Conceptions of The Love of God - Introduction Discussion - St. Teresa of Avila - Teresa of Jesus - On The Canticle of Canticles - On The Song of Songs

Discussion of  the  Introduction                                                              of  the                    Conceptions of The Love of God                      S. Teresa of Jesus            of the Order of our Lady of Carmel                             St. Teresa of Avila                      From the Book,        "Minor Works Of St. Teresa         Conceptions Of The Love Of God         Exclamations, Maxims And Poems"

Discussion of  The  Introduction  █   Summary  or Highlights  ▀ "A Work in no way inferior             to the other writings of the Saint"      ■ To Explain the sublime Communications             between Christ and the Soul      ■ Referencing the Canticle of Canticles    ▀ Written at the Request of        and in Obedience to Fr Domingo Banez  ▀ "How much of the original work            has been preserved ?"  ▀ Copies of the Manuscripts        of the Conceptions of the Love of God      ■ Alba      ■ Consuegra      ■ Baeza       ■ Las Nieves  ▀ Dating of the Writing  ▀ History of the Versions      ■ The Original copy is destroyed     ■ The Surviving Version at Alba de Tormes      ■ Other Surviving Contemporay Versions     ■ The Work and Travels of St. Teresa             at this time

▀ "A Work in no way inferior             to the other writings of the Saint"     ■ To Explain the sublime Communications            between Christ and the Soul           "So sublime are some of the Divine favours                shown to several of the nuns...               (that)  these religious suffer for want of light."                               "...the need of somebody explaining to them                 certain things             which occur in the intercourse                 between Christ and the soul"                     [ Conceptions: St. Teresa's Prologue]       ■ Referencing the Canticle of Canticles             "Although not a commentary                  on the Canticle of Canticles,              the Conceptions do comment                  on some texts taken from it"                        [ Conceptions: Editor's Introduction]        "The Canticles of Solomon...            I think would bring comfort                to those sisters                    whom He leads in this way,                     and even                to myself "               "I will tell you some of the meanings               that Christ taught me were contained                   in certain words               in which my soul delighted               during the state of prayer                    to which He has also raised                    some of the sisters in our convents"                         [ Conceptions: St. Teresa's Prologue]

▀  Written at the Request of        and in Obedience to Fr Banez        "Like all her other books,          St. Teresa wrote it               at the bidding of holy Obedience"        A copy was sent to "Father Banez at Valladolid                      for approbation               (especially if the order to write it                   had come from him)" .                       [ Conceptions: Editor's Introduction]

▀ "How much of the original work            has been preserved ?"      According to the editor,           at the time of this publication,      this version contained all of the original contents          of St Terese"s Conceptioin of the Love of  God:       "It goes without saying        that the translation contained             in this volume         has been             - made from the ancient copies,                      and             - embodies the variants."     "The author of the Reforma            is of opinion        that nothing has been lost.        The present writer (editor)        had long since come             to the same conclusion on other grounds,                   and       the French Carmelites share this conviction."      "...Both the opening and the conclusion             of the treatise        present analogies            with the openings and conclusions             of the Saint's remaining works"                      [ Conceptions: Editor's Introduction]        According to the Editor,      this version contains all the contents            contained in the surviving versions.      This seems to include          Alba (which includes Baeza and Consuegra)           and the additions of Las Nieves.

  

▀ Copies of the Manuscripts 

      of the Conceptions of the Love of God

    ■ Alba

       "Besides the copy of Alba,

            there exist three others"

    ■ Consuegra

       "one at Consuegra, 

         which begins with what it calls Chapter VII

         which, however, is identical  

              with Chapters III and IV of the printed text, 

          

         while Chapter VIII corresponds 

              to Chapters V and VI,

                           and 

          another unnumbered chapter contains 

              the beginning of Chapter VII"

    ■ Baeza

       "The copy of Baeza 

              agrees more or less with that of Alba, 

    ■ Las Nieves

       "while the last, of Las Nieves, 

              is akin to that of Consuegra, 

         but contains some important additions 

              not to be found elsewhere. "
                     [ Conceptions: Editor's Introduction] 

  

Alba	Consuegra    (Chapters corresponding to Alba)
Chapter I      (1)	---
Chapter II     (2)	---
Chapter III    (3)	Begins with   Chapter VII    (7)
Chapter IV   (4)	Chapter VII    (7)
Chapter V    (5)	Chapter VIII   (8)
Chapter VI   (6)	Chapter VIII   (8)
Chapter VII  (7)	An Unnamed Chapter       contains beginning of Ch 7
Baez agrees more or less     with Alba	Las Nieves akin to that of Consuegra,   but contains some important additions

