Teresa of Avila

Born in the Castilian town of Avila in 1515, Teresa entered the Carmelite convent of the Incarnation when she was twenty-one. Tormented by illness, doubts, and self-recrimination, she gradually came to recognise the power of prayer and contemplation. Her spiritual enlightenment was intensified by many visions and mystical experiences, including the piercing of her heart by a spear of divine...