Christocentrism of Charism – Buggert - CarmelStream

images as proximate means to union with God in order to suggest that he rejects the humanity of
Jesus in prayer. This is related to the opinion of those who hold that St. John seeks to go beyond the
Incarnation and the Trinity into the oneness of God." lxxxii
Along similar lines, Barron asks: "When St. John of the Cross teaches that no creature has
proportion to God and that the soul must empty herself of all particular finite forms, images,
concepts, and apprehensions in order to reach union with God, is there room left for the humanity of
Christ?" lxxxiii
While granting that one can legitimately question John regarding his appreciation for the
humanity of Jesus at all stages of the spiritual life, both Edwards and Barron emphatically deny that
this is truly John's position. Edwards believes that such an interpretation is "an extraordinary
injustice to the thought and teaching of John of the Cross." lxxxiv And Barron states:
... Because John's Christology is not systematically elaborated in his writings, a
cursory reading of his works can lead one mistakenly to conclude that the person of
Jesus . . . must be left behind as the soul journeys into the vast emptiness of God.
This is certainly not John's teaching, however, and it becomes clear with a careful
examination of his doctrine that the humanity of Christ in not left behind or transcended,
much less is the Trinity. lxxxv
Much as Teresa argued for the necessity of the humanity of Jesus, since we are not angels,
John's teaching, claims Barron, is that the person is human and the human is not lost in God.
"Human nature is not destroyed but transformed and perfected in union with God." lxxxvi Hence the
humanity of Christ can no more be left behind than can one's own humanity.
John's life itself shows how devoted he was to the incarnate Christ. He loved to carve
wooden images of Jesus; his sketch of the crucified Jesus is well-known; as a superior he lead his
community in devotional dramas to celebrate Christmas. lxxxvii
In analyzing the works of John, both Edwards and Barron lxxxviii conclude that the incarnate
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