Pilgrim Library Christian Classics
Spiritual Canticle of the Soul

Spiritual Canticle of the Soul

by St. John of the Cross

John of the Cross (1542–1591) was a Spanish Carmelite friar and mystic, a leading figure of the Catholic Reformation in Spain. With Teresa of Ávila he founded the Discalced Carmelites, restoring the order's stricter observance, and he suffered imprisonment by opponents of the reform. His Ascent of Mount Carmel, Dark Night of the Soul, and Spiritual Canticle — all in our library — are classics of mystical theology.

Free
Sign in to get it free Read a free sample

Free: get it — here or in the Christian Classics app — and it's yours to read and listen to on every device you sign in to. About a tenth of it can be read here first, free.

First published
1584
Category
Devotional
Length
73k words · about 5 hours
Chapters
44

About this book

The Spiritual Canticle is St. John of the Cross's exposition of his own poem of the soul's quest for Christ the Bridegroom. Stanza by stanza he traces the way of purification, illumination, and union, in language drawn from the Song of Songs. Written in the 1580s, it is, with The Dark Night, his most searching account of contemplative prayer.

Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Prologue
  3. Song of the Soul and the Bridegroom
  4. Argument
  5. Explanation of the Stanzas
  6. Stanza I. 🔒
  7. Stanza II. 🔒
  8. Stanza III. 🔒
  9. Stanza IV. 🔒
  10. Stanza V. 🔒
  11. Stanza VI. 🔒
  12. Stanza VII. 🔒
  13. Stanza VIII. 🔒
  14. Stanza IX. 🔒
  15. Stanza X. 🔒
  16. Stanza XI. 🔒
  17. Stanza XII. 🔒
  18. Stanza XIII. 🔒
  19. Stanza XIV, XV. 🔒
  20. Stanza XV. 🔒
  21. Stanza XVI. 🔒
  22. Stanza XVII. 🔒
  23. Stanza XVIII. 🔒
  24. Stanza XIX. 🔒
  25. Stanza XX, XXI. 🔒
  26. Stanza XXII. 🔒
  27. Stanza XXIII. 🔒
  28. Stanza XXIV. 🔒
  29. Stanza XXV. 🔒
  30. Stanza XXVI. 🔒
  31. Stanza XXVII. 🔒
  32. Stanza XXVIII. 🔒
  33. Stanza XXIX. 🔒
  34. Stanza XXX. 🔒
  35. Stanza XXXI. 🔒
  36. Stanza XXXII. 🔒
  37. Stanza XXXIII. 🔒
  38. Stanza XXXIV. 🔒
  39. Stanza XXXV. 🔒
  40. Stanza XXXVI. 🔒
  41. Stanza XXXVII. 🔒
  42. Stanza XXXVIII. 🔒
  43. Stanza XXXIX. 🔒
  44. Stanza XL. 🔒

Reading groups

🌐 Public discussionOpen to every reader of this book

Copyright concern about this book?

More by St. John of the Cross

View all
Free Ascent of Mount Carmel St. John of the Cross Free Free Dark Night of the Soul St. John of the Cross Free

More in Devotional

View all
Free My Life in Christ St. John of Kronstadt 🎧 Narrated Free Free Holy Wisdom: Directions for the Prayer of Contemplation Augustine Baker Free Free Treatise on the Love of God St. Francis de Sales Free Free Mysticism: A Study in the Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness Evelyn Underhill 🎧 Narrated 📖 Easier version Free Free Conferences of John Cassian John Cassian 🎧 Narrated Free Free To Be Near unto God Abraham Kuyper Free Free Abandonment to Divine Providence Jean-Pierre de Caussade 🎧 Narrated Free Free Table Talk of Martin Luther Martin Luther Free