ABSTRACT
Maria de Jesus de Agreda became a nun in Spain after experiencing a revelation and became a Franciscan abbess, spiritual reformer and mystic. In addition to her works on spirituality, Maria also served as the confidante and advisor on spiritual and political matters to no less a person than King Philip IV of Spain for more than 22 years. Parts of the Empire had risen up against Philip IV, Spain seemed stuck in a seemingly interminable war in northern Europe and the French were moving to take advantage of the Spanish weakness. The letters of Philip and Maria offer a fascinating insight into the personality of the King and the emotional and spiritual turmoil he felt in the face of adversity and the various personal tragedies that befell the monarch, especially the death of his sister in 1646 and of his son and heir in 1661.
