Customer Reviews

Simone Weil Pb (Fount Christian Thinkers)

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Stephen Plant states up front that this slim paperback is part of a "series to introduce some of the most important Christian thinkers to as wide an audience as possible." I found this to be a concise, well organized account of Simone Weil's life and works. Plant divides his book onto 5 sections starting with Weil's life and makes the point repeatedly that Weil's biography and her "mystical" Christianity are inextricably interwoven. This is followed by a chapter on Weil's understanding of God. Plant eases the reader into Weil's works with memorable quotes from "Waiting on God" and careful explanation of their contexts. He gives evidence for consideration of Weil as a modern "saint outside the church" not because of her beliefs but because of her "attention" to God. Plant conveys nuances as well as meaning in translating the actual French of Weil's writing into English. The book's middle chapter "Loving God in a World Full of Pain" gives an excellent explanation of Weil's concepts of "gravity" and "necessity" as well as her interpretation of human "affliction" versus physical suffering. The fourth chapter gives an overview of Simone Weil's Marxism. Lines from Weil's "The Need for Roots" and her lectures in philosophy are used here, although the author assumes the reader has only a nodding familiarity with Plato. This is certainly in accord with the stated introductory nature of this series, Fount Christian Thinkers. The concluding section makes Stephen Plant's brief but convincing argument that while Simone Weil's works do not fit into any orthodox category, her writings are worth the reader's effort. This reader, for one, was definitely ushered into Simone's presence by this book. For this tremendously enriching experience, I thank Stephen Plant.