--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: thought of as more genteel This myth has…" description: "\"“thought of as more genteel This myth has been seen as the forerunner of the immaculate conception of the modern God, Gentle Jesus. The experience of S..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/christopher-hyatt-32767_immaculate-conceptio_thought-of-as-more-genteel-this-myth-has_931231.jpg" --- # thought of as more genteel This myth has been seen as the… ![“thought of as more genteel This myth has been seen as the forerunner of the immaculate conception of the modern God, Gentle Jesus. The experience of Saint Teresa of Avila (circa 1552) is perhaps the most famous example in Western culture of the ecstasy of the fiery, divine intercourse. Idealized…” quote by Christopher Hyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/christopher-hyatt-32767_immaculate-conceptio_thought-of-as-more-genteel-this-myth-has_931231.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/christopher-hyatt-32767_immaculate-conceptio_thought-of-as-more-genteel-this-myth-has_931231.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f9/christopher-hyatt-32767_immaculate-conceptio_thought-of-as-more-genteel-this-myth-has_931231.jpg) > ““thought of as more genteel This myth has been seen as the forerunner of the immaculate conception of the modern God, Gentle Jesus. The experience of Saint Teresa of Avila (circa 1552) is perhaps the most famous example in Western culture of the ecstasy of the fiery, divine intercourse. Idealized in marble by the master sculptor Bernini, the famous vision has held generations of the devout in awe. Saint Teresa, a capable and prolific writer described an angel, armed with a long golden spear with a "fiery tip" who repeatedly:”” [Christopher Hyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hyatt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The myth of a refined divine figure evolved into a more intimate, passionate spiritual experience, exemplified by Saint Teresa’s ecstatic visions. **In simple terms:** Divine myths shifted to personal, intense spiritual encounters. Key Takeaway Explore personal spirituality beyond traditional images. Themes spirituality myth ecstasy divine gender Mood contemplative intrigued Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - personal meditation - artistic inspiration - theological study Key Concepts Mysticism religious symbolism psychology of awe Questions to Reflect On - What does personal divine experience mean to you? - How do cultural myths shape spiritual perception? A Different Perspective Interpretations vary; some view such visions as metaphorical rather than literal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conception Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conception-modern-1517750/) [Described Angel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/described-angel-1517751/) [Divine Intercourse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine-intercourse-1517749/) [Immaculate conception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immaculate-conception/) [Mary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mary/) [Saint Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saint-teresa-543547/) [Saint Teresa Of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saint-teresa-of-avila-227057/) [Teresa Of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teresa-of-avila/) [Western culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/western-culture/) ## Related quotes > [“Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-smucker/christ-has-no-body-on-earth-but-yours-no-hands-but-yours-no-feet-but/) [Shawn Smucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-smucker/) > [“Never shall I forget the exquisite sensation I experienced! I can only describe it as the poor little Doll’s Dressmaker in “Our Mutual Friend”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-corelli/never-shall-i-forget-the-exquisite-sensation-i-experienced-i-can-only/) [Marie Corelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-corelli/) > [Saint Teresa, as the Roman Rota attests, never fell into any mortal sin; but still Our Lord showed her the place prepared for her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alphonsus-liguori/saint-teresa-as-the-roman-rota-attests-never-fell-into-any-mortal-sin/) [Alphonsus Liguori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alphonsus-liguori/) > [“Let Nothing Upset You Let nothing upset you; Let nothing frighten you. Everything is changing; God alone is changeless. Patience attains the goal. Who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eknath-easwaran/let-nothing-upset-you-let-nothing-upset-you-let-nothing-frighten-you/) [Eknath Easwaran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eknath-easwaran/) > [“Teresa of Avila says that the important thing in prayer is not to think much but to love much. The head is not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-benner/teresa-of-avila-says-that-the-important-thing-in-prayer-is-not-to/) [David G. Benner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-benner/) > [“Settle yourself in solitude and you will come upon Him in yourself. —TERESA OF ÁVILA”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/settle-yourself-in-solitude-and-you-will-come-upon-him-in-yourself/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [When St. Teresa of Avila says, 'Our life in this world is like a night in a second class hotel' I agree with her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/when-st-teresa-of-avila-says-our-life-in-this-world-is-like-a-night/) [Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/) > [St. Teresa of Avila described our life in this world as like a night at a second-class hotel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/st-teresa-of-avila-described-our-life-in-this-world-as-like-a-night/) [Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/) > [“Teresa of Avila writes, “My soul suffers out of desire for You.” She is expounding on Psalm 84:2, “My soul pines for You.” “Pines”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-gimour/teresa-of-avila-writes-my-soul-suffers-out-of-desire-for-you-she-is/) [Eric Gimour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-gimour/) > [“The inward man is faced with a new and often dramatic task: He must come to terms with the inner tremendum. Since the God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-j-m-nouwen/the-inward-man-is-faced-with-a-new-and-often-dramatic-task-he-must/) [Henri J.M. Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-j-m-nouwen/) > [“She knew that it was better to have a dream and pay a price for it than to be lukewarm. - regarding St. Teresa…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-salzman/she-knew-that-it-was-better-to-have-a-dream-and-pay-a-price-for-it/) [Mark Salzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-salzman/) > [“Let nothing upset you; Let nothing frighten you. Everything is changing; God alone is changeless. Patience attains the goal. Who has God lacks nothing;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eknath-easwaran/let-nothing-upset-you-let-nothing-frighten-you-everything-is-changing/) [Eknath Easwaran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eknath-easwaran/) > [St. Teresa of Avila wrote: 'All difficulties in prayer can be traced to one cause: praying as if God were absent.' This is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-keating/st-teresa-of-avila-wrote-all-difficulties-in-prayer-can-be-traced-to/) [Thomas Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-keating/) > [“The “interior castle” of the human soul, as Teresa of Avila called it, has many rooms, and they are slowly occupied by God, allowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/the-interior-castle-of-the-human-soul-as-teresa-of-avila-called-it/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [ Again, I hear almost everyday from atheists who write off religion as primitive, premodern nonsense. I summon Aquinas, Augustine, Paul \[of Tarsus\], Teresa of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barron/again-i-hear-almost-everyday-from-atheists-who-write-off-religion-as/) [Robert Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barron/) ## More by Christopher Hyatt > [“Now let us turn our attention back to the experience of my patient. For it is very similar to classic Succubi reports. First let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hyatt/now-let-us-turn-our-attention-back-to-the-experience-of-my-patient/) [Christopher Hyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hyatt/) > [“in this direction-and he has been dead for not more than a quarter of a century. His influence is far more subtle and indirect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hyatt/in-this-direction-and-he-has-been-dead-for-not-more-than-a-quarter-of/) [Christopher Hyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hyatt/) > [“from Wilhelm Reich , the esoteric teachings of Secret Orders and Tantric practices. We believed that this "mixture" of ancient and modern wisdom would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hyatt/from-wilhelm-reich-the-esoteric-teachings-of-secret-orders-and/) [Christopher Hyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hyatt/) > [“suicide and scandal followed in his wake. 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How did he get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hyatt/a-very-important-reptilian-brain-isn-t-it-odd-that-the-serpent-of/) [Christopher Hyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hyatt/) > [“CHAPTER EIGHT THE DEVIL YOU SAY And the serpent was cunning above every animal of the field which Jehovah God had made. —Genesis 3:1…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hyatt/chapter-eight-the-devil-you-say-and-the-serpent-was-cunning-above/) [Christopher Hyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hyatt/) > [“bowdlerized, censored, suppressed and maybe even burned by the public hangman. But people who believe in this diabolical power of words and/or ideas and/or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hyatt/bowdlerized-censored-suppressed-and-maybe-even-burned-by-the-public/) [Christopher Hyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hyatt/) > [“sophisticated reader that he is simply referring to magical aspects of sexual activity that were bound to be misunderstood by the general public anyway.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hyatt/sophisticated-reader-that-he-is-simply-referring-to-magical-aspects/) [Christopher Hyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hyatt/) > [“This is a classic example of the type of literary blind that Crowley loved to utilize when he wished to publish, in a public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hyatt/this-is-a-classic-example-of-the-type-of-literary-blind-that-crowley/) [Christopher Hyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hyatt/) > [“of the shaman as well as the individual. Certain disciplined individuals discovered that the more they practiced tuning into the Divine Will, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hyatt/of-the-shaman-as-well-as-the-individual-certain-disciplined/) [Christopher Hyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hyatt/) > [“daughter of Diblaim; and she conceived and bare him a son. —Hosea 1:2-3 In the minds of the Jews, it was the lack of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hyatt/daughter-of-diblaim-and-she-conceived-and-bare-him-a-son-hosea-1-2-3/) [Christopher Hyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hyatt/) > [“with sin. Eve was tempted by a serpent (a phallic power symbol). It is interesting to note that the serpent has always been a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hyatt/with-sin-eve-was-tempted-by-a-serpent-a-phallic-power-symbol-it-is/) [Christopher Hyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hyatt/) > [“Then, like magic, the rain came, or we knew intuitively where to go and find a clear stream, or the hickory branch told us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hyatt/then-like-magic-the-rain-came-or-we-knew-intuitively-where-to-go-and/) [Christopher Hyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hyatt/) > [“In this sense the practices of Sex Magick can be seen as devices leading to the re-birth or twice born experience often referred to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hyatt/in-this-sense-the-practices-of-sex-magick-can-be-seen-as-devices/) [Christopher Hyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hyatt/) [Explore all 15 Christopher Hyatt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hyatt/) ## More Immaculate conception quotes > [“Take sex, for instance.' 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Take the sex life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/take-sex-for-instance-what-do-you-want-me-to-do-with-it-try-to-be/) [John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/) > [“The next time believers tell you that 'separation of church and state' does not appear in our founding document, tell them to stop using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/the-next-time-believers-tell-you-that-separation-of-church-and-state/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) > [I'm a Christian, and I believe the Immaculate Conception was how Jesus was born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-gaetz/i-m-a-christian-and-i-believe-the-immaculate-conception-was-how-jesus/) [Matt Gaetz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-gaetz/) > [I know that there are many persons to whom it seems derogatory to link a body of philosophic ideas to the social life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/i-know-that-there-are-many-persons-to-whom-it-seems-derogatory-to/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [“But the work which most richly embroidered the gospel narratives and was destined to exert a tremendous influence on later Mariology was the Protoevangelium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-n-d-kelly/but-the-work-which-most-richly-embroidered-the-gospel-narratives-and/) [J.N.D. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-n-d-kelly/) > [“The rising influence of lay piety is particularly marked upon the Mariological controversies of the late medieval period. Two rival positions developed: the maculist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alister-e-mcgrath/the-rising-influence-of-lay-piety-is-particularly-marked-upon-the/) [Alister E. McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alister-e-mcgrath/) > [“Spontaneous abortion: the opposite of immaculate conception. God has compensated for Christianity’s violent history by revealing that innocent blood does not have to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bauvard/spontaneous-abortion-the-opposite-of-immaculate-conception-god-has/) [Bauvard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bauvard/) > [And speaking of sex, the Immaculate Conception does not mean Jesus was conceived in the absence of sex. 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The experience of Saint Teresa of Avila (circa 1552) is perhaps the most famous example in Western culture of the ecstasy of the fiery, divine intercourse. Idealized in marble by the master sculptor Bernini, the famous vision has held generations of the devout in awe. 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