The Dark Night of the Soul: A Psychiatrist Explores the Connection Between Darkness and Spiritual Growth

The Dark Night of the Soul: A Psychiatrist Explores the Connection Between Darkness and Spiritual Growth
ISBN-10
0060750553
ISBN-13
9780060750558
Series
The Dark Night of the Soul
Category
Religion
Pages
224
Language
English
Published
2005-02-01
Publisher
HarperOne
Author
Gerald G. May

Description

Now in paperback: a distinguished psychiatrist, spiritual counsellor and bestselling 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 trivialised 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 emphasises 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.

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