The Life of Saint Teresa of Avila - (Lives of Great Religious Books) by Carlos Eire (Hardcover)

The Life of Saint Teresa of Avila is a remarkable account of a nun's encounter with the divine, written as a confession for inquisitors.

Despite its troubled origins, this book has had a profound impact on Christian spirituality for five centuries, inspiring readers from diverse backgrounds.

National Book Award winner Carlos Eire tells the story of this spiritual masterpiece, examining its composition and reception in the sixteenth century, as well as its enduring influence in our own secular age.

The Life became an iconic text of the Counter-Reformation, was revered in Franco's Spain, and has been read as a feminist manifesto, literary work, or even a secular text.

Eire demonstrates how Teresa's confession is a cry from the heart to God and an audacious portrayal of mystical theology as a search for love.

This book provides an essential companion to The Life, offering one woman's testimony to the reality of mystical experience and a timeless affirmation of the ultimate triumph of good over evil.