In Ascent to Love Ruth Burrows strips away the mistaken belief that John of the Cross is only for spiritual high-flyers. She reveals him as the surest guide for the ordinary Christian who longs to come close to God but does not find sufficient help and nourishment in conventional parish life. John of the Cross is probably best known for his sublime poetry. Ruth Burrows demonstrates that his writings also reveal a very practical understanding of the needs of ordinary men and women: his understanding of the fact that everyone begins their spiritual life at the bottom of the ladder and that the surest sign of progress is the conviction that no progress is being made. She emphasises that while John's writings must be interpreted in the light of twentieth-century insights his basic principles remain unchallenged and are of very great significance today.