From St. John of the Cross and Dr. C. J. Jung, Part III, Chapter 9. Inner Growth Books, 1986.

Acquired Contemplation in the 20th Century

 Today's interest in mysticism is not simply a post-Vatican II phenomenon. It has its origins at the turn of the (20th) century, which was marked by a renaissance of Thomistic studies, and this philosophical and theological renewal embraced the spiritual life as well. Pioneering workers like Juan Arintero and Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange elaborated the theological foundations of the mystical life, while men of a more practical cast of mind like Poulain organized the treasures of the past into practical manuals for nourishing the life of prayer. Yet, despite the value of this work and its wide-spread acceptance, it did not have the impact on the practical order that could have been expected. It had to fight the now deeply entrenched attitude that had dominated the Church since the end of the 17th century. On the practical plane, even in religious communities, mysticism was a matter that was barely discussed, and certainly not proposed as a practical goal and culmination of the spiritual life.

It was perhaps inevitable that a renewed interest in mystical studies would find itself, once again, involved in the problem of acquired contemplation. Abbé Sandreau attacked it as a dangerous innovation, and he was seconded by Lamballe, Juan Arintero and Ignacio Menéndez-Reigada. Père Poulain tried to counter Sandreau's objections, and this by now traditional Carmelite doctrine found champions with the order in men like Claudio de Jesús Crucificado, Crisógono de Jesús, and Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen. These debates waxed and waned for decades, and are now only remembered by a few scholars, and usually with distaste. Unfortunately, it would be an illusion to believe either the subject matter was, in fact, trivial or some genuine solution had been arrived at after the worst of the partisan fires had died down. The problem of acquired contemplation still exists, and more importantly, the situation out of which it emerged is still being encountered. Routinely books have appeared throughout this century describing acquired contemplation, attributing it to John of the Cross, and recommending it as a genuine stage in the contemplative life. If there is no genuine doctrine of acquired contemplation, then not only is this energy misdirected, but it tends to obscure the real problems that surround contemplation as a practical possibility today. The problem of acquired contemplation, understood in this wide sense, is like a rhizome that is waiting for the propitious moment to emerge again. The state of the question at the apex of its articulation just before it last faded from view can be seen in Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen's Acquired Contemplation (1946), and the masterly analysis to be found in Roland Dalbiez', The Controversy of Acquired Contemplation (1949).

Fr. Gabriel summed up his work in this field as follows:

"After long historical researches in the field of Teresian spirituality, I can safely affirm that the contemplation called by Carmelite theologians acquired or active, is chiefly to be identified with that described by St. John of the Cross, in a form already perfected, in Book 11 of the Ascent, whilst its earliest stage is studied in Book I of the Dark Night. Such was the practically unanimous interpretation of the Saint's doctrine during the whole of the first century of the School."(3)