St. Teresa of Jesus and St. John of the Cross on THE BEATITUDES

Apart from the doctrine of the cross and the doctrine of the Holy Eucharist, the core of the teaching of Christ on what it means to live a Christian life is contained in the Sermon on the Mount. At the very center of the Sermon on the Mount are the Beatitudes. The most complete and profound exposition of the spiritual life and all its dynamics of alternating consolations and purgations leading to perfection of the human soul are contained in the writings of St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. Both are Doctors of the Church and members of the Discalced Carmelite Order as it existed in the sixteenth century. They are Doctors of the Church because what they taught about the spiritual life is applicable to all Christians. Therefore, we would expect to find a connection to the Beatitudes in their spiritual doctrine if their doctrine is to be accepted as authentic Christian teaching. This book brings together the spiritual doctrine of these two Carmelite saints and the Beatitudes taught by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, demonstrating the universality of both teachings and their connection to each other.