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Dark Night of the Soul  By  cover art

Dark Night of the Soul

By: St. John of the Cross
Narrated by: Michael Kramer
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Publisher's summary

Part poetic masterpiece, part mystic treatise, The Dark Night of the Soul, by 16th century Carmelite monk St. John of the Cross, addresses the feeling of being forgotten by the Presence of the Almighty that every Christian desirous of walking more closely with God must pass through in order to learn to walk by faith and not by sight.

Spiritual persons suffer great trials - by reason - of the fear which they have of being lost on the road, thinking that all spiritual blessing is over for them and that God has abandoned them since they find no help or pleasure in good things. Then they grow weary, and endeavor to concentrate their faculties with some degree of pleasure upon some object of meditation, thinking that, when they are not doing this and yet are conscious of making an effort, they are doing nothing.

Perhaps one of the most widely recognized of the mystical writings, St. John's classic Dark Night of the Soul is not only practical theology but a beautiful balm of healing to anyone whose heart has ever echoed the words of Christ, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?"

©2008 christianaudio.com

What listeners say about Dark Night of the Soul

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Rain for the Thirsty Soul

This book has meant more to me than almost anything I've ever "needed" to read. His depth of understanding of the spiritual path of a contemplative disciple of Christ is spot on with my experience and also my painful/joyful journey. When nothing else made sense in my own "dark night", St. John of the Cross spoke to me in the terrible silence of feeling forsaken by God. He is certainly worthy of the title saint, as only a deep lover of God could teach from this depth of knowledge and understanding of the ways of God. I thank God for this saint and this book!

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37 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Guide for Mystical Live

Would you listen to Dark Night of the Soul again? Why?

This book has been my companion for many years, the aduio book now travels with me in the car.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The only characters in this book are God and your soul.

What does Michael Kramer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He brings a true understanding of the nature of St. John of the Cross, who can be very hard to read. Mr. Kramer's narration helps the listener to grasp the complex subject without any rush and torrent of words.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, for this is a book that must be taken in slowly and thought about.

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35 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Deep

Deep stuff, but if you like to think this will do it.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Hard read/listen

Even as a pastor I found this book hard to listen to. I've had to start chapters over numerous times because the author is so boring I begin to day dream and miss a lot of the information.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Dark Night of The Soul

I gave this book all five stars across all categories. It is a great guide to help one learn about the state of one's soul . Well read by the reader, I recommend this book to everyone.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Way out of my League.

Sorry, I just cannot find anything worthwhile to say about this book. I think possibly St. John spent way to much time in the dungeon by himself.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Well Done

Well read, no embellishments or inflection.
Recommended for anyone who desires to come closer to God.

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • MC
  • 12-15-16

illuninating

this book is as a mirror in which I could begun to see and understand the truth about my journey of faith and how much lies ahead.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • V
  • 05-14-12

Care and Feeding of Your Immortal Soul

Would you listen to Dark Night of the Soul again? Why?

Yes. The "understanding" of this esoteric and transcendent work is limitless.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dark Night of the Soul?

Comparing the Love God gives to the developing Soul to the love a mother gives to its newborn baby.

What three words best describe Michael Kramer’s performance?

Reverent. Clear. Restrained.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No.

Any additional comments?

No.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great translation and great narration

Listening to the audio version of this extraordinary classic opened up so many more avenues of contemplation and meditation than did struggling through it line by line and word by word when I first attempted this many years ago. Michael Kramer's reading and treatment of the writing is appropriate and instructive.

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4 people found this helpful