The Dark Night: Psychological Experience and Spiritual Reality - Softcover

Foley, Marc

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1939272793 ISBN 13: 9781939272799

Publisher: ICS Publications, 2019

Synopsis

This book is sure to engage any reader interested not only in St. John of the Cross's poetry and prose presentations of the journey to God but in the contemporary psychological underpinnings of the spiritual experience as well. In this pivotal new book, Father Marc Foley guides the modern reader through the impasse and challenges on the spiritual journey which St. John portrays in the dark night, opening up the Mystical Doctor's deep understanding of the experience and graced events of the purifying nights of sense and spirit. Offering theological and psychological insights coupled with his experience as a spiritual guide, the author provides an invaluable resource for those committed to the spiritual journey to better understand the challenges and invitations it can offer.

About this title

About the Author

Marc Foley, OCD, is a Discalced Carmelite priest and member of the Washington Province (U.S.A.) of Discalced Carmelite friars. He is a longtime member and former chair of the Institute of Carmelite Studies. Currently he serves as publisher of ICS Publications and as director of formation at the Carmelite House of Studies located in Washington, D.C. A spiritual director and popular retreat master, Father Marc is the author of ten books, six of them with ICS Publications, on St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila and St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

From the Back Cover

Reading St. John of the Cross's Dark Night can be daunting; living the dark experience of purification it describes can be much more so. The description of the dark nights (yes, there is more than one!) which St. John presents seems so stark and painful that one might be tempted to just close the book and stop reading. On top of that, both the process St. John describes and the language he uses can be confusing and intimidating.

The language of 16th-century scholasticism is not easily understood by 21st-century readers living in a completely different culture and context. Perhaps even more challenging is that fact that our modern lives, filled with the non-stop clutter of social media and technology, as well as comfort and ease, do not prepare most of us well to honestly look into our own depths to see who we are and who we are intended to become as fully alive human beings.

Fortunately we now have this helpful book to guide us to that full life which St. John invites us to in The Dark Night. Father Marc Foley here combines his own theological and psychological background, as well as his experience as a spiritual guide, to help modern readers understand the experiences, challenges, and graced events of the purifying nights of sense and spirit.

In addition to exploring certain key terms that John uses in Spanish and their meaning in the saint's time and today, Father Marc includes pertinent selections from a wide range of writers, ancient to modern, that illustrate the themes he covers. Each chapter concludes with insightful questions for personal reflection or group discussion. The book has a comprehensive index.

Edition details

• Publisher: ICS Publications
• Publication date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1939272793
• ISBN 13: 9781939272799
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288