Dark Night of the Soul is extremely interesting for a couple of reasons. First, I am having trouble figuring out where exactly in the timeframe of the Catholic faith this occurrence of the "night of sense" is supposed to happen. According to Thomas Aquinas in his work the Summa Theologiae, the process that St. John of the Cross is describing is the journey towards perfect charity, which is what St. John calls it too. In response to the specific time frame in which this "night of sense" is supposed to occur, Aquinas says, "The spiritual increase of charity may be considered in respect of a certain likeness to the growth of the human body" (Q.24, art.9). In other words, the "night of sense", in which God "weans them from the breasts of these sweetnesses and pleasures, gives them pure aridities and inward darkness...and by all means causes them to win the virtues" is a lifelong process (St. John 1.VII.5). In making this comparison, it is clear that one primary source for St. John's philosophical debate is Thomas Aquinas, and this book will be used to explain at least two of the three stages of charity that Aquinas writes about in his Summa Theologiae. For those of you who want to know, the stages are "beginning, progress, and perfection", and I think that St. John is combining all three of these ideas into two "nights" the night of sense and the night of spirit (Aquinas Q.24, art.9).
Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologiae. 1260.
P.S. I commented on Abigale's and Madalyn's posts.
Having some actual, historical knowledge of the context of St. John's spiritual journey is extremely beneficial! I could not seem to categorize this procession in a normal manner and thus invented my own interpretation of the text.
ReplyDeleteUtilizing the teachings of Aquinas makes A LOT more sense!