Reviews

In the study of the various aspects of Catholic theology, sometimes we forget that the whole religion thing is really about one thing - loving God and loving each other. In this classic work, St. Theresa of Avila brings us back to these simple truths. In her eyes, the spiritual life, which is the love of God in one's own life, is like a castle with seven "mansions", or levels. In the outer mansions are the things that keep us from God and from love, namely selfishness, self-centeredness, all of the vices and the pride that tells us that we don't need anything but ourselves. As we enter the inner mansions and come closer to God, we shed these things and become filled with the things that make life really meaningful. In embracing humility, we learn that the best things in life come from outside ourselves and we can't do it alone. In embracing purity, we come to realize that life is so full of distractions that we need to get back to the things that matter, the things that make us strong. The closer that we come to God in the center of the innermost mansion, the less that the world means to us. The things that we foolishly cling to in our selfishness melt away in the vanity that surrounds those things. In the inner mansion, that sweet place within our souls where God always dwells, that is where we find true meaning.

It is amazing to me how this woman, St. Theresa of Avila, a nun who lived in the Spain of the Inquisition and the counter-reformation, could write such profound truths that they touch a 21st century American like myself. It provides so much material for meditation and thought. Ironically, this woman who never pursued a PhD nor even a college education, found truths more profound than any of the great PhD theologians of the past 200 years who claim to have the real answers.

This book is not to be read once, but to be read and reread, in short passages at a time, and to be prayed over and contemplated after reading. If you do this, you will find so many great truths about the spiritual life. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to deepen their spiritual life.

lukes_ramblingwritings66's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.5

Rating would be higher if there wasn’t a pivot towards becoming a “slave to god” at the end there. People who know me know I vehemently hate that aspect of theology. Anyways, St. Teresa of Avila is an interesting individual, writing down her method of attaining what could be described as deification or apotheosis, where the soul goes through seven chambers of a castle, navigating through trials, and ultimately uniting with the divine through holy matrimony. The language employed here is much more metaphorical and poetic in style, as opposed to the heavier vocabulary used in most theology texts. She does address this multiple times through this book, however, it is generally done in the context of her womanhood, and proceeds to denigrate and compare herself to the men. Like, give yourself some credit girl for real for real on god.

To reiterate my point at the beginning, I would’ve rated it higher if she didn’t pivot the holy matrimony perspective into the slave to god narrative. I get the context of when it was written, and how women were seen, especially in the Catholic/ Christian traditions. It still felt a little jarring as she spends nearly the entire seventh dwelling chapter on the holy matrimony, only to again, pivot and point out that the soul will now become a slave to god for the last two pages, ending on that note.

I read this because a classmate in college used this as their main source for their senior thesis, and felt that it would be the right time to experience this as my interest in non-Protestant traditions have increased post-deconstruction. It was alright. *thumbs up*

ozielbispo's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Não sou católico, sou evangélico, mas isso não tem nada a ver quando se trata de literatura e literatura de primeira. Teresa de Ávila escreve desde o mosteiro de São José de Ávila, no ano de mil quinhentos e setenta e sete, essa obra-prima da espiritualidade cristã.
Ela através de uma metáfora explica que nossa alma é como se fosse um castelo, onde existem sete moradas e nessas moradas vários aposentos.. E nossa alma vai mudando de moradas e aposentos conforme evoluímos na nossa fé e no nosso temor a Deus até chegarmos a perfeição que é a sétima morada onde está Deus. Logicamente as dificuldades vão aumentando assim que alcançamos as moradas superiores, mas ao transpormos esses obstáculos , nossa fé e segurança são aumentadas e a alma com certeza poderá lutar contra os poderes que quer fazê-la regredir.

Um livro maravilhoso, um clássico da literatura cristã.

More...