Customer Reviews

St. John of the Cross: San Juan de La Cruz: Alchemist of the Soul: His Life, His Poetry (Bilingual), His Prose

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ST JOHN OF THE CROSS: Alchemist of the Soul is a collection by Antonio T. de Nicolas of writings by the 16th-century Spanish mystic, along with a brief biographical sketch.

The editing seems very amateurish and irrational. de Nicolas bitterly complains about how English-language writers call the saint St John of the Cross, asserting that Juan de la Cruz is the only option and all else is "colonizing" by the English language. A foreword is provided by Seyyed Hossein Nasr which begins by lightly praising the poetry of St John of the Cross before hijacking the foreward to laud the supposed Islamic forebears of the saint. Instead of seeing the saint as one faithful to the Christian faith, as history would suggest, the author and Nasr would rather see him as a liberator from the perceived evils of "organised religion". The same Church which canonised him is attacked as a force trying to suppress his writings and influence. This a bizzare book.

The actual writings of St John of the Cross are certainly worth reading. Fortunately, the original Castilian Spanish of the poetry is presented with an English translation on the facing page, enabling the reader with even the slightest grasp of Castilian the opportunity to see the saint's ingenious use of language. The prose consists of excepts from the Spiritual Canticle, Ascent of Mount Carmel, and Dark Night, in English translation only.

St John of the Cross is one of the greatest spiritual writers in history, with enormous influence down to our time (especially on T.S. Eliot). His writings are very highly recommended. However, I would suggest getting them through a different collection than this. The author's agenda in attacking organised religion is unpleasant, and certainly doesn't provide the edification which those attracting to the saint's work are often looking for.

Organized approach to life, poetry and prose tracing the spiritual journey made by St. John. Life details are summarized into a chronology. The original Spanish and English translation of famous poems such as "Dark Night" are included. The prose focuses on the Saint's explaination of the poems and omits portions written to address the Inquisition.

I picked this up in a consignment store in Madrid New Mexico a few days ago and it has kept me good company ever since, especially in my long 19 hour journey home from there to my island home off the coast of Maine. I have a contemplative practice and picked it up in the hope of having a better connection with the writings of St John of the Cross. This wonderfully presented exhilarating book did that and so much more as Dr. deNicolas' commentary/introduction not only provides a very penetrating access to these works in fluid new translation but also a very interesting and useful framework for considering the intersection between spirituality and culture and written works--, literature poetry, prose--as portals to and gifts from the spiritual realm. I have been studying Ramon Panikkar of late and I found Dr. deNicolas' framework very helpful in accessing and receiving the Panikkar, as well. I have never seen St John's work in original Spainish where it is impossible not to see the beauty and mastery of St John's work as a poet.

My very happy and enlightening experience with this book has set me on a search to read more by this very wise and brilliant man.

In answer to Culver's review I am surprised at his effort to turn a complex time in history into a veridical, simple one. Juan de la Cruz is the proper Spanish name, not John of the Cross, and the reasons for the distinction are given in the book. To what Christianity does Culver refer, Protestant, Catholic? This was the time of the Reformation and Counter Reformation, of Catholics killing Protestants and viceversa in the name of "their" Christianity. Yes, the Saint influenced T.S Eliot, the book shows T.S. Eliot plegiarized the Saint. The reason I wrote the book and translated the Saint's prose and poetry is because the English translations I had come across were not accurate or faithful to the Saints intentions, not even to his grammatical ones. It is not often that a Castilian can translate into English, and this is my advantage, and hopefully my service to the reader. And by the way, the same Church that canonized him had the Inquisition investigating him up to the eve of his canonization together with those other Spanish mystics Teresa de Avila and Ignatius de Loyola, founder of the Jesuits.
Peace.
Antonio de Nicolas