Palace Within

Teresa of Avila's wisdom about God, life and the challenges of being human speak to us across the ages. Teresa's refreshing practicality, wit and candor have made her writings accessible to generations of readers, especially those seeking authentic relationship with God.  Her Interior Castle, written at the apex of her life as a mystic and reformer, is one of the classic Christian treatises of the Christian tradition.  The work outlines seven stages of growth toward a union with God that imbues our life with meaning.  While Teresa's original text contains an engaging, colloquial style of writing, it describes an experiential knowledge of God that can be hard for us to apprehend in today's world.

Palace Within: Exploring Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle offers readers a variety of practical approaches to reflection, prayer, growth in self-knowledge, and relational habits of collaboration with God that provide points of entry into this classic mystical text.  Written by a theologian internationally known for her knowledge of the Christian mystical tradition, Palace Within stimulates deep introspection and the hopeful sense that our genuine thirst for God has been implanted in us by the One who wants deepening relationship with us. This workbook contains an introduction to Teresa's life and writings, as well as a description of each of the seven stages of growth and practical exercises that bring them to life. The workbook is appropriate for beginners as well as those more experienced in prayer, and it can be used individually or with prayer groups, readings circles, and on retreats.

About the Author: Gillian T. W. Ahlgren is Professor Emerita of Theology at Xavier University, where she began teaching in 1990. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in the History of Christianity with a specialization in the Christian mystical tradition. Palace Within is her eighth book. Her previous books include Teresa of Avila and the Politics of Sanctity (Cornell University Press), Entering Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle: A Reader's Companion (Paulist Press), The Inquisition of Francisca: A Sixteenth-Century Visionary on Trial (University of Chicago Press), Enkindling Love: The Legacy of Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross (Fortress Press), The Tenderness of God: Reclaiming Our Humanity (Fortress Press) and Spiritual Exercises for the 21st Century: A Workbook (third edition VITALITY, 2025). Dr. Ahlgren is internationally known for her work on Teresa and regularly gives public lectures and workshops on Teresian spirituality and The Interior Castle more specifically.