ABSTRACT
Historians have long identified the foundation of new religious orders or the reform of already-existing ones as hallmarks of the movement for Catholic renewal during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. This chapter explores how the six earliest biographers of John of the Cross negotiated the challenge of portraying a man who was actually a rather controversial and divisive figure. Esteemed in modern times as a sublime mystic, valued spiritual guide, and one of the finest poets in the Spanish language, he is also widely regarded as the co-founder of the Discalced Carmelite Order, along with Teresa of Avila. John’s reputation as a founder brings with it certain assumptions. Between 1616 and 1675 six Carmelite historians produced accounts of varying lengths of the life of John of the Cross. Interestingly, the first, published in 1616 by Jose de Velasco, was written by a member of the older, Calced Carmelite order; the five other authors were all Discalced Carmelites.
