Customer Reviews

The Conversion of Edith Stein

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This book caught my eye because it was translated and has a preface by Ralph McInerny, the acclaimed Thomist philosopher who recently died. Edith Stein, raised in a devout Jewish family, decided to be an atheist at age 15. After serving as an assistant to Heidegger, she later became an accomplished philosopher in her own right and converted to Catholicism after reading the writing of the 16th century Spanish St. Teresa of Avila. She then entered a religious order. The Nazis put her to death at age 51. She was canonized (made a saint) in 1998 by Pope John Paul II. Gaboriau's chose to build his discussion of her life around her three major identities as she entered her vocation: Jewess, Woman, and Philosopher. He begins each chapter with a selection from her writings, all of which display brilliance and a profound faith. This construct works fairly well highlighting as it does her full confidence in her ability vis-a-vis male colleagues. Gaboriau's own writing provides valuable insights into her life, but stops short of providing enough information to be a well-rounded biography. I had the impression that Gaboriau assumes that the reader has a certain familiarity with the Saint's life. I did not. This is the first book I've read about Edith Stein, aka Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, so I felt a little on the outside, so to speak, at times. Nevertheless, I'm glad I read it. It will provide a firmer foundation should I read Stein's own works in the future.