Teresa of Ávila

Teresa of Ávila, Carmelite Nun, (1515 – 1582), also called Saint Teresa of Jesus, was who was called to convent life in the Catholic Church. A Carmelite nun, Spanish mystic, religious reformer, author, theologian of the contemplative life, she earned the rare distinction of being declared a Doctor of the Church. Active during the Catholic Reformation, she reformed the Carmelite Orders of both women and men. The movement she initiated was later joined by the younger Spanish Carmelite friar and mystic John of the Cross. Her written contributions, which include her autobiography, The Life of Teresa of Jesus and her seminal work The Interior Castle, are today an integral part of Spanish Renaissance literature together with The Way of Perfection.