Image © BAlaT/Wikimedia Commons
The Earthy Mysticism of St Teresa, the Wild Woman of Avila with Revd Dr Sue Astbury
Monday 11 March, 2:30pm–4:00pm in The Sacristy at Exeter Cathedral via The West Wing
Join Revd Dr Sue Astbury for a talk on the earthy mysticism of St Teresa of Avila. Explore Teresa’s life in 16th century Spain and discover her fiery personality and willingness to take on the immense challenges of reforming Carmelite Order. Being a woman without formal education, in a world where men were the educated and the teachers, did not deter Teresa. Her words still have the power to transcend denominations and tradition and speak into the depths of the human spirit and transform lives today.
Revd Dr Sue Astbury says:
“On Teresa’s feast day in 2015, the priest introduced our mid-week communion service saying we would focus on the life of St Teresa of Avila, whose 500th anniversary it was. The practical scientist in me thought “can’t he think of something relevant, she’s been dead for hundreds of years and her writing is about some weird mystical encounters with God that have no place in my life.” Subsequently I have been captivated by Teresa’s Interior Castle, a book described as ‘one of the most helpful and authentic personal and spiritual guides of the Christian journey of contemplative prayer’.”
Revd Dr Sue Astbury
Revd Dr Sue Astbury served as a parish priest for 15 years and is now working as a Transition Minister for Archdeacon of Exeter following her completion of doctorate in Physics and a 20 year career in the global defence industry. During this she developed a particular interest in the spiritual journeys of individuals, both those who attend church regularly and those who do not see themselves as ‘religious but are often deeply spiritual.