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As explained in Wikipedia, negative theology seeks to clarify religious experiences and language about the Divine through discernment, focusing on what God is not (apophasis) rather than attempting to define what God is. This apophatic tradition is often intertwined with mysticism, which emphasizes a personal, unmediated encounter with divine reality, transcending the confines of traditional organized religion and the conditioned behaviors of our outer selves. - Summary by Ed Humpal and Wikipedia]]></description><atom:link href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/6876686/episodes/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><language>en</language><category>Religion &amp; Spirituality</category><copyright>Copyright Religious Texts and Commentary</copyright><image><url>https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/3e12814f9379bacb83a5ab15f1957553.jpg</url><title>Obscure Night of The Soul</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/obscure-night-of-the-soul--6876686</link></image><lastBuildDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:17:10 +0000</lastBuildDate><itunes:author>Saint John of the Cross</itunes:author><itunes:owner><itunes:name>Religious Texts and Commentary</itunes:name><itunes:email>spreaker24@adfreesounds.com</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/3e12814f9379bacb83a5ab15f1957553.jpg"/><itunes:subtitle>The Obscure Night of the Soul, more commonly known today as The Dark Night of the Soul, encapsulates the profound teachings of St. John of the Cross, who transformed Christian contemplation in the 16th century. This timeless text continues to inspire...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The Obscure Night of the Soul, more commonly known today as The Dark Night of the Soul, encapsulates the profound teachings of St. John of the Cross, who transformed Christian contemplation in the 16th century. This timeless text continues to inspire seekers on their spiritual journeys. St. Johns approach, known as the Via Negativa, is a unique form of theological reflection that emphasizes understanding the Divine by exploring what cannot be said about Gods perfect goodness. As explained in Wikipedia, negative theology seeks to clarify religious experiences and language about the Divine through discernment, focusing on what God is not (apophasis) rather than attempting to define what God is. 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This apophatic tradition is often intertwined with mysticism, which emphasizes a personal, unmediated encounter with divine reality, transcending the confines of traditional organized religion and the conditioned behaviors of our outer selves. - Summary by Ed Humpal and Wikipedia]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>238</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>apophasis,christianity,contemplation,divine,enlightenment,inspiration,mysticism,philosophy,spirituality,theology</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/3e12814f9379bacb83a5ab15f1957553.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>002 - Book I Chapter 1 Imperfections of Beginners</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/002-book-i-chapter-1-imperfections-of-beginners--69989202</link><description><![CDATA[The Obscure Night of the Soul, more commonly known today as The Dark Night of the Soul, encapsulates the profound teachings of St. John of the Cross, who transformed Christian contemplation in the 16th century. This timeless text continues to inspire seekers on their spiritual journeys. St. Johns approach, known as the Via Negativa, is a unique form of theological reflection that emphasizes understanding the Divine by exploring what cannot be said about Gods perfect goodness. As explained in Wikipedia, negative theology seeks to clarify religious experiences and language about the Divine through discernment, focusing on what God is not (apophasis) rather than attempting to define what God is. 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This timeless text continues to inspire seekers on their spiritual journeys. St. Johns approach, known as the Via Negativa, is a unique form of theological reflection that emphasizes understanding the Divine by exploring what cannot be said about Gods perfect goodness. As explained in Wikipedia, negative theology seeks to clarify religious experiences and language about the Divine through discernment, focusing on what God is not (apophasis) rather than attempting to define what God is. This apophatic tradition is often intertwined with mysticism, which emphasizes a personal, unmediated encounter with divine reality, transcending the confines of traditional organized religion and the conditioned behaviors of our outer selves. - Summary by Ed Humpal and Wikipedia]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69989228</guid><pubDate>Wed, 11 Feb 2026 21:16:49 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69989228/026_book_ii_chapter_11_passion_of_divine_love_the_fruit_of_these_afflictions.mp3" length="3724884" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/35ea64bd-57bf-486e-ac7c-edf7943fb4b3/35ea64bd-57bf-486e-ac7c-edf7943fb4b3.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/35ea64bd-57bf-486e-ac7c-edf7943fb4b3/35ea64bd-57bf-486e-ac7c-edf7943fb4b3.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/35ea64bd-57bf-486e-ac7c-edf7943fb4b3/35ea64bd-57bf-486e-ac7c-edf7943fb4b3.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Saint John of the Cross</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The Obscure Night of the Soul, more commonly known today as The Dark Night of the Soul, encapsulates the profound teachings of St. John of the Cross, who transformed Christian contemplation in the 16th century. 