John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila have done more than anyone to shape Western Christian ideas of mysticism and the union of God and the soul. Yet how do their views of divine union account for the radical divisions in the soul--the intense suffering in the 'dark night of the soul', and the soul going outside itself in ecstasy to attain God? Howell's shows how John and Teresa see the Christian Trinity as a key to divine union. As the human soul progresses in spiritual perfection, it participates in the life of the Trinity and its dynamic structure. This clearly argued, engaging book is essential for anyone seeking to understand the central features of Carmelite and Spanish mysticism.
