A Mystic for Our Times

by Heidi Schlumpf, Religion BookLine -- Publishers Weekly, 1/24/2007

The latest spiritual guru gracing bookstore shelves isn't an Eastern sage, a New Age self-helper, or even an evangelical preacher—it's the 16th-century Spanish Carmelite nun and saint, Teresa of Ávila. And it's not just Catholics or even Christians who are writing—and buying—books about her. In fact, none other than bestselling author Caroline Myss has been inspired by this mystic's spirituality. Her latest book, Entering the Castle: An Inner Path to God and Your Soul (Free Press, Mar.; starred review in this issue) borrows Teresa's imagery of the "interior castle" to show people how to find life's answers deep within their own souls.

"She's a hot mystic right now, and I consider her my personal patron saint," said Myss, who is already conducting sold-out workshops on the topic. "People are looking for the experience of God now, not just a capacity to discuss God. So they turn to people like Teresa who are masters of that route. And like a classic mystic, she breaks through the bonds of her tradition with a message that is truly universal."

Although there are many translations of Teresa's major writings (most by men), Myss prefers those by women scholars, including Mirabai Starr, whose new translation of Teresa of Ávila: The Book of My Life is being published next month by Shambhala's New Seeds imprint. An audio book read by Carmelite nun Tessa Bielecki also is being released in February.

Starr, an adjunct professor of philosophy and religious studies who describes herself as a "Jewish Buddhist/Hindu," has translated Teresa's message into contemporary language that makes it more accessible to today's readers. "Teresa was a contemplative and an activist, and I think we are all called to find that balance in the world," Starr told RBL. "She represents, especially for women, that balance of action and contemplation that's so needed today."

Even more accessible is fiction, and a new novel of Teresa's life blends fact with fiction to tell the story of a young Jewish convert who ended up becoming a powerful founder of convents and church reformer during the tumultuous times of the Spanish Inquisition. Sister Teresa (Overlook, Mar.) is by Georgetown Spanish literature professor Barbara Mujica, the author of the Frida (Overlook, 2001) about Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

Mujica also sees Teresa as a teacher. "She certainly is a heroine for our times. She was a CEO before the word was invented," said Mujica. "Her spirituality is an interior spirituality that doesn't hang on ritual but rather teaches people to find God within. And in this time of sectarianism, Teresa is a person who reaches across cultures and religions. She speaks to everyone."