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This apophatic tradition is often intertwined with mysticism, which emphasizes a personal, unmediated encounter with divine reality, transcending the confines of traditional organized religion and the conditioned behaviors of our outer selves. - Summary by Ed Humpal and Wikipedia]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>465</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>apophasis,christianity,contemplation,divine,enlightenment,inspiration,mysticism,philosophy,spirituality,theology</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/3e12814f9379bacb83a5ab15f1957553.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>027 - Book II Chapter 12 How this Night is like Purgatory How Divine Wisdom Illuminates Men</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/027-book-ii-chapter-12-how-this-night-is-like-purgatory-how-divine-wisdom-illuminates-men--69989229</link><description><![CDATA[The Obscure Night of the Soul, more commonly known today as The Dark Night of the Soul, encapsulates the profound teachings of St. John of the Cross, who transformed Christian contemplation in the 16th century. This timeless text continues to inspire seekers on their spiritual journeys. St. Johns approach, known as the Via Negativa, is a unique form of theological reflection that emphasizes understanding the Divine by exploring what cannot be said about Gods perfect goodness. As explained in Wikipedia, negative theology seeks to clarify religious experiences and language about the Divine through discernment, focusing on what God is not (apophasis) rather than attempting to define what God is. 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This apophatic tradition is often intertwined with mysticism, which emphasizes a personal, unmediated encounter with divine reality, transcending the confines of traditional organized religion and the conditioned behaviors of our outer selves. - Summary by Ed Humpal and Wikipedia]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>377</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>apophasis,christianity,contemplation,divine,enlightenment,inspiration,mysticism,philosophy,spirituality,theology</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/3e12814f9379bacb83a5ab15f1957553.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>028 - Book II Chapter 13 Other Sweet Effects of the Dark Night</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/028-book-ii-chapter-13-other-sweet-effects-of-the-dark-night--69989230</link><description><![CDATA[The Obscure Night of the Soul, more commonly known today as The Dark Night of the Soul, encapsulates the profound teachings of St. John of the Cross, who transformed Christian contemplation in the 16th century. This timeless text continues to inspire seekers on their spiritual journeys. St. Johns approach, known as the Via Negativa, is a unique form of theological reflection that emphasizes understanding the Divine by exploring what cannot be said about Gods perfect goodness. As explained in Wikipedia, negative theology seeks to clarify religious experiences and language about the Divine through discernment, focusing on what God is not (apophasis) rather than attempting to define what God is. This apophatic tradition is often intertwined with mysticism, which emphasizes a personal, unmediated encounter with divine reality, transcending the confines of traditional organized religion and the conditioned behaviors of our outer selves. - Summary by Ed Humpal and Wikipedia]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69989230</guid><pubDate>Wed, 11 Feb 2026 21:16:52 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69989230/028_book_ii_chapter_13_other_sweet_effects_of_the_dark_night.mp3" length="5207179" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/0bb4ed19-e689-4eed-a6c3-e2c6533f3d71/0bb4ed19-e689-4eed-a6c3-e2c6533f3d71.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/0bb4ed19-e689-4eed-a6c3-e2c6533f3d71/0bb4ed19-e689-4eed-a6c3-e2c6533f3d71.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/0bb4ed19-e689-4eed-a6c3-e2c6533f3d71/0bb4ed19-e689-4eed-a6c3-e2c6533f3d71.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Saint John of the Cross</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The Obscure Night of the Soul, more commonly known today as The Dark Night of the Soul, encapsulates the profound teachings of St. John of the Cross, who transformed Christian contemplation in the 16th century. 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This apophatic tradition is often intertwined with mysticism, which emphasizes a personal, unmediated encounter with divine reality, transcending the confines of traditional organized religion and the conditioned behaviors of our outer selves. - Summary by Ed Humpal and Wikipedia]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>651</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>apophasis,christianity,contemplation,divine,enlightenment,inspiration,mysticism,philosophy,spirituality,theology</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/3e12814f9379bacb83a5ab15f1957553.