The Kiss of a Lovers’ Dance in the Prayers of St. Theresa

“Come, my lover,” says the beloved of the Song of Songs (7:11), as an invitation for the lover to arise with the sun, and without much delay to awake to love itself. With these words, as if reading a love poem to God, St. Theresa woos the divine lover with the promise of delectable earthen encounters. This seminar explores St. Theresa’s enticing prayers which traces of shared love are left imprinted on the pages of her Meditations. Elaine Padilla is Assistant Professor of Constructive Theology at New York Theological Seminary. Her most recent book is Divine Enjoyment: A Theology of Passion and Exuberance.