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Poverty and interiority in Mother Teresa
Davies, Rachel
Davies, Rachel
Author
Abstract
This article examines how Mother Teresa’s practice of evangelical poverty developed and diverged from some of the great mendicant traditions. It argues that she linked evangelical and interior poverty by establishing existential communion with the poor—not material renunciation—as the deepest expression of Christ-imitation. While mendicant Neoplatonists believed a certain kind of interior poverty was necessary for spiritual growth, Mother Teresa’s aim was to console the suffering Jesus through self-denial and solidarity. The article traces how this understanding developed for her, and some of the ways it may have contributed to her feelings of darkness.
Keywords
dark night, evangelical counsels, interiority, mendicancy, Mother Teresa, poverty, redemptive suffering
Date
2019
Type
Journal article
Journal
Theological Studies
Book
Volume
80
Issue
4
Page Range
967-985
Article Number
ACU Department
Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry
Faculty of Theology and Philosophy
Faculty of Theology and Philosophy
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Open Access Status
License
All rights reserved
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Controlled