In this episode of pplpod, we explore the dramatic life and profound interior world of Juan de Yepes y Álvarez, known to history as St. John of the Cross. Born into a family of Jewish converts in 16th-century Spain, John rose from poverty to become a Doctor of the Church and one of the foremost poets in the Spanish language,.

Join us as we discuss:

• The Reformer: How a pivotal meeting with St. Teresa of Ávila led John to help found the Discalced Carmelites, a movement seeking to return the order to its primitive rules of silence, poverty, and solitude,,.

• The Prisoner: The intense religious tension that resulted in John’s kidnapping by opposing friars in 1577. We detail his brutal eight-month imprisonment in a tiny, stifling cell in Toledo, where he was subjected to starvation and weekly lashi ...