My Only Friend Is Darkness: Living the Night of Faith

Barbara Dent's audience is those fully committed Christians "who have advanced far enough in love of God to enter the Night of Faith and feel the need of explanation, guidance and reassurance." MY ONLY FRIEND IS DARKNESS is articulate and insightful. Although dealing with a difficult subject, the author writes clearly and readably, making excellent use of parables and images to clarify those things which defy straightforward explanation. Dent guides her readers through the deep purifications endured by the spirit as it is cleansed by God of its sinful inclinations. She examines the variety and intensity of sufferings, upheavals, turmoils, temptations, setbacks and workings of grace upon the deepest levels of our being, comparing this experience to depth psychotherapy in the way it examines the hidden levels of one's being and works to heal old wounds. Drawing heavily on the writings of John of the Cross and her own deep personal experience of the dark night of the soul, she has produced a powerful book that makes a significant contribution to spiritual literature.