Simone Weil
Mystic of Passion and Compassion
Translated by Karen Kraft
Foreword by Tomeu Estelrich Barcelo
Imprint: Cascade Books
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.
"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