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>029 - Book II Chapter 14 The Last Lines of the First Stanza Spiritually Explained</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/029-book-ii-chapter-14-the-last-lines-of-the-first-stanza-spiritually-explained--69989231</link><description><![CDATA[The Obscure Night of the Soul, more commonly known today as The Dark Night of the Soul, encapsulates the profound teachings of St. John of the Cross, who transformed Christian contemplation in the 16th century. This timeless text continues to inspire seekers on their spiritual journeys. St. Johns approach, known as the Via Negativa, is a unique form of theological reflection that emphasizes understanding the Divine by exploring what cannot be said about Gods perfect goodness. As explained in Wikipedia, negative theology seeks to clarify religious experiences and language about the Divine through discernment, focusing on what God is not (apophasis) rather than attempting to define what God is. This apophatic tradition is often intertwined with mysticism, which emphasizes a personal, unmediated encounter with divine reality, transcending the confines of traditional organized religion and the conditioned behaviors of our outer selves. - Summary by Ed Humpal and Wikipedia]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69989231</guid><pubDate>Wed, 11 Feb 2026 21:16:53 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69989231/029_book_ii_chapter_14_the_last_lines_of_the_first_stanza_spiritually_explained.mp3" length="939333" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/1296f594-3336-4ba7-871e-0c0a411a2d32/1296f594-3336-4ba7-871e-0c0a411a2d32.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/1296f594-3336-4ba7-871e-0c0a411a2d32/1296f594-3336-4ba7-871e-0c0a411a2d32.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/1296f594-3336-4ba7-871e-0c0a411a2d32/1296f594-3336-4ba7-871e-0c0a411a2d32.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Saint John of the Cross</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The Obscure Night of the Soul, more commonly known today as The Dark Night of the Soul, encapsulates the profound teachings of St. John of the Cross, who transformed Christian contemplation in the 16th century. 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This apophatic tradition is often intertwined with mysticism, which emphasizes a personal, unmediated encounter with divine reality, transcending the confines of traditional organized religion and the conditioned behaviors of our outer selves. - Summary by Ed Humpal and Wikipedia]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>118</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>apophasis,christianity,contemplation,divine,enlightenment,inspiration,mysticism,philosophy,spirituality,theology</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/3e12814f9379bacb83a5ab15f1957553.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>030 - Book II Chapter 15 Explanation of the Second Stanza</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/030-book-ii-chapter-15-explanation-of-the-second-stanza--69989232</link><description><![CDATA[The Obscure Night of the Soul, more commonly known today as The Dark Night of the Soul, encapsulates the profound teachings of St. John of the Cross, who transformed Christian contemplation in the 16th century. This timeless text continues to inspire seekers on their spiritual journeys. St. Johns approach, known as the Via Negativa, is a unique form of theological reflection that emphasizes understanding the Divine by exploring what cannot be said about Gods perfect goodness. As explained in Wikipedia, negative theology seeks to clarify religious experiences and language about the Divine through discernment, focusing on what God is not (apophasis) rather than attempting to define what God is. 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This apophatic tradition is often intertwined with mysticism, which emphasizes a personal, unmediated encounter with divine reality, transcending the confines of traditional organized religion and the conditioned behaviors of our outer selves. - Summary by Ed Humpal and Wikipedia]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>975</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>apophasis,christianity,contemplation,divine,enlightenment,inspiration,mysticism,philosophy,spirituality,theology</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/3e12814f9379bacb83a5ab15f1957553.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>031 - Book II Chapter 16 How the Soul Travels Securely in Darkness</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/031-book-ii-chapter-16-how-the-soul-travels-securely-in-darkness--69989233</link><description><![CDATA[The Obscure Night of the Soul, more commonly known today as The Dark Night of the Soul, encapsulates the profound teachings of St. John of the Cross, who transformed Christian contemplation in the 16th century. This timeless text continues to inspire seekers on their spiritual journeys. St. Johns approach, known as the Via Negativa, is a unique form of theological reflection that emphasizes understanding the Divine by exploring what cannot be said about Gods perfect goodness. As explained in Wikipedia, negative theology seeks to clarify religious experiences and language about the Divine through discernment, focusing on what God is not (apophasis) rather than attempting to define what God is. 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This apophatic tradition is often intertwined with mysticism, which emphasizes a personal, unmediated encounter with divine reality, transcending the confines of traditional organized religion and the conditioned behaviors of our outer selves. - Summary by Ed Humpal and Wikipedia]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>912</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>apophasis,christianity,contemplation,divine,enlightenment,inspiration,mysticism,philosophy,spirituality,theology</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/3e12814f9379bacb83a5ab15f1957553.