Saint Teresa: Between Literature and Religion

Saint Teresa of Jesus (1515-1582) is one of the unquestionable bastions of the Spanish mystical literature. Her literary work can be divided into two groups: on the one hand, autobiographical works and, on the other, ascetical and mystical works. The autobiographical works center on her activity as a reformer and on her own mystical experiences, whereby all of them display a clear experiential character sui generis. Libro de su vida (Autobiography), Libro de las fundaciones (Book of Foundations), Cuentas de conciencia or Libro de las Relaciones belong to this group, while Camino de Perfeccion (The Way of Perfection), Castillo Interior (The Interior Castle) or Las Moradas, and some other minor works belong to the second group.