Love's Mystery: A Mystical Theology of the Body according to St. John Paul II and St. John of the Cross

It is well-known that St. John Paul II was a student of St. John of the Cross. The Pope, as a young man, decided to learn Spanish to study the writings of St. John of the Cross in the original language. As a young priest of only twenty-eight years of age, this future Pope wrote his dissertation on St. John's philosophy of faith in the mystical contexts, Faith According to St. John of The Cross. The writings and spirituality of St. John influenced the Pope's entire way of looking at spirituality and philosophy. St. John, as many other mystics and saints, looked at the Song of Songs as an example of God's love for us, the souls He created. A very deep, passionate love for the soul is called agape, portrayed in eros, which is the love between man and woman. This love is mentioned by John Paul in his works The Theology of The Body as well as Love and Responsibility. The love that God has between Himself and the human soul is also the same kind of love that man and woman should exchange between themselves.David P. Hahn explores the connections between St. John Paul II and St. John of the Cross, and their associated theologies, in Love's Mystery. Follow along in the exploration of the concepts that both Saints use in guiding humanity into the love, union, and happiness that was meant for man and woman since the beginning.