Gardens of the Soul. Towards a Comparative Theology of the Alhambra And The Interior Castle

Abstract

This comparative reading of the monumental oeuvres of the Alhambra and The Interior Castle by Teresa de Jesús is a theological and literary reverie that depicts these two texts as gardens of the soul, that is to say, as spaces where spiritual awareness and religious thought flourish and transcend borders. The profound differences that separate these two texts render them virtually unfit for a proper comparison, especially one in which the referential framework is theological. At first glance. These two texts may best be read individually, water and oil. Without aiming to undermine the distinctions that set them apart, or the religious and literary traditions that have canonized them separately, this article rehearses a comparative theology built upon these two texts, one that posits a clear relationship with the divine and understands the sublime in the gap between these spaces. With this reading, it will be possible to witness a boundless love for nature, and above all, for water and its divine properties of abundance and bounteousness, which can be read as a medium and channel of faith and hope. This love is protected by a vast landscape of flowers, fruits, trees, and other forms of natural and artistic flora in and out of the Nasrid palaces of the Alhambra, as well as inside and out of the mystical treatise by Teresa de Jesús. This love for the marvels of the gardens, for the supreme beauty, for the blessing of water, and for God-Allāh moves the comparative theology that prompts the writing of these pages.