Course on St John of the Cross – Session 4

We are pleased to invite you to the fourth session of our course on St John of the Cross, focusing on The Dark Night, one of the most profound works within the Carmelite mystical tradition. This session will explore the themes of suffering, silence, and transformation, central dimensions of authentic Christian spirituality and essential to understanding the spiritual journey described by St John of the Cross.

The session will be led by Dr Christopher Bezzina, who will guide participants through the spiritual and theological insights of St John of the Cross and their relevance for Christian life today.

Topics Covered

• The difference between The Dark Night of the Senses and The Dark Night of the Spirit
• The psychological and spiritual dimensions of the dark night

The session will begin with an outline of the connection between major psychological paradigms and John’s work, before focusing more specifically on personality theory. Personality, encompassing thought, feeling, and behaviour, is closely linked to the intellect, will, and memory in John’s anthropology.

Rather than examining popular TYPE personality and archetypal paradigms rooted in psychoanalytic and humanistic traditions, this session will explore the psychometric TRAIT approach to personality studies in relation to John’s spirituality. Participants will reflect on how John’s model of spiritual transformation relates to trait theory, and what implications this may have for mental health, spiritual direction, and pastoral practice in a practical and scientifically grounded way.

🗓 Date: February 28th
⏰ Time: 9:30am – 12:30pm
📍 Venue: Ċentru Spiritwalità Tereżjana (CST), B’Kara
📌 Adjacent to the St Thérèse Shrine
🚗 Parking available

We look forward to welcoming you for this enriching exploration of the spiritual journey.

Image from: https://innerspiritualawakening.com/the-dark-night-of-the-soul-and-the-path-to-awakening/