Overview

What qualities make a provincial French nun who died at the age of twenty-four one of the world's most fascinating women and perhaps the best-loved Roman Catholic saint? In this eloquent appreciation, Jean Guitton captures the special essence of Thérèse of Lisieux in much the same way as a gifted photographer captures his subject. The result is an intimate portrait of the intellect, charm, and spiritual vision of the saint widely known as the 'Little Flower'. Ranking Thérèse as one of the 'Lights of the World', alongside Saints Paul, Augustine, Francis of Assisi, and Joan of Arc, Guitton examines her faith and its special relevance for the modern world. He illuminates seven salient themes in her writing: love of the world as it is; the notion of authenticity; divine love as inimical to human suffering; the afterlife as a continuation of this life; purgatory as a place to love; human life as an effortless striving; and the vision of eternity in the present moment. These seven pivotal concepts, for all their childlike simplicity, constitute a profound theological vision. Now, over one hundred years after her death, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux has been proclaimed a Doctor of the Church. Guitton's lyrical celebration of Thérèse originality reveals the beloved saint as both oracle and guide for our time and all time.

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9780860122708

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Reviews

'A distinguished and prolific writer with a string of books to his credit.' Food for the Journey: Books, April - June 2006

Author Information

Jean Guitton was born in 1901. He taught philosophy in Troyes, Moulins, Lyon and Mountpellier in the 1930s, and was a prisoner of war from 1940 to 1945. In 1955 he was appointed Professor of Philosophy at the Sorbonne, and he was elected to the French Academy in 1961. He was the only layperson authorized by Pope John XXIII to attend the first session of the Second Vatican Council in 1962.

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