Znanost križa: Studija o Ivanu od Križa

The Science of the Cross: A Study of John of the Cross is Edith Stein's last major work, written in 1941 and 1942 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the birth of John of the Cross. The work, first published posthumously in 1950, was left unfinished due to the author's arrest and deportation to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where she was murdered in 1942.

The book is a systematic study of the life, writings, and mystical teachings of John of the Cross. Stein traces his spiritual journey and interprets the fundamental concepts of his mysticism—purification, the "dark night," faith, love, and union with God. Drawing on his poems and commentaries, she shows how true knowledge of God is not achieved through reason alone, but through a life experience that includes renunciation, suffering, and complete surrender to God's will. The term “science of the cross” denotes precisely such an experiential knowledge, in which the cross is understood as a path of transformation, and not only as an object of theological reflection.

The work combines Edith Stein’s philosophical precision, shaped by the phenomenological tradition, and a deep knowledge of Carmelite spirituality. Instead of a classical commentary on John’s texts, the author develops her own interpretation of his teaching, connecting biographical, theological, and mystical elements into a complete synthesis. The Croatian edition in the Christian Classics library is one of the fundamental editions for studying Edith Stein and represents a valuable contribution to Christian philosophy and mystical theology.