My Only Friend Is Darkness Living The Night Of Faith With St John Of The Cross 30th Anniversary Edition

This wise and widely acclaimed book is written for those “who have advanced far enough in love of God to enter the night of faith and feel the need of explanation, guidance and reassurance.” Even when we believe—as St. John of the Cross and other mystics teach—that the dark night is ultimately purifying, transforming, and unitive, the experience can be terrifying. It’s not something one can undergo easily, or without a wise guide. This book is Barbara Dent’s intimately personal narrative of the long journey in darkness. It is, if you will, a survival manual for living in the night of faith. For over 30 years, the profound personal insights of New Zealand author Barbara Dent have inspired and helped thousands of readers around the world navigate the unsettling but transforming experience of spiritual darkness. My Only Friend Is Darkness is an indispensable resource for those in the more challenging stages of the journey of faith as well as for their spiritual directors and others aiming to better understand the experience. Now deceased, Dent was a mother of three, an English teacher, and secular Carmelite. She published numerous articles and books throughout the English-speaking world. In retirement she lived as a poustinik or hermit, spending time in prayer, study, writing, and offering spiritual guidance to those who turned to her. Now, in response to requests from many readers, ICS Publications is pleased to bring My Only Friend Is Darkness back as an ICS title in this 30th Anniversary Edition. Readers of its popular sequel, The Marriage of All and Nothing, will now have the opportunity to read this, Dent’s pivotal earlier work, which now joins the sequel in our catalog.

This wise and widely acclaimed book is written for those “who have advanced far enough in love of God to enter the night of faith and feel the need of explanation, guidance and reassurance.” Even when we believe—as St. John of the Cross and other mystics teach—that the dark night is ultimately purifying, transforming, and unitive, the experience can be terrifying. It’s not something one can undergo easily, or without a wise guide. This book is Barbara Dent’s intimately personal narrative of the long journey in darkness. It is, if you will, a survival manual for living in the night of faith. For over 30 years, the profound personal insights of New Zealand author Barbara Dent have inspired and helped thousands of readers around the world navigate the unsettling but transforming experience of spiritual darkness. My Only Friend Is Darkness is an indispensable resource for those in the more challenging stages of the journey of faith as well as for their spiritual directors and others aiming to better understand the experience. Now deceased, Dent was a mother of three, an English teacher, and secular Carmelite. She published numerous articles and books throughout the English-speaking world. In retirement she lived as a poustinik or hermit, spending time in prayer, study, writing, and offering spiritual guidance to those who turned to her. Now, in response to requests from many readers, ICS Publications is pleased to bring My Only Friend Is Darkness back as an ICS title in this 30th Anniversary Edition. Readers of its popular sequel, The Marriage of All and Nothing, will now have the opportunity to read this, Dent’s pivotal earlier work, which now joins the sequel in our catalog.

This wise and widely-acclaimed book is written for those "who have advanced far enough in love to God to enter the Night of Faith and feel the need of explanation, guidance and reassurance." Drawing upon Scripture, classic spiritual authors-especially St. John of the Cross-and her own deep personal experience, author Barbara Dent examines the deep puifications we undergo as God cleanses us of sinful inclinations and tansforms us in love. Using poetry and prose, image and parable, she guides us through the sufferings, temptations, upheavals and workings of grace at the deepest levels of our being, as we journey through the darkness of faith to new life in Christ. "This book is concerned with what I learned experientially and fom reading the works of various fellow travellers, especially John of the Cross, during the two periods when the grain of wheat fell into the ground and died. Then my only friend was darkness-the darkness of faith that would not give up affirming what it believed-yet in that darkness wonders of grace happened." Barbara Dent, My Only Friend is Darkness Barbara Dent is a retired English teacher in New Zealand and the mother of three. A Secular Carmelite, she has published numerous aticles and books throughout the English-speaking world, and now spends much of the time in "prayer and study, writing, and giving spiritual and psychological guidance to those who turn to me for it."

This wise and widely-acclaimed book is written for those "who have advanced far enough in love to God to enter the Night of Faith and feel the need of explanation, guidance and reassurance." Drawing upon Scripture, classic spiritual authors-especially St. John of the Cross-and her own deep personal experience, author Barbara Dent examines the deep puifications we undergo as God cleanses us of sinful inclinations and tansforms us in love. Using poetry and prose, image and parable, she guides us through the sufferings, temptations, upheavals and workings of grace at the deepest levels of our being, as we journey through the darkness of faith to new life in Christ. "This book is concerned with what I learned experientially and fom reading the works of various fellow travellers, especially John of the Cross, during the two periods when the grain of wheat fell into the ground and died. Then my only friend was darkness-the darkness of faith that would not give up affirming what it believed-yet in that darkness wonders of grace happened." Barbara Dent, My Only Friend is Darkness Barbara Dent is a retired English teacher in New Zealand and the mother of three. A Secular Carmelite, she has published numerous aticles and books throughout the English-speaking world, and now spends much of the time in "prayer and study, writing, and giving spiritual and psychological guidance to those who turn to me for it."

A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

In Dark Night of the Soul, Saint John of the Cross presents for us a portrait painted from his own experience of one who advances successfully through the struggles of the spiritual life. The dark night that St John describes is not abandonment by God but special consideration from Him for those who desire to purify and perfect their souls. With a soul purified from earthly attachments, we can advance through the much quoted but oft misunderstood dark night of the souls into unity with God. By accepting the desolation and difficulty of this process, the soul cooperates with God and opens itself to receiving and revealing more perfectly God's glory. Be not afraid--Dark Night of the Soul, though austere and exacting in its instructions for holy living, is laced with St. John's charity and kindness, his love of all things beautiful and sacred--including you.

This Personal Application Workbook is designed to help you apply the Scriptural principles presented in the Faith in the Night Seasons textbook. The goal and purpose of every Christian is to be "conformed into the image of Christ." A true Biblical night season is a Father-filtered period of time designed to do just that. God deprives us of the natural light that we are so used to, in order that He might strengthen our faith and we might come to know Him in His fullness.