John of the Cross: Man and Mystic

by Richard P. Hardy

St. John of the Cross, great mystic of the Christian tradition, knew suffering his personal “dark night” included exile, imprisonment, starvation, abuse. Yet sustained by tremendous faith and steeped in an enormous love for God and humanity, John surrendered to the Divine and was drawn through his experiences to a profound compassion for and solidarity with others. This engaging contemporary biography is the perfect introduction—or an enjoyable re-acquaintance—to a man whose life, writings, and spirituality have illuminated the Christian world. ICS Publications is pleased to have this this sought-after and highly acclaimed biography, out of print for a decade, among our titles. Includes a reading guide to the works of St. John of the Cross, a selection from his works, 24 pages of color photos and reproductions of masterpiece artwork, and an extensive bibliography and notes. WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.... “… A marvelous gift to readers of this Spanish mystic. Hardy’s life of John of the Cross is clear, concise, up-to-date, and completely reliable—the work of a scholar whose book will benefit both scholars and a general audience.” —Keith J. Egan Adjunct professor of theology, University of Notre Dame, Aquinas Chair in Catholic Theology Emeritus, Saint Mary’s College, South Bend, Indiana “ A skillful and thoroughly wonderful journey with John of the Cross! Hardy’s writing contradicts the idea that John is harsh and difficult to read as he exposes a compassionate and joyful saint in love with God. While we come to know John through Hardy’s careful presentation, we are also led toward self-discovery.” —Marilyn Palermo, T.O.Carm. Regional Coordinator, Lay Carmelite Order “… Most welcome….Hardy’s writing is lively as he describes sixteenth-century Spain in vivid colors, and tells the story of the reform of Carmel in dramatic fashion. John of the Cross comes alive as a human being greatly in love with God and God’s world.” —John Welch, O.Carm. Author of When Gods An Introduction to John of the Cross and The Carmelite An Ancient Path for Today’s Pilgrim “Individuals and groups making a first-time study of John will welcome Hardy’s thoughtful new appendices, which offer suggestions regarding how to read John’s works, an anthology of passages from the saint’s writings, and suggestions for further study.” —Jane Ackerman Department of Philosophy and Religion, University of Tulsa

Genres: Biography

218 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2004

Reviews

[Jared Dembrun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved learning about the life of Saint John of the Cross, especially about his struggles and the way God called him to respond to his detractors.

[booklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to the man and the saint. Highly recommended!

[Brock Rubin · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this book, I have come to appreciate even more Saint John of the Cross’ work in “Dark Night of The Soul”.

He truly was a man who embraced God as Sustainer. I am inspired by this book to live more fully in reliance on what God gives me.

[Diego Estrada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es un gran libro de introducción… Quería algo sencillo y resumido. Le tenía mucho miedo a San Juan de la Cruz y ahora, lo quiero y entiendo más. Se vienen más reviews de sus Obras y otros libros sobre el.

[Joaquin Mejia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am definitely rating this book five stars. This book is an excellent biography of St. John of the Cross. I have always known a few things things about St. John of the Cross. I knew that he was from Spain. I knew that he is famous for his writings which included poetry. And of course, I knew that he is one of the three most famous Carmelites along with St. Teresa of Avila and St. Therese of Lisieux. With those facts in my mind, I decided to read a book about a saint I thought I was quite familiar with already.

But this book helped me appreciate St. John of the Cross so much more. The book is not just about his writings and his efforts to reform the Carmelite order. The book is about his love. In reading this book, you will learn about a man who loved God and all the blessings he gave him. The book tells the reader all about the saint's love for people who are poor and sick. It also tells us about his love for nature and his love for his family. I think this biography helped me understand how St. John of the Cross learned to say that we will be judged by our love at the end of our lives. He learned it by loving God and loving other people throughout his life. It was his love, first and foremost, that made him a saint.

I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn about St. John of the Cross. I know that we can learn about him by just turning on our phones or our computers and searching his name on the Internet. But let me tell you that if you really want to understand and appreciate this great saint, you would read a book like this. A book like this will not disappoint you.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gives the context by knowing what was actually happening at the time that St. John wrote his classics...The Ascent of Mt Carmel and The Dark Night, as well as other spiritual classics. He was admired by many, despised by few and he equally respected and loved both groups. Far from a simple man, St John was extraordinary and this book gives a very good overview of the challenges he faced. I would read this before the others.

[Karina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Date read is approximate. This was such a busy period in my life planning a wedding that I had no spare moment to write the review.

I really enjoyed it though. St John’s background/story sheds a different light on his writings; makes them more approachable when you know how gentle he was in application, in dealing with everybody.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent intro to the life and work of Fray Juan de la Cruz. Includes helpful appendices, endnotes and annotated bibliography.