that illustrate these influences:
- Converso Identity and Influence on Literature: Historian Américo Castro was one of the first to propose a link between Teresa’s Jewish background and her mystical writings. He identified a “converso voice” in Spanish literature, emphasizing an introspective, self-consciousness shaped by the social exclusion experienced by conversos. Castro suggested that Teresa’s introspection and mysticism had Jewish or Islamic roots:
- “In Structure, Castro commented on Teresa of Avila that her ‘strong propensity for autobiography’ as well as her mysticism had led him to suspect an Islamic or Judaic connection even before her conversa status was uncovered” (p. 566).
- Jewish Mystical Influence: The article touches on the idea that Teresa may have been influenced by Jewish mysticism, especially Kabbalah. However, it argues that there is little evidence to directly support this, as Teresa had no access to Kabbalistic writings, and the argument that she absorbed these ideas indirectly remains speculative:
- “Swietlicki says that Teresa’s confessors would have been able to read kabbalistic sources and could have transmitted such ideas to her – a double supposition unsupported by evidence” (p. 43)
- Honour and Social Status: Teresa’s rejection of the concept of “honour” in her writings has also been linked to her Jewish roots. The emphasis on lineage and status in 16th-century Spain, combined with the stigma of being from a converso family, shaped her view of honour. Teresa’s father had fought to secure hidalgo status (noble lineage), but Teresa herself rejected this concept:
- “Egido attributes what he calls ‘the Teresian preoccupation with ‘la negra honora’ [black honour] to the social perils associated with her family’s converso roots and hidalgo status in an era when limpieza de sangre had become the main test for status” (p. 154-158).
- Names of God and Jewish Influence: Another possible Jewish influence is seen in Teresa’s use of certain names for God, which could be linked to a Jewish preference for a regal Messiah. This is reflected in Teresa’s frequent use of titles like “Majestad” (Majesty) when referring to God, which was uncommon among her contemporaries:
- “It is very noticeable that some of St Teresa’s favorite names for God are rey, señor and in particular Majestad, a name which Péllison points out is hardly ever used by her contemporaries” (p. 119).
These insights suggest that while Teresa of Avila’s writings may have been shaped by her converso background, including possible Jewish influences, these influences are often subtle and integrated into broader Christian and Spanish mystical traditions. The article concludes that while certain elements, such as her view on honour and names of God, could reflect her Jewish heritage, a direct influence of Jewish mysticism, like Kabbalah, remains unproven.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we come before You, inspired by the life of Your servant Teresa of Ávila. Like her, may we pursue an intimate relationship with You, seeking Your presence above all else. Strengthen us, as disciples of Yeshua, to walk in faith and humility, guided by your Spirit. Let Teresa’s unwavering devotion remind us to build our lives upon a foundation of prayer and trust in You. May we be vessels of Your love and light, boldly sharing the hope of Messiah with all. Amen.
