The Doctrine of God in San Juan de la Cruz

Juan de la Cruz is often read as the exponent of apophaticism par excellence and as primarily concerned with spiritual experience and ascetical instruction. Arguably, he is neither. His doctrine of God attests to both the cataphatic and systematic character of his thought. Via examination of key attributes of divine nature such as simplicity, infinity, wisdom, beauty and love, both the scriptural and Thomistic roots of his theology are revealed. His systematic theology is inseparable from his spiritual theology and spiritual teaching, because the ground of both is a doctrine of God that describes the telos of spiritual aspiration.