John of the Cross: Selected Writings
Overview
This volume contains carefully chosen texts that give a picture of the “essential” St. John of the Cross (1542–1591), a Spanish Carmelite. Included are selections from The Ascent of Mount Carmel, The Dark Night, and Spiritual Canticle. This curated collection presented in one volume allows readers to gain the clearest picture of the emphases and teaching from this prominent historical figure.
For a massive collection including over a hundred and twenty of the volumes in this series, see the Classics of Western Spirituality Bundle (126 vols.).
Key Features
- A collection including St. John of the Cross’s classic spirituality in an accessible form
- Fully integrates and cross references with other resources from your Logos library
- A primary source that is useful for researching biography, church history, and ancient literature
Top Highlights
“The road and ascent to God, then, necessarily demands a habitual effort to renounce and mortify the appetites; the sooner this mortification is achieved, the sooner the soul reaches the top. But until the appetites are eliminated, one will not arrive no matter how much virtue one practices. For one will be failing to acquire perfect virtue, which lies in keeping the soul empty, naked, and purified of every appetite.” (Page 71)
“We are using the expression ‘night’ to signify a deprival of the gratification of the soul’s appetites in all things” (Page 64)
“Now this road is faith, and for the intellect faith is also like a dark night.” (Page 63)
“The entire corpus of his works describes the process of assimilation into the Paschal Mystery. There are three phases: It begins with the halcyon days of first conversion, when the gifts of creation, especially other human beings, lead the person into deeper appreciation and love of God; then there is the eclipse of that optimism in the purifying dark nights; finally the journey culminates in divine union, when transcendence and incarnation are complete and the divine and the human interpenetrate.” (Pages 3–4)
“Only those who set aside their own knowledge and walk in God’s service like unlearned children receive wisdom from God” (Page 67)
About the Author
Saint John of the Cross (1542–December 14, 1591), was a major figure of the Counter-Reformation, a Spanish mystic, a Roman Catholic saint, a Carmelite friar, and a priest who was born at Fontiveros, Old Castile.