St Teresa of Ávila

In The Interior Castle, Carmelite nun, mystic and patron saint of Spain Teresa of A´vila uses the metaphor of a giant crystal castle to explain her theory of the soul and the various stages it passes through as it progresses towards God. Beginning in the outer rooms, where demons are fought and vices are purged, the soul must reach the inner chambers, where it will enter betrothal and intimate union with God.

The 16th-century Spanish Carmelite nun St Teresa of Ávila was a prominent figure in the Catholic Reformation, and her writings have continued to inspire philosophers, theologians, historians and countless others interested in Christian spirituality and mysticism. She distilled her own experience into this beautifully direct and accessible ‘living book’, The Way of Perfection, as a guide for nuns in her convent.