The Science of the Cross (Collected Works of Edith Stein)

This masterpiece of deep theological and philosophical thought from a master who understood humanity and the humanity of Christ and the human soul. It is not very easy reading but written in very incisive language and hair splitting accuracy of her soul as she understood it. My experience with this book even with a deep knowledge of German and how they think provided an appreciation of the translator who wanting to be true at times added the German word in order to be a true translator rather that be a traitor to the original. As a student of German and religion the book leaves me at times like the Italian poet who: " from time to time picked the corner of his apron to wipe away my tears"

(I have said this before.) This is the best book I have read on the works of St John of the Cross; the most inspiring yet the most difficult. Now I'll start over from the beginning.

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) provides an interpretive lens for St. John of the Cross that is rooted in her own experience of Carmelite spirituality. She speaks from knowledge in a very real way, and adds more description and understanding to St. John’s writings. As much as I live reading St. John (he makes sense to me), I feel like this is the book I’d recommend to others who are seeking an in-depth understanding of the spiritual life.

As Germany trod the path to the unfathomable horror of the “Final Solution” to the Jewish question, Edith Stein’s superiors in her Carmelite Abbey thought it would be fitting for her to study the thought of a saint whose writings almost epitomize suffering: John of the Cross. Whether this was a good choice for someone who had to know that her life was in extreme peril seems questionable. It’s unquestionable, however, that Stein wrote one of the most lucid explanations of a saint whose poetic mysticism can be nearly indecipherable. Stein begins as per the Catholic tradition with faith; except she sees it as uncapturable in a formula or definition. As a gift of God it is a mystery that has no limit. Faith for Edith Stein is necessary to purge the intellect of false notions of God. In a tradition going back to the Neo-Platonism, she argues that we can only ascribe positive qualities to God by analogy. God is good, but in a way that is more unlike human goodness than like it. The only path to real knowledge of God is by faith eliminating all the human conceptions that interfere with knowing the living God. Similarly, God’s love must cut every affection from the will that is not rooted in it. To complete the triad, the gift of hope is given to purge the memory of sin in the preparation for divine union. For those of us who struggle with the notion of a personally loving God, Stein’s emphasis that God’s love is utterly unlike human love is an attractive notion. And while the emphasis on suffering as necessary to purge the human being of all that is not divine can seem difficult to live by, it does connect mysticism to Christian doctrine in a fitting sense. For Stein, the cross is the most fitting symbol of how the soul must lose all to gain the All; or, how all that Christ is by nature we are called to be by grace. The Science of the Cross forms a fitting coda to Stein’s intellectual and spiritual calling. The work itself was discovered on Edith Stein’s desk after the Gestapo had come to arrest her. The cross that she wrote so eloquently on came to her in a physical form. Whether you believe in these doctrines or not, her embrace of martyrdom in the face of the destruction of much of her people is beyond admirable, it’s heroic. For those interested in Catholic mysticism or Edith Stein, this study is necessary reading in the spiritual tradition.

For those who want to dive into the spirituality of St. John of the cross and the meaning behind his canticles. More for those who have already been introduced into the dark night, not as a beginner read.

Is this a spiritual book or a translation of St Edith Stein's take on St John of the Cross's poetry good either way.

I have read both the Dark Night and the Ascent of Mt. Carmel by St. John of the Cross a few times in the past twenty years. His language is at times difficult to understand. St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross' work explains the writings of St. John of the Cross in a way that is very easy to understand. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Carmelite spirituality. You will be reading one saint's explanation of the writings of another saint. Very moving.

Having read most of St. John's treatises, I found this book very helpful in understanding his books and his life. Would recommend it to anyone wanting g to know more about St. John and his life of prayer.

A spiritual classic in the Catholic and Carmelite traditions.

Great cont Ed nt

This book was delivered promptly. It was translated by Josephine Koeppel O.C.D. and it is very readable. It is an excellent translation og Edith Stein's work

Powerful book for the soul!