Overview

In Simone Weil, Maria Clara Bingemer reflects on the life, work, and legacy of an exceptional and enigmatic woman: the philosopher and French Jewish mystic of the same name. 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 WWII, 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 fully committing to the institutional church. Curious and insatiable, she wanted to experience, in the flesh, the suff ering 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, and her almost magical perception of the depths of the human spirit. And that is why her story merits being told as that of one of the great witnesses of our age.

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9780718894269

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Reviews

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

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 Bingemer captures well the capacity of Weil's life to inspire both admiration and repulsion. [Her] portrait of Weil's life and thought provokes reflection on what it means to live a life of passionate justice and compassionate love. -Kate Kirkpatrick, Religion and Theology, Vol. 24, Issue 2, 2017

Author Information

"Maria Clara Bingemer is Full Professor of Systematic Theology at the Pontificia Universidade Católica de Rio de Janeiro. 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""."

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