Written in 1565 at the request of her confessor, St. Teresa's autobiography is at once an extraordinary chronicle of a life governed by the desire to draw closer to God and a literary masterpiece that brings to life a woman of candor, humor, and great spiritual strength. Teresa writes of her early life, the conflicts and crises she faced, and her decision to enter a life of prayer. Her lyrical, almost erotic descriptions of ecstatic experiences call to mind the senuous language of the Song of Songs.

While I was beseeching Our Lord today...I began to think of the soul as if it were a castle made of a single diamond or of very clear crystal, in which there are many rooms, just as in Heaven there are many mansions. -- St. Teresa of Avila
A masterpiece of spiritual literature, this sixteenth-century work was inspired by a mystical vision that came upon the revered St. Teresa of Avila, one of the most gifted and beloved religious figures in history. St. Teresa's vision was of a luminous crystal castle composed of seven chambers, or "mansions," each representing a different stage in...

Here is the definitive edition of St. Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle: translated by E. Allison Peers. This mystic book is as inspirational and enlightening today as it was when it was first written. St. Teresa lays out the foundation for an ideal journey of faith. St. Teresa was a reformer of the Carmelite Order and is considered to be, along with Saint John of the Cross, a founder of the Discalced Carmelites. She became the first female to be named a Doctor of the Church, in 1970, and is one of only three females to be awarded that honor.

St. Teresa of Avila's books are integral part of the Spanish Renaissance literature as well as Christian mysticism and Christian meditation practices. The Interior Castle written is widely considered to be one of the greatest works on spiritual development. This classic work attracts a new generation of St. Teresa of Avila readers. The Interior Castle is required reading for various courses and curriculums and is enjoyed reading for others. St. Teresa of Avila she was canonized by Pope Gregory XV in 1622, forty years after her death. In 1970 she was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul...

Dark Night of the Soul is a theological commentary on the poem explaining the meaning of St John of the Cross' poem of the same name. The book describes its meaning by stanza. Dark Night of the Soul narrates the journey of the soul from bodily home to union with God. The journey occurs during night, representing the hardships and difficulties the soul meets in detachment from the world, and reaches the light of the union with God. The book is divided into two sections reflecting the two phases of the dark night. The first is a purification of the senses. The second, and more intense of the...

The Ascent Of Mount Carmel is part of four works by John dealing with the "Dark Night of the Soul," when the individual Soul undergoes earthly and spiritual privations in search of union with God. Along with The Dark Night Of The Soul, The Living Flame of God, and the Spiritual Canticle, The Ascent Of Mount Carmel is regarded as one of the greatest works of mysticism in Christianity. In The Ascent Of Mount Carmel St John of the Cross illustrates the Soul's progress to the summit of the metaphorical Mt Carmel where God is encountered. The book is divided into three sections and is presented as...

1944. Contents: early life; from Duruelo to Avila; prison; Beas and Monte Calvario; Baeza and Granada; last days; character; uniqueness of St. John of the Cross; poet's poet; mystic's mystic; stumbling blocks and attractiveness of his teaching.

Originally published in 1940 as the second part of a two-volume study, this book examines the Romantic Movement in Spain from its decline and dwindling popularity after 1837, and the rise of eclecticism, to its final expressions around 1860. Peers looks at key texts in the history of the Romantic style, as well as the real meaning of Romanticism in Spain at this time. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the history of Spanish literature or the Romantic Period.