Teresa Wielka w życiu i pismach Edyty Stein

Abstract

This paper analizes in what way Teresa of Avila affected the life and thinking processes of Edith Stein. The author focused especially on a particular moment in Edith Stein’s life, when she discovered Teresa of Avila, to show how it influenced Edith’s spirituality. While reading the book by Teresa of Avila, Edith Stein found God, the Only Truth, and this experience helped her to open up to the whole new world inside her. Teresa of Avila become Edith’s guide, who would lead her along the paths of faith, teaching her the way of prayer and developing her personality. In her many writings, Edith Stein tried to present Saint Teresa of Jesus in such a way, as to make her more familiar. Her insightful analysis of Teresa’s works resulted in the in-depth philosophical and theological reflection of her thought. Another task of the article was to show how much alike elements there are in lifes of both women in an attempt to illustrate, that the similar life experiences influence in a similar fashion the processes taking place inside the human soul.