Mysticism, Hybridity, and Intersectionality in the Lives and Works of Inés Estéban, Isabel de la Cruz, and St. Teresa of Ávila

Abstract

Spain is frequently said to have come late to Christian mysticism. While mysticism had gained popularity in Europe beginning in the early twelfth century, Christian mysticism in Spain did not gain a real toehold until the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Unlike mystics in most other European countries, mystics in Spain were, more often than not, of converso heritage and were frequently women. As a result, they were closely scrutinized by the Spanish Inquisition. This paper examines three Spanish women mystics—Inés Estéban, Isabel de la Cruz, and Teresa de Ávila—all of whom had some degree of inter-action with the Holy Office of the Inquisition, two of whom were convicted of crimes against Christianity, and one who became the first female Doctor of the Church. An examination of the lives and inquisitorial interactions of these women through the lenses of intersectionality and hybridity allow us to see that these mystical conversas used a variety of hybrid strategies to make a place for themselves within the larger society of sixteenth-century Spain, and to attempt to integrate themselves into society’s power structures.