The Spanish mystics are major figures in the Catholic Reformation who lived primarily in the 16th- and 17th-centuries. The goal of this movement was to reform the Church structurally and to renew it spiritually. The Spanish mystics attempted to express in words their experience of a mystical communion with

Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...

.Spanish literature mystical writings
''Encyclopædia Britannica'', retrieved April 21, 2008

Language and writing style

These writers had a strong influence on the development of the Spanish Language and were said to have ushered in the " Golden Age of Spanish Literature." At the beginning of the time period, the language was viewed as coarse; by the end, the language had achieved what is called "the high

baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

style of Spanish," which in certain forms (especially in formal letter-writing) continues to influence Spanish usage to the present. In addition to being examples of Christian holiness and major Spanish literary figures, the Spanish Mystics were also real reformers in the Church. Their writings inspired a religious quest for God based on desire rather than obligation and medieval legalism, and three of them went on to found or reform religious orders that would carry on their work across continents and centuries.

Principal figures and their major writings

Teresa de Cartagena Teresa de Cartagena (fl. 1425 – 1478) was a writer, Mysticism, mystic and nun in late medieval Castile who is considered to be the first Spanish-language female writer and mystic. She became deaf between 1453 and 1459. Her experience of deafness ...

(writer) ::*''Grove of the Infirm'' ::*''Wonder at the Works of God'' :*St.

Teresa of Ávila Teresa of Ávila (born Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda Dávila y Ahumada; 28March 15154or 15October 1582), also called Saint Teresa of Jesus, was a Carmelite nun and prominent Spanish mystic and religious reformer. Active during the Counter-Re ...

, OCD ::*'' The Interior Castle'' ::*'' The Way of Perfection'' :*St.

John of the Cross St. John of the Cross (; ; né Juan de Yepes y Álvarez; 24 June 1542 – 14 December 1591) was a Spanish Roman Catholic priest, mystic, and Carmelite friar of ''Converso'' ancestry. He is a major figure of the Counter-Reformation in Spain, ...

, OCD (poet) ::*'' Dark Night of the Soul'' ::*'' Ascent of Mount Carmel'' :*St.

Ignatius of Loyola Ignatius of Loyola ( ; ; ; ; born Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola; – 31 July 1556), venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Basque Spaniard Catholic priest and theologian, who, with six companions, founded the religious order of the S ...

, SJ ::*The '' Spiritual Exercises'' ::*''Autobiography'' :*St. Francis de Borja, SJ :* Luis de León, OESA (poet) :*Venerable Mary of Jesus of Ágreda, OIC (writer) ::*'' Mystical City of God'' :*

Fernando de Herrera Fernando de Herrera (~1534–1597), called "El Divino", was a 16th-century Spanish poet and man of letters. He was born in Seville. Much of what is known about him comes from ''Libro de descripción de verdaderos retratos de illustres y memorabl ...

(poet) :*Blessed Ramon Lull, TOSF (philosopher of the 14th century)

Other Spanish mystics

Gertrudis Anglesola Gertrudis Anglesola (June 19, 1641, in Valencia – March 3, 1727, in , Valencia), also known as ''Gertrudis de Anglesola'', was an abbess and Mysticism, mystic of the Gratia Dei monastery and the Cistercians, Cistercian , outside the Valencian cit ...

* Bernardo de Hoyos * María Rafols Bruna

References

{{reflist Counter-Reformation Catholic Church in Spain