Life of Saint John of the Cross

The Life of Saint John of the Cross

From the 1680 Speculum Carmelitanum / by St Teresa of Avila & Others
Translated by: Fr. Robert Nixon, OSB

From the hidden villages of Old Castile to the austere cells of reforming monasteries, The Life of Saint John of the Cross unveils the extraordinary journey of one of the Church’s greatest mystics and Doctors. Born in 1542, John of the Cross burned with ardent love for God and the Blessed Virgin from childhood, and his life became a living witness to purification, detachment, and union with divine love.

Drawn from the 1680 Speculum Carmelitanum, this rare biography preserves a voice close to the saint’s own age. It recounts his collaboration with St. Teresa of Ávila in founding the Discalced Carmelites, their restoration of Carmelite poverty and contemplation, and the severe trials that followed. Marked by miracles, persecution, poetic brilliance, and heroic sanctity, John’s life reveals both the cost and the beauty of total surrender to God.

Beyond the reformer stands the mystical theologian whose teaching on the “dark night of the soul” continues to guide Christians through suffering, spiritual dryness, and purification toward transforming union with God. Interwoven with historical testimony and selections from his luminous poetry, this work invites readers not only to study St. John’s life, but to enter more deeply into the path of holiness he taught.

Hardcover
104 pages
7x5 inches
Tan Books
July 2026
ISBN: 9781505137040