Work in the Spirituality of Teresa of Avila

Studzinski, Raymond (Advisor); Olsen, Kristina R. (Author); Benson, Joshua (Other); Sherman, Caroline R (Other); Kavanaugh, Kieran (Other)

Degree awarded: Ph.D. Spirituality. The Catholic University of America; Before June 20, 2019, this dissertation can be viewed by CUA users only. [60 months embargo]

314 p.

http://hdl.handle.net/1961/16649

Studzinski, Raymond

Benson, Joshua; Sherman, Caroline R; Kavanaugh, Kieran

Spirituality; European history; History; Carmelite; Teresa; Work

2014-06-20T16:22:05Z

2014-01-01T00:00:00Z

2014-06-20T00:00:00Z

This dissertation explores the theme of work in the life and writings of St. Teresa of Avila, the 16th-century Spanish Carmelite mystic and reformer. While much has been written about Teresa's mystical experiences, her writings on prayer, and her reform of the Carmelite Order, her contributions to the management of work within women's monasteries has not been as well-studied. This dissertation examines Teresa's approach to work in religious life during a time of global expansion, socio-economic change and religious reform in Spain, and it seeks to discover how Teresa's approach to work may be reconciled with contemplative Carmelite spirituality.We approach the study of Teresa's work from two perspectives: 1) her life story within her context, and 2) her work of writing and establishing reformed foundations. Teresa's early life is brought to bear on her later work, especially in leadership and administration, and her middle years are examined as contributing a strong foundation for prayer and Carmelite spirituality. By the time she reached her later years Teresa's ideas were well-formed and her inner relationship to God had grown to a high degree of intensity, which culminated in her extremely productive and active later years, when she traveled throughout Spain, wrote most of her major works, and established many new monasteries. This study of Teresa's approach to work sheds light on her innovations as a reformer and leader. Her innovations encouraged equality among nuns, which went against the existing culture of aristocratic honor and a highly structured system of social classes, and she led from within, maintaining an intense life of prayer while engaging in a highly active life of reform and writing activities well into her later years. In this dissertation, we first introduce Teresa's writings on work, followed by a description of her context, and then we examine the three major periods of her life to explore how her own development with respect to work led her to implement her reform and write her spiritual masterpieces with such courage, dedication and intensity.

Text; Dissertation

Olsen_cua_0043A_10477

The Catholic University of America

2014-06-20