Spiritual Administration: Gender and Discernment in the Carmelite Reform
In 1562, Teresa de Jesus founded the first of seventeen reformed (discalced) Carmelite convents and drafted the first of a series of monastic constitutions designed to promote certain ideals-above all, the opportunity for nuns to practice mental prayer, through which they might act as agents of spir...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2000
|
| In: |
The sixteenth century journal
Year: 2000, Volume: 31, Issue: 1, Pages: 123-146 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
|
| Summary: | In 1562, Teresa de Jesus founded the first of seventeen reformed (discalced) Carmelite convents and drafted the first of a series of monastic constitutions designed to promote certain ideals-above all, the opportunity for nuns to practice mental prayer, through which they might act as agents of spiritual renewal for a church in crisis. This article analyzes Teresa's innovations in governance; among them, a crucial role for prioresses in spiritual guidance and in discernment-a charism generally restricted to priests. Within ten years of Teresa's death in 1582, the Constitutions were revised in ways that seriously curtailed the provisions designed to protect the discalced feminine magisterium. Despite conditions which could induce acute psychological distress, the Carmelite reform did for a brief time allow some nuns enhanced opportunities for self-actualization as spiritual teachers and healers. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2326-0726 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The sixteenth century journal
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/2671292 |
