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Orthodox Motifs in the Theological Work of Sr. Maria Celeste Crostarosa (1696-1755)
Abstract
Blessed Maria Celeste Crostarosa, an Italian mystic of the eighteenth century, is the founder of the Order of the Most Holy Redeemer. Her rich theological work mainly consists of spiritual notes recounting her own mystical experiences, autobiography, and spiritual guidance directed primarily towards the sisters of her own order. While her teachings were in accordance with the official doctrine of the Catholic Church of her time (thoroughly examined by the Holy Office even during Crostarosa's lifetime), it is astonishing how she described her spiritual experiences. She often used concepts and terms characteristic of the theology of Eastern churches (including Orthodoxy). During a period of prevailing rigorism, she presented a spirituality that was open, cheerful, caring for the salvation of every human being, even those outside the Catholic Church, thus clearly surpassing her times.
The article highlights certain aspects of Crostarosa's teachings that can be considered Eastern Orthodox motifs, such as the way she described the Holy Trinity, the relationships within the Trinity, the relationships with each Person of the Holy Trinity, deification, the path to knowing God – positive (kataphatic) and negative (apophatic). This is done to show that her mysticism and teachings transcend denominational boundaries, even anticipating the future and remaining relevant.
The article also points out passages from Maria Celeste's teachings that remarkably resemble the thoughts of the Eastern Orthodox saint Symeon the New Theologian, whom she could not have known. The aim is to demonstrate the universality of MCC's teachings, which are still relevant today and not only for the sisters of the Most Holy Redeemer Order.
Keywords:
Crostarosa, deification, apophatic theology, Holy Trinity, mysticism, Orthodox ChristianityDetails
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.