Juan de Avila (1499-1569) was one of the most significant exponents of Spanish Golden Age spirituality. His work throughout Andalusia gave rise to the school of Avilista spirituality, a spirituality adopted by both lay men and women as well as secular and regular members of the …
This book examines in rich detail the neglected topic of female ascetics. Based on field research, it documents the social forces which facilitated the establishment of an Order of Ascetics for women, defying tradition in many respects. It describes the subtle methods by which t…
Much attention has been devoted in recent years to Christian asceticism in Late Antiquity. But Christianity did not introduce asceticism to the ancient world. An underlying theme of this fascinating study of pagan asceticism is that much of the work on Christian "holy men" has i…