Simone Weil: Mystic of Passion and Compassion
Ebook
Overview
The present book reflects on the life, work, and legacy of an exceptional and enigmatic woman: the philosopher and French Jewish mystic Simone Weil. It constitutes a testimony so unique that it is impossible to ignore. In a Europe where authoritarian regimes were dominant and heading, in a sinister manner, toward World War II, this woman of fragile health but indomitable spirit denounced the contradictions of the capitalist system, the brutality of Nazism, and the paradox of bourgeois thought. At the same time, her spiritual journey was one of zeal and sorrow--that of a true mystic--but her radical intransigence and passion for freedom kept her from actually approaching the institutional church. Curious and insatiable, she wanted to experience, in the flesh, the suffering of society’s least fortunate and the truths of other religions. The reader will need to develop a discerning empathy for Simone Weil’s sensibility, beyond her particular passion and zeal, in order to appreciate her in depth. But undeniable are this truly singular woman’s authenticity, her capacity to suffer, her identification with the other, her inner passion, her almost magical perception of the depths of the human spirit. And that is why her story merits being told as one of the great witnesses of our age.
”Following her pointed observation that ‘witnesses are fountains
from which theology springs forth,’ Bingemer offers a rich
theological reflection on some of the central themes emerging from
the life and thought of Simone Weil, one of the twentieth century’s
most intriguing mystics. The book brings Weil into the heart of the
Christian theological tradition, while recognizing her desire to
remain clear of any institutional determination. It is an important
contribution to Weil studies, and to contemporary mystical
theology."
--Catherine Cornille, Newton College Alumnae Chair, Boston
College
“The always fascinating enigma of Weil and the wellspring for
social justice represented by Brazil’s most spiritually creative
theologian of liberation come together in this superbly translated
theological biography . . . [A] highly compelling meditation on the
fragility and necessity of intellectual work in the face of the
suffering of the marginalized."
--Peter Casarella, Associate Professor of Systematic Theology,
University of Notre Dame
"The voice of Simone Weil--a key figure of the French philosophy of
the twentieth century--is given to us to listen to by Bingemer.
With skill and clarity she brings us into a thought without
concessions, rooted in Christ (without entering into the Catholic
Church), and committed to the insignificant people of our world. A
good resource for contemporary researchers. ‘A paradoxical
testimony!’"
--Thierry-Marie Courau, Dean of Theologicum, Institut Catholique de
Paris
"Only a scholar who has passionately journeyed with Simone Weil
over a lifetime could have produced this book. By any measure what
Bingemer offers is exceptional. The beauty of Weil’s intellect,
heart, and life come alive in Bingemer’s hands. This elegantly
written book presents an intimate, compelling portrait of Weil that
invites readers to consider how we too might give witness to the
light intellectually and compassionately."
--Nancy Pineda-Madrid, Associate Professor of Theology & U.S.
Latino/a Ministry
Boston College School of Theology and Ministry
Product Details
- Title : Simone Weil: Mystic of Passion and Compassion
- Authors:
- Bingemer, Maria Clara
- Kraft, Karen
- Publisher: Cascade Books
- Publication Date: 2015
- ISBN: 9781498220675
Maria Clara Bingemer is Full Professor of Systematic Theology at
the Pontificia Universidade Catolica de Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She
is the author of A Face for God (2014), among other books.
She has written many books and articles on Simone Weil's thought,
including the essay "Affliction and Option for the Poor: Simone
Weil and Latin American Liberation Theology" (in R. Rozelle and L.
Stone, eds., The Relevance of the Radical).
Karen M. Kraft received her MA in Hispanic Language and Culture
from New York University, having studied at its campus in Madrid.
In addition to her full-time communications and editorial work at
DePaul University's Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural
Theology, she is also a freelance editor and Spanish-English
translator. Her most recent translation is Maria Clara Bingemer's
,i>Simone Weil: Mystic of Passion and Compassion.