Inaugural Lecture for the Endowed Chair of Carmelite Studies: Revisiting St John of the Cross’s Classic Text and Symbol. – Fr Steven Payne, O.C.D.

Variations on the phrase “dark night of the soul” appear often today in discussions of major personal and societal challenges. This talk will explore the expression’s roots in John of the Cross’s poem and treatise of the same name, and raise questions about how it is applied (and perhaps sometimes misapplied) in contemporary contexts.