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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. When does the deadening of a person to the presence of sin get refreshed, according to the author?

2. The author says the severity of the trials of a person going through the dark night depends on what?

3. What does the soul find in the dark night that it must face, according to Book II, Chapter IX?

4. What does St. John say happens after a person is involved in spiritual activities for wrath to enter into a beginner's life?

5. The purging of the soul in the feeling of poverty is compared to what in Book II, Chapter VI?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Dark Night of the Soul, what is the difference between habitual imperfections and actual imperfections?

2. What does the author say is the sign that the dark night has begun?

3. How does the author compare divine light to sunlight?

4. What are some of the benefits described in Book I, Chapter XIII of a soul that has been purified by the dark night?

5. In Book I, Chapter XII, what is the main benefit for the soul as it travels through the night of darkness?

6. In Book I, Chapter VI, why are new believers especially prone to the sin of gluttony?

7. In Book II, Chapter VIII, why is the inability to pray or the feeling that prayers are not reaching God in the dark night not a problem?

8. How does the author describe the condition of beginners on their journey of faith?

9. What does St. John say must change in a person in order for the divine and the human to exist within the same person?

10. What is the purpose of the Dark Night of the Soul as described in the prologue?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are many benefits a soul will gain when first entering into the dark night. The lessons that the soul is taught during this time is the way to unification with God. Using supporting examples, answer the following questions:

1) What does the soul learn while first entering into the dark night?

2) What is the benefit of a soul understanding it is weak and miserable?

3) What does the phrase "growing up in Christ" mean in relation to the soul?

Essay Topic 2

The concept of the dark night was originally expressed in St. John's poem "The Stanzas of the Soul" which he expounds upon in Dark Night of the Soul. Answer the following questions with support from the text:

1) How does "The Stanzas of the Soul" influence the way Dark Night of the Soul is written?

2) How does the imagery of the poem aid the reader in understanding Dark Night of the Soul?

3) How does the poetic imagery of the poem portray the dark night differently than the text in Dark Night of the Soul?

Essay Topic 3

There are seven points that the author describes about the understanding of divine fire. This fire is special and consumes and purifies the soul at the same time. Use supporting examples to respond to the following:

1) List at least four understandings of divine fire that St. John describes in Dark Night of the Soul.

2) How is divine fire of the soul similar to a log burning in a real fire?

3) How does the comparison of divine fire to a real fire illustrate the concept of a soul burning in purgatory?

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