'Dark night of the soul'

[Keith Cheesman]

I was wondering if there were any Orthodox texts that cover the equivalent of St John of the Cross' Dark Night of the Soul?

[Anna Stickles]

From the Introduction to Unseen Warfare


Western theories of salvation, however, various in other respects, have in common the tendency to talk more about the death of Christ than about His Ressurection. Union with Christ, for western saints, has tended to mean participation in His sufferings, ...whereas the eastern saint is invested rather with the glory of the risen Christ, and shines with divine light as did St Serafim of Sarov....

Moreover the difference is reflected in ascetic theology. East and West do not give wholly the same impression of the higher rungs of the spiritual ladder. The Fathers, whom Orthodox teaching still follows, describe the soul's progress as a way of continual purgation, but also of continually increasing illumination, until, with the attainment of purity of heart and perpetual prayer, the soul lives in the light and warmth of God's presence, in continual joyous communion with Him. But some of the principle western writers lay great stress upon the trials which the soul has to undergo through inner darkness, aridity, and seeming alienation from God. If the doctrine of warmth of heart is characteristically eastern, the doctrine of the dark night of the soul is characteristically western...."


There are many and various Orthodox texts that deal with the trials and sufferings that the soul has to go through on it's journey to God. What I think is very different in Orthodoxy is how those sufferings are understood. For example while Orthodox tradition will agree that the sufferings are educative, it is also stressed that they are a judgement and caused by our sinfulness. The story of St Silouan shows him going through a terrible 'dark night of the soul' but it is stressed that this is because of his pride. He eventually won this battle and then he found peace.

[Father David Moser]

Here is another good Orthodox perspective on suffering and misfortune in our lives.



Misfortunes are signs of God's mercy; we need them.
Peace be unto your soul!
Why are you so despondent? Where is your faith? Did the Lord not promise to give all things necessary for each one who seeks the Kingdom of God and His righteousness? Examine yourself. Do you have within you this searching? Do you have faith in the afterlife? Do you believe the teaching of the Holy Orthodox Church – the teaching of the Lord Himself – that beyond the grave each receives his due according to his faith and deeds? Do you believe the words of the Lord that not even a hair will fall from your head without the will of the heavenly Father? If you believe in all this, and also that the Lord so loved the world that He gave His Son, that all those who believe in Him should not perish (John 3:16), gave Him over to shame and crucifixion, then you must totally give yourself over without grumbling into the hands of God, and not cry over the loss of your position, but cry over the fact that in answer to God's love we respond with murmuring, lack of faith, impatience and with violating His holy commandments. Did not the Lord Himself say that those whom He loves, He chastens? Through sorrows He tears them from the world in order to help them have their hearts uplifted, not only during liturgy, but always. Do we have the right to dictate to the Lord what He is to do with us?! If we are to submit to Him, let us stop complaining and crying about worldly things; rather, we should cry over our sins, our constant transgression of God's commandments, and the fact that we offend the Lord through our lack of faith, disbelief in His words and our insensitivity to His love for us. If we do not see our sins, then we should double, triple our tears, for that means that our soul is hardened and darkened; it has lost clarity of vision. With prostrations we should beg the Lord: "Grant us to see our failings." And when we have cleansed ourselves with repentance, we shall see that the misfortunes sent to us were actually signs of the Lord's mercy and love for us. And we shall understand that we need these more than all the good things of the world.
Of all humanity, the only one more honorable than the cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim – the Mother of the Lord Himself – endured such sorrows that before these your worst afflictions are as nothing. Besides, the Lord does not allow any temptations and sorrows beyond one's endurance (I Cor. 10:13). You have not as yet fought unto blood, and have you in fact fought against the enemy, against your own passions? Have you not lived as you pleased, have you not offended your close ones, saying harsh words, babbling needlessly, etc., etc.? Prayerfully examine your life, repent of all things in your past, promise the Lord to use all your strength in warring against sin and in fulfilling His holy commandments. Persevere in this and soon you will sense God's mercy toward you. Maybe then you will thank the Lord from the depths of your heart for the afflictions He sent you. Humble yourself before God and man. If you do none of this, but continue to sin and despair, then at least endure the hardships sent to you without complaining, and say with the wise thief: I receive what I duly deserve for my deeds.
Do not despair, wait on the Lord, weep over your sins, your lack of faith, your disbelief in God's Providence for us, and the Lord will console you. Forgive me, pray for me. May the Lord bless, enlighten and comfort you.
From Abbot Nikon: Letters to Spiritual Children

[Anna Stickles]

Father David,

Thank you for the practical and encouraging quote. This just reminds me how many different types of suffering there are.

There is the suffering that comes when God is trying to wean us off our love for the world which is caused by our love for the world in the first place and our lack of faith as your quote shows,

and there is the suffering due to the withdraw of grace as in John of the Cross's Dark Night of the Soul or St Silouan's struggles or any of the ascetics that have had that infilling of the Spirit and are struggling for purity of heart and lose the sense of God's presence and spiritual prayer when sin enters the heart.

And there is also the the suffering we go through in repentance and conversion when all the sowing that has happened up to that point starts to come to fruition and old foundations start falling apart and hardness of heart and mind starts breaking up to make way for the new life that God is giving us.

And the saints like Elder Paisios or St Paul (Rom 9:1-3) suffer for the sake of others praying with pain of heart, or other saints are martyred for Christ's sake.

Maybe there are other types that I have not thought of.

[Owen Jones]

The Dark Night of the Soul theme is not about suffering, or how to undergo suffering. It's about eros.

[Vasiliki D.]

The Dark Night of the Soul theme is not about suffering, or how to undergo suffering. It's about eros.

I have not read this book but the BEST book on EROS is the Song of Soloman .... now there is a story about divine eros that can not be beaten!!! ;)

[Keith Cheesman]

The Dark Night of the Soul theme is not about suffering, or how to undergo suffering. It's about eros.

Would you care to expand on that?

[Anna Stickles]

The Dark Night of the Soul theme is not about suffering, or how to undergo suffering. It's about eros.

I would have to say it is about both. Love and suffering go hand in hand since we live in a fallen world.

[Rick H.]

Yes, 'the dark night' is about both Eros and agape.

Which makes Keith's original question a good one:


I was wondering if there were any Orthodox texts that cover the equivalent of St John of the Cross' Dark Night of the Soul?

What Orthodox texts speak to the mutual embrace of Eros and agape?

[Owen Jones]

The Dark Night of the Soul, if you actually were to read it, is obviously not about suffering in the way it is being discussed here. It is not about evil. The Dark Night is not about psychological darkness as we would think of it today. Not at all. It is about the erotic movement of the soul toward Christ, done in a highly intellectualized stylized narrative. Eros is commented on extensively in various passages in the Philokalia.

[Rick H.]

It is about the erotic movement of the soul toward Christ, done in a highly intellectualized stylized narrative.



Better yet then (instead of Eros/agape) . . . Eros/eros.

However, to be clear there is progression in 'the dark night,' if you will, that does include suffering. This cannot be denied by any who have even skimmed the book.