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. In addition to teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in theology, the history of Christianity, and Christian spirituality, she designs and facilitates retreats and immersive experiences that support personal and social transformation.