Memoria y mística: la Autobiografía de Ana de San Bartolomé
Beatriz De Ancos Morales
Specula Revista de Humanidades y Espiritualidad May 26, 2026 DOI: 10.46583/specula_2026.15.1241 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Ana de San Bartolomé's Autobiography should be classified within Spanish realist mysticism, showing how her narrative transforms Teresa of Ávila's literary heritage into a broader European discourse on mysticism. |
Abstract
This article undertakes a comprehensive examination of the Autobiography of Ana García Manzanas (religious name: Ana de San Bartolomé), focusing on its narrative strategies within the broader framework of Spanish female spiritual literature, particularly the Teresian Carmelite tradition. The study incorporates a comparative approach, situating Ana’s text in dialogue with Teresa of Ávila’s The Book of My Life through an analysis of narrative episodes, visionary experiences, linguistic and stylistic features, and the presence of supernatural illocutionary voices. This intertextual reading substantiates the classification of Ana’s Autobiography within Spanish realist mysticism. As a manifestation of feminine interiority in the spiritual domain, the work illustrates the transformation of Teresian literary heritage into a European discourse on mysticism during the Early Modern period.