The Interior Castle
or The Mansions
by St. Teresa of Avila
Translated from the Autograph of St. Teresa of Jesus by
The Benedictines of Stanbrook
Revised, with Notes and an Introduction, by the
Very Rev. Fr. Benedict Zimmerman, O.C.D.
PRIOR
Third Edition with Additional Notes
Thomas Baker, London
[1921]
Scanned at sacred-texts.com, November 2005. Proofed and formatted by John Bruno Hare. This text is in the public domain in the United States because it was originally published prior 1923.
El Castillo Interior (The Interior Castle) or Las Moradas (The Mansions) was written by St. Teresa of Avila in 1577. According to contemporary accounts, St. Teresa had a revelation from God of a crystal globe in the shape of a castle containing seven mansions. This is St. Teresa’s interpretation of that vision, describing the journey of faith through seven stages, ending with union with God.
¶ NOTE
IN this new edition the wording has been revised I and condensed, chiefly with a view to rendering the translation more pregnant. Only one passage (VI. Mansion, ch. v. 13) has been substantially changed, in conformity with an explanation received from a high authority. It is admittedly a very difficult passage which appears to have been misunderstood by nearly all translators; but it is gratifying to notice that the new French translation by the Carmelite nuns of Anderlecht agrees with our interpretation. The editor is under an obligation to that translation for several interesting facts embodied in the Introduction and in the notes to the text.
B. Z.
WINCANTON
December 25. 1911
¶ Index
- Introduction
- Preface
- The First Mansions
- The Second Mansions
- The Third Mansions
- The Fourth Mansions
- The Fifth Mansions
- The Sixth Mansions
- Chapter I. Preparation for Spiritual Marriage
- Chapter II. The Wound of Love
- Introductory Note to Chapter III by the Editor
- Chapter III. Locutions
- Chapter IV. Raptures
- Chapter V. The Flight of the Spirit
- Chapter VI. Spiritual Jubilation
- Chapter VII. The Humanity of Our Lord
- Chapter VIII. Intellectual Visions
- Chapter IX. Imaginary Visions
- Chapter X. Intellectual Visions Continued
- Chapter XI. The Dart of Love
- The Seventh Mansions
- Epilogue
- Index