Description
Book SynopsisIn 1635, as directed by her confessor so that he might understand the state of her soul,Margaret Van Noort, a lay sister of the royal convent of Discalced Carmelite nuns in Brussels,composed herspiritual autobiography. This text was followed by two diaries in 1636and 1637 recording the workings of her inner life and relation to God, and reflecting thecosmopolitan Catholic tradition of herhomeland. Now gathered in this volume, these worksillustrate Margaret's development from a troubled young lay sister into a woman of spiritualexperience and authority.
Trade ReviewCordula van Wyhe’s edition and Susan Smith’s translation of Margaret of the Mother of God’s Spanish texts give voice to the unique life of a religious laywoman from the seventeenth-century Low Countries. Writing from the kitchen of her Discalced Carmelite convent in Brussels, Sister Margaret documents topics including her early life as the daughter of a Flemish military officer, her spiritual growth, and her battle with chronic illness. Translations and commentary of other texts written posthumously about Margaret are also provided. This superb edition offers a valuable contribution to the study of early modern women living within the Habsburg Empire and the far-reaching effects of a larger Teresian community in northern Europe
Sarah E. Owens, Professor of Spanish, College of Charleston
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments xi
Abbreviations xiii
Introduction 1
Translations and Transformations: Sister Margaret of the Mother of God beyond the Brussels Carmel. An Essay by Paul Arblaster 47
Translator’s Note 61
Sister Margaret of the Mother of God (1587–1646)
Autobiography of 1635 65
Diary of 1636 133
Diary of 1637 175
Letter to Her Confessor (1643) 235
Devotions 239
Appendix A: Report of the Last Illness and Death of Our Sister Margaret of the Mother of God, Lay Nun in the Convent of the Discalced Carmelites of Brussels 251
Appendix B: Testimonies to Sister Margaret’s Virtues 259
Appendix C: Signs after Death from Sister Margaret 273
Appendix D: Letters concerning Sister Margaret’s Writings 277
Glossary 287
Bibliography 293
Index 311
