John of the Cross

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John of the Cross
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The University of Salamanca

• John lived during the years of Phillip II, who
  encouraged the reformation of religious orders.

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• Johns poetry flowed out of the great suffering
  caused by his imprisonment.

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The Dark Path

• Johns genius is that he was able to articulate
  and describe the path of renunciation so well
  that he has become the supreme spokesman of the
  dark path.

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The Dark Night of the Soul

• The first dark night is the dark night of the
  senses.
• The second dark night is the dark night of the
  spirit,

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The Dark Night of the Senses

• For John, attachment is the big problem and
  letting go is the answer.

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The Dark Night of the Senses

• Why does John use the image of darkness? Remember
  Platos cave? The darkness of God is actually an
  extreme brightness that blinds at first.

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The Dark Night of the Spirit

• Attachment to God gets us through the first
  night. But the second night asks of us a deeper
  surrender.

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The Dark Night of the Spirit

• John teaches that our attachments to experiences
  of God can actually prevent our union with God.
  Ultimately what we want is not experiences of
  God, but God himself.

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The Dark Night of the Spirit

• The second night purifies us of spiritual pride
  so that we become nonjudgmental and learn to love
  unconditionally.

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The Spiritual Marriage

• The wood in the fire must, in the end, become
  fire itself.

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The Spiritual Marriage

• Spiritual marriage is the complete transformation
  of the soul into the love that has inspired it
  all along.