John of Avila

Timeline

1. c. 1500–1526Almodóvar del Campo · SpainBorn in Almodóvar del Campo in Castile to a converted Jewish merchant father. Around 1513 he entered the University of Salamanca to study law, later switching to theology and philosophy. After both parents died successively, he sold his property to distribute to the poor, entered the Third Order of Franciscans for years of asceticism, and was ordained priest in Seville in 1526.
2. 1531–1533Seville · SpainHis preaching was popular with the people, but his criticism of the rich and his theological emphasis on interior spirituality drew the Inquisition's attention. He was arrested in 1531 and held nearly two years before being acquitted and released in 1533. This experience deepened his reflection on interior prayer and the theology of the cross.
3. 1533–1569Montilla · SpainAfter his release he devoted himself to preaching throughout Andalusia, renowned for passionate and profound sermons, widely respected by the poor and the nobility. He founded schools and seminaries in Córdoba and elsewhere, advancing reform of clerical education; he corresponded with Ignatius of Loyola, influencing the early development of the Society of Jesus in Spain. In his later years he lived in Montilla, focusing on writing and spiritual direction by correspondence, where he died in 1569.