Written in sixteenth-century Spain by the Carmelite mystic John of the Cross, The Ascent of Mount Carmel is one of the most searching guides to the spiritual life ever composed. This edition renders its teaching in clear, present-day English while remaining faithful to the original's meaning and spirit. At its heart is the 'dark night' — not a season of despair, but the soul's deliberate letting go of everything that is not God: the attachments, comforts, and self-images that stand between us and union with the divine. With remarkable psychological insight, John walks readers through the active purification of the senses, the intellect, the memory, and the will, showing how faith, hope, and love become the soul's only guides. Warm, demanding, and deeply hopeful, the book remains a companion for anyone who has ever felt drawn toward a life of prayer and simplicity. Part of The Sacred Wisdom Library.