The Purification of the Memory According to St. John of the Cross

Ci spiace, ma questo articolo è disponibile soltanto in English.

Professor: John-Mary Winter, OCD

Justification
The singular purpose of the writing of St. John of the Cross is the soul’s union with God through love, a union that takes place by means of the purification of the spiritual faculties of memory, intellect, and will. A proper understanding of these faculties is essential for explaining the way in which this union comes about. John’s notion of memory warrants a deeper study since it differs considerably from the common conception of the word today and even significantly from the understanding of many thinkers in his own time.

Goals
This course intends to provide an introduction to the theological anthropology of St. John, specifically considering his teaching on the memory and its process of purification.

Content
The first part of this course gives a general introduction to the theological anthropology of St. John and how it operates in his spiritual teaching. The second part focuses specifically on his understanding of memory, the harms of the unpurified memory, and its process of purification through the theological virtue of hope.

Method
Zoom live sessions

Criteria for evaluation
One written paper (4-6 pages)

Time distribution
12 hours in class, personal readings, and preparation of the written paper

Essential bibliography

  • Bord, André. Mémoire et Espérance chez Jean de la Croix. Paris: Beauchesne, 1971.
  • Doyle, Dominic. “From Triadic to Dyadic Soul: A Genetic Study of John of the Cross on the Anthropological Basis of Hope.” Studies in Spirituality 21 (2011): 219–41.
  • FitzGerald, Constance. “From Impasse to Prophetic Hope: Crisis of Memory.” In Desire, Darkness, and Hope: Theology in a Time of Impasse, edited by Laurie Cassidy and M. Shawn Copeland. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2021.
  • Matthew, Iain. “Memory, and Hope in Eternal Life: “The memory has changed into eternal apprehensions of glory.” Teresianum 70 (2019): 403–435.
  • Payne, Steven. “The Doctrine of St. John of the Cross: The Structure of the Human Person.” In John of the Cross and the Cognitive Value of Mysticism. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1990.
  • St. John of the Cross. The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross. Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh and Otilio Rodriguez. Washington, DC: ICS Publications, 1991.