Christocentrism of Charism – Buggert - CarmelStream

psalms. For a treatment of this issue, see Georges Morel, Le
Sense De L'Existence selon S. Jean De La Croix, Vol. II, Aubier,
1960, pp. 179-215.
xcv. Ascent, 2.7.11
xcvi. Ascent, 2.7.13.
xcvii. Ascent, 2.7.11. Again, as these citations indicate, it
is especially the suffering and crucified Christ who is presented
as our model. Regis Jordan likewise highlights the role of the
cross in John's spirituality, claiming that John bases his
approach to the theme of absolute negation on the death of
Christ. "Christ's death is the motive and model for our own
death. This accounts for John's radical teaching on the socalled
negative way: the death, the self-abasement of the soul in
the sensual and spiritual nights must correspond to the death of
Christ, so that the soul may be united to him and, through him,
with the Trinity." See Regis Jordan, O.C.D., "Jesus Christ in
the Writings of John of the Cross," in Steven Payne, O.C.D. (ed),
Carmelite Studies, vol. VI: John of the Cross, Washington, D.C.:
ICS Publications, 1992, p. 100. See also Thomas de la Cruz,
O.C.D., "The Carmelite School: St. Teresa and St. John of the
Cross," in Jesus in Christian Devotion and Contemplation, trans.
Paul J. Oligny, O.F.M., St. Meinrad, IN: Abbey Press, 1974, pp.
95-96.
xcviii. Kavanaugh and Rodriguez, Collected Works, p. 674.
xcix. Ibid., 679-680.
c. Barron, A Study of St. John of the Cross's Theology of
Transformation, p. 154.
ci. Barron points out (Ibid., 154-155) that while John spends
little time writing about Christ's mediatorial role, his whole
doctrine hinges on this point. It is the very key to understanding
his Christology, which, as will become clear above, is a
"revelational" Christology and, in that respect, somewhat similar
to that of Karl Barth, Wolfhart Pannenberg and Karl Rahner.
Christ himself is the very self-revelation of the Father.
cii.Ascent, 2.22.5.
ciii. Ascent, 2.22.6.
civ. Canticle, 12.2, in Kavanaugh-Rodriguez, The Collected Works
of St. John of the Cross, "The truly devout person directs his
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