  

▀ Dating of the Writing     From  a study of the history        of St. Teresa's activities Foundations, and travels,     the editor writes:     "the conclusion is irresistible            that the Conceptions were written       in that convent ( Segovia) in summer 1574".     "The limits of time between which            this book must have been composed       can be accurately fixed by two dates."          "The Conceptions must therefore                  have been written after 1571.              The other date, June 10, 1575,                  supplies the terminus ad quern."                 In a copy at Alba de Tormes was written                  by Fr. Banez:          "I have carefully examined these four quires                 which comprise eight leaves and a half ;            I can find nothing reprehensible                  in the doctrine contained in them,            which, on the contrary,                   is good and safe.            Given at the College of San Gregorio                  at Valladolid,            June 10, 1575.                  Fray Domingo Banez."   [ Conceptions: Editor's Introduction]

▀ History of the Versions    ■ The Original Copy is Destroyed       The version,                that was considered "the original",        was destroyed  at the order of  her  Confessor,               Fr. Diego de Yanguas.       He was her Confessor while she was there              in Segovia        so when she presented it to him               for his judgement       "he,  without even looking at it,               commanded her to throw it into the fire,       as it was unbecoming        that a woman should write               on the Canticle of Canticles".       At that time, the Inquisiton judged severly              not only "dangerous books"       but also "excellent works              which might lead to misunderstandings"       In fact, "At the very time when she wrote               on some verses of the Canticles,        the saintly and learned Fray Luis de Leon               was languishing in the prisons                     of the Inquisition at Valladolid               for having translated                     the Canticle into Spanish;        He remained a prisoner               from March 1572  till the end of 1576."                          [ Conceptions: Editor's Introduction]       ■ The Surviving Version at Alba de Tormes        Father Banez at Vallodolid               also received a copy        since it was he who requested this writing:         "It is more likely            - that at the moment of the destruction                     of the original,             the copy in question was on its way                    to Father Banez at Valladolid                             for approbation                (especially if the order to write it                had come from him),                             and           - that he gave it to the nuns at Alba,                    as the Saint was then at Seville"                   [ Conceptions: Editor's Introduction]      ■ Various Other Contemporary Versions      St. Teresa traveled much             in the founding of  her many Convents     between the years 1571 and June 10, 1575,      when this book is thought to have been written.     From the accounts of her confreres,     it is known she wrote at night or             briefly whenever she had a minute's leisure.     Sometimes she could dictate her thoughts            to another Sister     "taking the opportunity of making            additions or  alterations;       which accounts for certain variants             in her works."                         [ Conceptions: Editor's Introduction]       ■ The Work and Travels of St. Teresa             at this time       "The Conceptions must therefore              have been written after 1571"             (and before)   "...June 10, 1575"       "The movements of St. Teresa in the interval             are well known."       ▪ 1571 Summer         "She left Salamanca              in the early summer of 1571,            remained a short time at Medina,              and went to Avila"       ▪ 1571 June         "In June              she was sent back to Medina"      ▪ 1571 July            "and          in the middle of July              she was again called to Avila,          where she lived first at St. Joseph's convent"       ▪ 1571 October             "and          in October went to the Incarnation               in the quality of prioress,          remaining there one year and nine months,"       ▪ 1573 February         "allowing only for a short journey           to Alba de Tormes in February 1573."      ▪ 1573 July          "In July of that year           she was sent to Salamanca,               where she lived for six months,           after which,                passing through Alba, Medina and Avila,           she proceeded to Segovia,                where she founded a convent."         It is here that the editor prposes that:        "the conclusion is irresistible              that the Conceptions were written           in that convent in summer 1574."      ▪ 1574 October         "In October  1574           she returned for a short while to Avila               and went afterwards to Valladolid."     ▪ 1575 February        "Three months later she went by way             of Medina, Avila, Toledo and Malagon           to Veas, where she stayed              from February 1575      ▪ 1575 May          "till May,           when she went to Seville."        "Father Banez' censure            bears the date of June 1575"           [ Conceptions: Editor's Introduction]

End of the Discussion                             of the                       Introduction                            of the         Conceptions of The Love of God               S. Teresa of Jesus       of the Order of our Lady of Carmel                               St. Teresa of Avila                   From the Book,       "Minor Works Of St. Teresa         Conceptions Of The Love Of God         Exclamations, Maxims And Poems"