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>032 - Book II Chapter 17 Obscure Contemplation is Secret</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/032-book-ii-chapter-17-obscure-contemplation-is-secret--69989234</link><description><![CDATA[The Obscure Night of the Soul, more commonly known today as The Dark Night of the Soul, encapsulates the profound teachings of St. John of the Cross, who transformed Christian contemplation in the 16th century. This timeless text continues to inspire seekers on their spiritual journeys. St. Johns approach, known as the Via Negativa, is a unique form of theological reflection that emphasizes understanding the Divine by exploring what cannot be said about Gods perfect goodness. As explained in Wikipedia, negative theology seeks to clarify religious experiences and language about the Divine through discernment, focusing on what God is not (apophasis) rather than attempting to define what God is. 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This timeless text continues to inspire seekers on their spiritual journeys. St. Johns approach, known as the Via Negativa, is a unique form of theological reflection that emphasizes understanding the Divine by exploring what cannot be said about Gods perfect goodness. As explained in Wikipedia, negative theology seeks to clarify religious experiences and language about the Divine through discernment, focusing on what God is not (apophasis) rather than attempting to define what God is. This apophatic tradition is often intertwined with mysticism, which emphasizes a personal, unmediated encounter with divine reality, transcending the confines of traditional organized religion and the conditioned behaviors of our outer selves. - Summary by Ed Humpal and Wikipedia]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69989235</guid><pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2026 10:00:16 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69989235/033_book_ii_chapter_18_this_secret_wisdom_is_also_a_ladder.mp3" length="2792931" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/9caa50a2-41e7-42ed-aa9c-83915dac1336/9caa50a2-41e7-42ed-aa9c-83915dac1336.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/9caa50a2-41e7-42ed-aa9c-83915dac1336/9caa50a2-41e7-42ed-aa9c-83915dac1336.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/9caa50a2-41e7-42ed-aa9c-83915dac1336/9caa50a2-41e7-42ed-aa9c-83915dac1336.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Saint John of the Cross</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The Obscure Night of the Soul, more commonly known today as The Dark Night of the Soul, encapsulates the profound teachings of St. John of the Cross, who transformed Christian contemplation in the 16th century. 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This timeless text continues to inspire seekers on their spiritual journeys. St. Johns approach, known as the Via Negativa, is a unique form of theological reflection that emphasizes understanding the Divine by exploring what cannot be said about Gods perfect goodness. As explained in Wikipedia, negative theology seeks to clarify religious experiences and language about the Divine through discernment, focusing on what God is not (apophasis) rather than attempting to define what God is. 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This apophatic tradition is often intertwined with mysticism, which emphasizes a personal, unmediated encounter with divine reality, transcending the confines of traditional organized religion and the conditioned behaviors of our outer selves. - Summary by Ed Humpal and Wikipedia]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>576</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>apophasis,christianity,contemplation,divine,enlightenment,inspiration,mysticism,philosophy,spirituality,theology</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/3e12814f9379bacb83a5ab15f1957553.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>035 - Book II Chapter 20 The Other Five Degrees</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/035-book-ii-chapter-20-the-other-five-degrees--69989237</link><description><![CDATA[The Obscure Night of the Soul, more commonly known today as The Dark Night of the Soul, encapsulates the profound teachings of St. John of the Cross, who transformed Christian contemplation in the 16th century. 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This apophatic tradition is often intertwined with mysticism, which emphasizes a personal, unmediated encounter with divine reality, transcending the confines of traditional organized religion and the conditioned behaviors of our outer selves. - Summary by Ed Humpal and Wikipedia]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>393</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>apophasis,christianity,contemplation,divine,enlightenment,inspiration,mysticism,philosophy,spirituality,theology</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/3e12814f9379bacb83a5ab15f1957553.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>036 - Book II Chapter 21 The Meaning of 'Disguised'</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/036-book-ii-chapter-21-the-meaning-of-disguised--69989238</link><description><![CDATA[The Obscure Night of the Soul, more commonly known today as The Dark Night of the Soul, encapsulates the profound teachings of St. John of the Cross, who transformed Christian contemplation in the 16th century. 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