An Inquiry into Genuine Mystery as a Transcendent, Uplifting and Illuminating Presence, with Particular Attention to the Life and Thought of Simone Weil

Publication Type

Thesis

Year of Publication

1998

Author

Elliott, Bradley James

Publisher

Princeton Theological Seminary

Place Published

New Jersey

Work Type

Diss

Language

English

Advisor

Allen, Diogenes

Keywords

affliction (malheur)
attention
beauty
decreation
epistemology
Marcel, Gabriel
grace
Rahner, Karl
love
metaxu (intermediaries)
mystery
necessity
reading

Annotation

This dissertation focuses on what Elliot terms ‘genuine mystery’. Simone Weil’s experiences as documented in her writing are used as illustrations and examples of such mystery and form the subject matter of four of the dissertation’s eight chapters. Of particular interest to Elliot, is Weil’s epistemology, especially what he terms ‘objective orientation’ to mystery, her understanding of mystery as exemplified in her work including but not limited to her writing on necessity, grace, affliction, beauty and metaxu and finally her ‘engagement with mystery’ found in her writing especially on attention, love, decreation, reading, analogy and attention. Elliot also compares Weil’s work on and understanding of mystery to that of Gabriel Marcel and Karl Rahner.