Teresa, the Erotic Saint? A Journey to Paz Vega's Acting in Theresa: The Body of Christ

Abstract

Theresa: The Body of Christ (2007), directed by Ray Loriga, presents a reinterpretation of Santa Teresa’s mystical revelations. Inspired by the first woman doctor of the Church, Saint Teresa of Ávila, this film revises and portrays the loving identity of a woman who searched for her realization, even once in the cloister, and who found a way to develop her orgasms with her ever lover: Christ. Teresa’s body and mind, depicted by Spanish actress Paz Vega, are represented in this most recent biopic with constant references to the erotic. After having been seen as the stereotypical beautiful wife, Teresa keeps on being dangerously fine-looking but she is also a crazy religious woman, a leader and finally, a saint. With this historical a feminist journey, I aim to observe how Teresa of Ávila found her identity by maintaining her sensuality once in the convent, and by putting into words her body and her mind insights.