When we study the 17th century, we are impressed with the achievements of modern science, especially with the discoveries of Galileo Galilei, as well as with his great mathematical explanations of nature. In this same period of scientific advance and rationalist philosophy (since René Descartes started to develop his philosophy at that time too), in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in Spain, another type of thought and language was developing: the From mystic saints.
To understand what the Spanish mystic was, it is necessary to first understand the concept of mystic. Mysticism (a term that comes from mystery, whose most remote sense is “drama”, dramatic action) refers to a type of experience direct with the divine, that is, the possibility of communication with the divinity through devotional practices, such as prayer and meditation. The mystical experience can be found within any major religion, such as Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
In the specific case of Christianity, the mystical experience, or simply Mystique, was manifested from the earliest times. John, author of the Gospel, is considered by many Christian scholars and theologians as the great precursor of Christian mysticism. Christian mystics are sometimes described as visionaries, that is, they see the "glorious body of Christ", and as subject to ecstasy, that is, to a kind of heightened experience of the senses that results in an apparent loss of consciousness.
In the 17th century, Spain became one of the most notorious defenders of counter-reformist measures. The Spanish Inquisition was one of the most austere of that period, and it was also from Spain that the Company of Jesus, founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola, came from. In this context, two great Spanish mystical saints stood out: Saint John of the Cross and Saint Teresa of Avila.
Both Saint John and Saint Teresa, in addition to being representatives of mystical experiences, were great writers. São João is the author of one of the most extraordinary poems in Spanish literature, “Noite Escura”, in which he narrates the experience of the soul that relates to Christ. Santa Teresa, who was the founder of the Carmelite order, is the author of two great books, “O Livro da Vida” and “As Moradas do Castelo Interior”. In this last book, the author elaborates the degrees to be covered by those who are dedicated to self-knowledge and the search for holiness through changing habits and practicing prayer. In one of the last cycles of the “addresses”, Santa Teresa writes:
[…] I'm not saying it's an arrow, but whatever it is, it's clear that it couldn't come from our nature. It's not a scam either, though I call it that; it hurts more sharply and not where we feel the pains here on earth, in my view, it goes away suddenly, it reduces to dust everything that finds ground in our nature, and in the period that lasts it is impossible for us to remember ourselves same. [1]
This “arrow” refers to the image of an arrow. The aforementioned saint uses this image to describe what she feels in a state of ecstasy, when she is “picked up” by a spiritual arrow that strikes her soul. These and other images testify to the wealth of literature of the Spanish mystic saints, who are fundamental to understanding modern history.
GRADES
[1]: D'Ávila, Santa Teresa. The Abodes of the Inner Castle. São Paulo: É Realizações, 2014. P. 212.
By Me. Cláudio Fernandes
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/historiag/os-santos-misticos-espanhois.htm
