«Offrirmi come vittima al tuo Amore»

Teresa di Gesù Bambino e la spiritualità vittimale nell’epoca moderna

Abstract

The sacrificial dimension of Christian existence has been particularly un-derlined in the area of “victim spirituality”, typical expression of 19th cen-tury spirituality. Beginning with the Christian life-story of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, who offers herself as «victim to the merciful Love» of God, this contribution investigates the meaning of Thérèse’s action in the context of the spiritual life of her time, especially in the Carmelite environment, and in the sacrificial vision which can be traced back to C. de Condren. Finally, this study highlights the fundamental themes which “victim spirituality” puts under question: the face of God, in particular in the dialectic between justice and mercy, and the correct configuration of the relationship of faith.