Fortress Press

"Gillian Ahlgren offers a valuable guide for reading selected texts from both Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle and John of the Cross's major works. Her careful choices and explanatory interpretations throughout the book emphasize the central theme these two eminent mystical theologians accent in their writings: a transformative love, a profound union with God that awakens love far beyond the boundaries of the individual self. Bookended between a comprehensive introduction influenced by much of the latest historical, literary, and theological scholarship related to the Carmelite Saints and a final erudite chapter tracing the complicated reception history of their legacy, Enkindling Love illumines a pathway into some of the most remarkable contemplative writings of Christianity. It offers to readers the transformative energy these works of Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross convey."

"Readers familiar with Gillian Ahlgren's earlier writing on Teresa of Avila have come to expect first-rate scholarship coupled with profound personal insight. Enkindling Love lives up to the author’s high standards. Ahlgren's new book not only deepens our understanding of two of Spain's greatest mystics, but also guides us toward a more intimate, authentic relationship with God."