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Elizabeth
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After reading several Teresa of Avila quotes on Helen's blog and exhausting my personal collection of books by two other Carmeltites--Therese and Edith Stein--I decided to read Teresa of Avila. I started with The Way of Perfection because the book cover said it is "the most easily understood."
I'm dense. This is hard to understand!  Are there Cliff Notes for this or something? I'm not kidding; I want to understnad this saint but I'm barely able to read a page or two without nodding off and I don't think I'm retaining much.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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rose gardens
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I eat rich desserts slowly, and I read St. Teresa's writings even slower. Every page provides much to relect upon that I can't read it fast and understand it. But the more I read her works, (and others from that time period like St. John of the Cross) the easier it gets. Some of the difficulty might be in the writing style and translation, beyond simply the incredible high level of theological brilliance.
You're not dense; her work is filled with so much that we can't just gobble it up like our usual books. But as you asked for Cliff's notes, I started off reading a book that someone wrote about her works called "Let Nothing Trouble You , 60 reflections from the Writings of Teresa of Avila." compiled by Heidi S. Hess. I found the quotes from St. Teresa so valuable that I didn't finish the book and instead began reading straight from the source.
I tell you how I read St. Teresa's books. I enjoyed a nice, slow read for a page or so, (sometimes less), then do laundry or something somewhat mindless so my mind can absorb and process what I read. I think I've read all her works and re-read several parts. Good stuff--better than the richest chocolate cake. 
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lapazfarm
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I'm glad I'm not the only one!I am so intimidated by St. Theresa's obviously brilliant intellect, which has always destressed me to no end since she is my name saint I feel a lttle less like an idiot to hear others might find her less than accessible, too!
Maybe I will try the advice above. But right now I am working on St. Therese, who writes a bit more on my level!
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Dawnie
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Elizabeth,
I love St. Teresa, but I've found her writings hard to get through, too. I started to read Interior Castle and had to stop once I got to the Sixth Mansions b/c I didn't know what the heck she was talking about anymore! I only partially understood the writing before that. I thought it was probably b/c I wasn't holy enough to understand it yet! 
I do plan to keep trying though. I liked rose garden's suggestion about reading a page and then stopping to reflect. Whenever I'm reading something of St. Teresa's that I DO understand, I tend to keep blazing forward instead of stopping and letting it soak in.
Dawn
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Jen L.
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Calling all experts: Is The Way really the most easily understood? I really would like to know.
I have not tried to read anything but herLife (autobiography) and it's been good. I will be more formally studying it in the fall, but I have been reading it on my own lately. I have even on occasion let the book open to a random page and walked away with some "daily bread" for my day.
Also, I have really enjoyed and must recommend Fire Within: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and the Gospel-On Prayer by Thomas Dubay. Here's the description from the back of the book: "This book is the fruit of Fr. Dubay's many years of study and experience in spiritual direction and in it he synthesizes the teachings on prayer of the two great doctors of the Church on prayer--St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila--and the teaching of Sacred Scripture.
But the teaching that Fr. Dubay synthesized is not collected from Teresa and John for contemplatives alone. It is meant for every Christian and is based on the Gospel imperative of personal prayer and the call to holiness. All the major elements of these great teachers are ordered, commented on and put in the context of their scriptural foundations. Here is an outstanding book on prayer and the spiritual life written by one of the best spiritual directors and retreat masters of our time, and based on the writings of the Church's two greatest mystical doctors."
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andibc
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St. Teresa digresses almost constantly while she writes. One Carmelite priest told me that was intentional on her part and due to to her concerns about the inquisitors. There were many false visionaries during that time period who stired up all sorts of problems for the Church. If you keep in mind that she does digress, it is easier to follow her writings. She is writing on a lofty topic that can't be given clear expression in words, so she often tries to pull in analogies that we can understand and elaborates to the degree that the main point is confused. St. John of the Cross seems to stay with the topic and use analogies that are clearer for some people. I love to read St. John of the Cross.
If you can pick up a copy of "Fire Within" by Fr. Dubay and read his commentary on St. Teresa first, you will find working through her material much easier.
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Louise
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Dear Elizabeth,
I also recommend Fr. Dubay "Fire Within" as an introduction. Both dh and I are in the Secular Discalced Carmelite Order. We just had a meeting today. Usually Teresa's "The Interior Castle" is the first book being studied. It is also helpful to read her autobiography.
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Natalia
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I have read El libro de la Vida which is her autobiography. I read it in Spanish, old Spanish. I have to adjust but once I got used to her language it as a beautiful book. Sometimes she will just start praising the Lord in the middle of her writing. It made me pause and pray as I read.
I have not even attempt her other books. I wonder if the autobiography will be a better place to start.
Natalia
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Kelly
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andibc wrote:
| St. Teresa digresses almost constantly while she writes. One Carmelite priest told me that was intentional on her part and due to to her concerns about the inquisitors. There were many false visionaries during that time period who stired up all sorts of problems for the Church. |
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You beat me to the draw! I was going to mention this, too. I studied her works in college, and this was something my professor mentioned. It is certainly evident in her writing, and understandable.
I, personally, enjoyed her autobiography the most. Natalia, I read it in Spanish, too, but you're right, there's definitely a "rhythm" you get into as you read it.
On a much more diluted level, there's a devotional book out there called "Praying with St. Teresa", which is surprisingly pretty good-information about her life, interspersed with prayers. I say "surprisingly" because it is published by a Protestant company. We only found this out because we were ordering more copies (at the suggestion of our bishop) and were looking at their other offerings...noticed "Praying with Martin Luther"!!!!  Still, the book is good.
Gotta run.
Kelly in FL
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Mary G
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Elizabeth --
Don't feel bad, when we were in Austria the first time around, dh had a semester-long course on Teresa and learned alot. Would you be able to sit in on a seminar at CU or Christendom or somewhere. Maybe a group of us could discuss one of them online?
I've wanted to read her but was worried it'd be WAY over my head!
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Elizabeth
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| Posted: June 07 2006 at 8:54pm | IP Logged
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I think part of my challenge is taking advice written in the 1500s to cloistered nuns and applying it to suburban housewives in 2006...
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Meredith
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This would be my concern too, I've only read a tidbit on her and she's amazingly complex. Perhaps I'm just too surface to appreciate her to the full extent right now. Let us know how it goes
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Jen L.
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I just wanted to say that St. Teresa herself was not cloistered for much of her religious life. She wanted to change the convent because it wasn't cloistered. She realized that they were too busy with visitors and entertaining (which she enjoyed). Later, she was VERY busy establishing other reformed (discalced) convents and traveling A LOT! She was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1970 because she speaks univeral truths.
She struggled with all sorts of things such as distraction and illness.
There are genuinely funny parts in her autobiography. She was the one who said (and forgive me if I misquote): "God save us from dour-faced Saints".
Here's a nice, short article about her.
BTW, I recently discovered that if you order 5 or more books (any mixture of titles) from the Institute of Carmelite Studies that you get a 40% discount!! They have books on/by St. John of the Cross, St. Therese the Little Flower, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Edith Stein and other Carmelite saints.
All this to say that I started out totally intimidated by even thinking of reading her and now I'm becoming something of a fan. 
Finally, a wonderful quote from Teresa, "It is not a matter of thinking much, but of loving much.
So do whatever most kindles love in you."
(I'll shut up now  )
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Jen
dh Klete,ds (8/95),dd (12/97), dd (11/00), and ^2^ in heaven
"...the best state in which to glorify God is our actual state; the best grace is that of the moment..." St. Peter Eymard
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Topic: Teresa of Avila
