The life and work of Teresa of Avila illuminates God's Word in a way that fosters unity in the body of Christ. Although the wounds of disunity exist in modern Christianity, Elizabeth Newman eloquently argues that the influence of saints such as Teresa will help Christians of all denominations to look upon one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. Newman explains that God heals the Church by providing saints from across time and space as gifts for the whole Church regardless of the denomination or time of life of the saint in question. It is Newman's conviction that saints are potential sources of unity and of shared storytelling, and that they serve as ecumenical luminaries, providing a way to move forward in our call to unity. In this light, Newman examines the life of Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), and the unique ways in which her embodiment and understanding of the Word aspires to unity. She explores Teresa's perceptions and narratives about key providential patterns grounded in Scripture that give form to the Church in ways that extend Christ's body in the world. Elizabeth Newman is Professor of Theology and Ethics at the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond. She is the author of 'Untamed Hospitality: Welcoming God and Other Strangers' (2007).

" 'Attending to the Wounds on Christ's Body' is a valuable reclamation of the lives of saints and pursues the praiseworthy aim of Christian unity through the study of the unique life of Teresa of Avila and men and women like her. This is a wonderfully informative book about Teresa of Avila, but it is also much more. Newman reflects on Teresa's central images, dwellings, marriage, and pilgrimage to challenge modern Christians to reconsider their understandings of such things as time, abundance, place, politics, and economics. Such work helps us better inhabit a divided church, to repent of wounding her, and to imagine and pray for her healing. It is hard to conceive of more important theological work." Stephen Fowl, Chair of the Department of Theology, Loyola College.