Saint John of the Cross: His Prophetic Mysticism in the Historical Context of Sixteenth-Century Spain

THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK is to show that many SanJuanist commentators err in portraying St. John of the Cross as a world-negating contemplative by calling him the doctor of the dark night of the soul. This misinterpretation is informed by their failure to understand John’s historical context, especially the problem of conversos (Jewish and Muslim converts to Catholicism) in sixteenth-century Spain. It is time to study St. John of the Cross as a whole person and in his historical context of sixteenth-century Spain, and thus bring together his multifaceted dimensions. Attention needs to be given to his active role in the Carmelite tradition as a religious reformer, an administrator, and a prophet; to his intellectual capacity as a mystical theologian and teacher; and to his religious devotion as a poet, friar, hermit, spiritual director, confessor, and priest. The book begins with a brief history of contemplation and action in the Christian mystical tradition and it then reviews the biography and writings of this Carmelite saint. It also examines John’s writings through the eyes of Raimundo Panikkar’s tripartite model of action, wisdom, and devotion. Finally, it concludes with an assessment of the SanJuanist legacy for today’s world. CRISTÓBAL SERRÁN-PAGÁN y FUENTES is a native of Spain, like San Juan de la Cruz, and he has spent the last three decades in the United States doing research on Thomas Merton and St. John of the Cross. He received his Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Boston University. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Valdosta State University in the State of Georgia.