St. John of the Cross and the Denudation of the Soul

This thesis explores the imagery of nakedness and clothing as found in the spiritual writings of St. John of the Cross, ultimately arguing that these themes offer an interpretative lens through which to view the spiritual life – and the cross of Jesus Christ – in a way that complements John’s description of the dark night of the soul. To that end, this thesis offers a brief historical survey of the significance of nakedness and clothing in Christian theological and liturgical tradition, an exegetical analysis of nakedness and clothing as found in John’s corpus, and a concluding section on the state of contemporary theological reflection on the meaning of nakedness and clothing and its relevance for people today