The Varieties of Religious Experience · Character
Saint Teresa of Ávila
The Spanish mystic whose raptures and prayer manuals force James to ask whether the fruits of a vision can be judged without first judging the God behind it.
supporting
Also known as Saint Teresa, Teresa, Saint Teresa:
First appearance: Lectures XVI and XVII: Mysticism
As a supporting figure in The Varieties of Religious Experience, Saint Teresa of Ávila is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Cited as an example of a religious figure dismissed by medical materialism as an hysteric.
Teresa stands behind James's 'Critique of Pure Saintliness,' where he confesses that measuring a religion by human fruits quietly assumes a theology of one's own. Her contemplations, insisting on the absence of sensible images, exemplify the mystical sine qua non he describes. She matters because she makes the empirical method uncomfortable with itself, exposing how much instinct and prejudice guide our verdicts on sanctity.
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Character Web
31 connectionsA slice of how Saint Teresa of Ávila sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Exemplars of Religious Experience
- Protagonist
- Conversion Case Studies
- Wide-Ranging Illustrative Voices
+26 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
Alline’s psychological peak occurs as he confronts the utter futility of his own efforts—his seeking, praying,…
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Follow the arc while readingIn the story
Saint Teresa of Ávila appears across 3 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
- Lecture I: Religion and Neurology
- Lectures XI, XII and XIII: Saintliness
- Lectures XVI and XVII: Mysticism
Chapter companion notes
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See Saint Teresa of Ávila in Lectures XVI and XVII: Mysticism