Preview
  • The Dark Night of the Soul

  • A Psychiatrist Explores the Connection Between Darkness and Spiritual Growth
  • By: Gerald G. May MD
  • Narrated by: Sean Runnette
  • Length: 4 hrs and 17 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (102 ratings)

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The Dark Night of the Soul

By: Gerald G. May MD
Narrated by: Sean Runnette
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Publisher's summary

A distinguished psychiatrist, spiritual counselor, and best-selling author shows how the dark sides of the spiritual life are a vital ingredient in deep, authentic, healthy spirituality.

Gerald G. May, MD, one of the great spiritual teachers and writers of our time, argues that the dark "shadow" side of the true spiritual life has been trivialized and neglected to our serious detriment. Superficial and naively upbeat spirituality does not heal and enrich the soul. Nor does the other tendency to relegate deep spiritual growth to only mystics and saints. Only the honest, sometimes difficult encounters with what Christian spirituality has called and described in helpful detail as "the dark night of the soul" can lead to true spiritual wholeness.

May emphasizes that the dark night is not necessarily a time of suffering and near despair, but a time of deep transition, a search for new orientation when things are clouded and full of mystery. The dark gives depth, dimension, and fullness to the spiritual life.

©2004 Gerald G. May (P)2020 Tantor
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What listeners say about The Dark Night of the Soul

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

An incredible breakdown of St John of the Cross’ book. A challenging and life giving book.

While not an easy listen this book is packed with amazing insights into a contemplative perspective of God. I’ll read it again for sure!

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

Uniquely Insightful, but Lacking Some Theological Development of Concepts

I really enjoyed the depth and originality of insight and content for prayer, contemplation, and learning. However, there were moments within the text that sat with me as theologically unsound. I rated the title Overall a 5 because I appreciate the opportunity to dive more deeply into these questions and pursue their answers; I rated the Story a 4, though, because I believe that spiritual content that is most deeply true will not contradict sound theology… so it seems to me as though some of the concepts are underdeveloped resulting in an unsound theological presentation. For example, the concept proposed of God as not fully omnipotent because He is wounded when we are wounded. Or, the idea that God needs us as human beings and is not self-sufficient. I believe that both of these could be further developed to be presented with greater theological strength and clarity without detracting from the central explanations of the dark night of the soul, and I deeply wish that they had been, as I am concerned for someone who might be confused or spiritually anguished by these theological ambiguities.

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

Enlightening toward enlightenment

This opens John of the Cross and Theresa so much to modern audiences. His insights across a wide body of works invites listening again and deeper reading of the original works.

Performance is very good. I thought I was listening to the author.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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beautiful insight

In this mist of heartbreak, any hopeful view of the beauty that can come from brokeness isnt always welcomed. Once you have conversed with Spirit and Truth you can't help but to see this to be true. This book, helps articulate what I could not sew together. I come from a broken Evangelical background and have been journeying through dry lands leading to Christian contemplative life. While simultaneously going though losing my Mother. I found this book why looking for translations of work by St John of the cross. I am so happy I found it. I highly recommend.

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

Reader’s voice

There is uncertainty in the way the text was read. Also, the voice was rough.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Authenticity

This is the most hope generating composition of words I’ve experienced since 2020. I recognize in myself the truth of authentic experience and I hope to get the print copy so I can underline, bookmark and write it in its margins. I’m loving it, the process.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Phenomenal Book!

Very well written and narrated. I am going to recommend this to several of my friends!

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent

Much to think about about this interpretation of the insights of St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross. More questions about theology now …

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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You can only know that you do not.

Ideas are images and images distort(separate). This book is full of mostly Christian imagery which attempts to talk about the unspeakable. Its ultimately talking nonsense. Yet nonsense is the only way to talk about no-thing which can’t be known much less expressed.

For more of a whole perspective on the topic i would recommend to also delve into Jiddu Krishnamurti’s work as well as Allan Watts’ to get a more complete understanding into the poetry of the ineffable.

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

Simplified!

what I loved most about this book is that he referenced St. John of the Cross dark Knight of the soul the whole time and made it way more understandable and streamlined. great way to follow up after reading St. John of the crosses rendition

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