La prolongada sombra brasileña de Santa Teresa de Jesús

Abstract

Sáez Martínez, B. (Ed.). (2015). Santa Teresa de Ávila en Brasil. Madrid: Centro de Publicaciones. Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte. The book being reviewed was originally written to fill a gap in the bibliography concerning Saint Teresa de Avila: the repercussions of her work and teachings in Brazil. In this collection of articles, coordinated by Begoña Sáez Martínez, there emerge many aspects of the trajectory and legacy of the saint. It is worth highlighting the works that refer to the history of the Portuguese translations of the Teresian mission in Brazil, to the creation of convents of the Discalced Carmelites and their relationship with Brazilian geography. Aside from this, it is also worth mentioning the article that discusses the literary heritage that the mission of Saint Teresa of Avila left in Brazil and the iconography of the saint in her churches and convents. As an introductory work to mystical experiences, the work dealing with Umbanda and Condomblé, examples of Afro-Brazilian religions and their comparison to moments of ecstasy and divine encounters that the saint experienced throughout her lifetime, should also be noted. The work of Teresa, as pointed out by the coordinator of the book, “to account for the unnamable, she becomes unique, multifaceted, and extreme.”