Night Of Love And Purification: A Study Of The Spirituality Of St. John Of The Cross

The symbol or the conception of "dark night of the soul" is very central in the spirituality of John of the Cross. Starting from this term, this dissertation tries to elucidate the thoughts of John of the Cross, thus in his perspective the theme of Christian Spirituality could be illustrated.The 'dark night' for John means the purification or purgation that man (or 'the soul') experiences both in his body and mind during his seeking for the perfection. This purification, dominating by God's grace and cooperating by the soul itself, perfects the virtues and faith of man, leads him into the union of love with God and makes them one in spirit. With the title of night of love and purification, this dissertation aims to exploring the connotation of 'night' by clarifying the meaning of purification and love.The purgative meaning of night derived from the suffering of John of the Cross. By 'night' he suggested a basic and very paradoxical spiritual way of approaching by isolation, affirmation by negation. Human spirit wins the possibility of breaking through into the infinity just when the finitude of fate oppressing man most excessively. This way conforms to both the way of asceticism (that is, restoring the true freedom by self-restraint) and the via negativa of apophatism (approaching the unknowable God by the knowledge of unknowing). The two aspects above represent the spiritual purification as an endless critique and transcending of desire, knowledge, selfhood and even the religion of man. 'Night'symbolizes all the negative feelings-darkness, nakedness, emptiness and privation-brought by the purification.The relation between night and love reveals the intervention of God's grace. Grace endows man the love and desire of God and makes him feel the absence of his beloved and put him in the situation of being abandoned. It is in this situation the grace challenges human's ordinary understanding of God and makes him break through the limitation of his own experience so as to enter into the real communication with God. Night symbolizes grace's challenge to man and the conversion of the human love from egotism to God.In the exordium we give a brief introduction to the life and epoch of John of the Cross. Then by explaining the meaning of the 'spirit', we suggest that the way of spirituality presumes a certain opposition of spirit and non-spirit as its premise. Spirituality bases on individual faith and cares for the cultivation of virtue, so the study of it hopes to supplement our understanding of Christianity. However it is for the same reason, the language of spirituality is different of pure theoretical language and in the age of John it even formed an alienation and challenge to the theological narrative.The first two chapters summarize the process of 'night' which is constituted by ascetical and mystical life. The ascetical way means the active self-purgation of man while the mystical one means the passive reception of God's purgative work in the soul. According to John the soul constitutes a sensual part and a spiritual one. Thus the spirituality presents as a journey of four nights:the active night of sense, active night of spirit, passive night of sense, passive night of spirit. This process subdues the senses to the spirit and then the spirit to the supernatural virtues (faith, hope and love), leading man into the union with God.The third chapter discusses the conception of purification. According to John, the spiritual purgation includes three aspects:the darkness of intellect, the emptiness of memory and the nakedness of will. The 'darkness' develops the traditional conception of 'divine darkness' in the apophatic theology, the 'emptiness' is the imitation of the kenosis of Christ and the 'nakedness' refers to the mystical detachment which seeks for a pure love beyond desires. Purification leads to the purity and freedom of the spirit. Into these traditional theoretical categories John of the Cross infused a living experiential sense.The fourth chapter focuses on grace and love. The theological background of grace is discussed. God's love of man presents as grace while the human love toward God presents as his accepting of grace. In this loving relationship is born the prayer, which could step into contemplation along with the ceaseless infusion of grace. The thought concerning contemplation of John, Teresa of Avila and Ignatius of Loyola are compared, so as to clarify the significance of contemplation:God' permanent presence and communication with man.Based on the analysis above we arrive at the conclusion. The aim of spirituality (the meaning of perfection or of the union) is illustrated. Several themes are discussed:what is the phenomenon of 'ecstasy' which is frequently seen in the mystical literatures? Which is essential to the mystical union, love or intelligence? What kind is this union alike, a substantial union or a spiritual one in which certain distinction between God and man remains? By a historical exploration we return to the thought of John of the Cross himself. Spirituality, as the way to union with God in love, seeks for the identity of human will with God's will. In this union God presents to man both immediately and transcendently and endows man the ability to practice the divine will at every moment of his life.