Abstract
Teresa of Avila, writing in the 16th century when ideas of holiness often excluded women and lay people, developed a radically inclusive understanding of holiness as friendship with Christ. Her idea also allowed for degrees of holiness, from those who completed only the necessary church requirements of confession and absolution all the way up to those who had a friendship that was modelled upon the relationship in the Song of Songs. It was a definition of holiness applicable to men and women, clergy, members of religious orders, and lay people. In addition, her understanding of holiness did not distinguish the holiness of ordinary lay people from that of the great saints of previous generations, for friendship with Christ was open to all.
Highlights
As with other ideas, the understanding of what constituted ‘holiness’ has not been static through Christian history
Jantzen believes that the understanding of mysticism, an idea often linked with holiness, has varied and that at least some of this variation led to gendered understandings (Jantzen 1995:326)
This, for Teresa, is that friendship so well described in the Song of Songs and the pinnacle of earthly holiness
Summary
Affiliations: 1Centre for Practical Theology, School of Theology, Boston University, United States of America. Teresa of Avila, writing in the 16th century when ideas of holiness often excluded women and lay people, developed a radically inclusive understanding of holiness as friendship with Christ Her idea allowed for degrees of holiness, from those who completed only the necessary church requirements of confession and absolution all the way up to those who had a friendship that was modelled upon the relationship in the Song of Songs. It was a definition of holiness applicable to men and women, clergy, members of religious orders, and lay people. Her understanding of holiness did not distinguish the holiness of ordinary lay people from that of the great saints of previous generations, for friendship with Christ was open to all
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