Is God a Delusion?: A Reply to Religion’s Cultured Despisers

Publication Type

Book

Year of Publication

2009

Author

Reitan, Eric

Pages

256

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell

Place Published

Chichester

Language

English

Keywords

atonement
affliction (malheur)
Catholic church
mysticism
James, William

Annotation

Reitan makes reference to Weil, in two sections of his larger work. In Chapter 7 'Religious Consciousness', in a section titled "Simone Weil: The Philosophical Mystic (pp. 142-148), Reitan offers a brief overview of Weil's religious life, noting in particular, her views on prayer and the imagination. Drawing on William James work in The Varieties of Religious Experience, Reitan argues Weil was a 'sick soul', noting however her experience was mystical and not the type of conversion experience James ascribes to many sick souls. Reitan goes on look at Weil's writing on affliction and her related understanding of atonement. Further on in the book, Reitan discusses what he calls Weil’s 'religious vision' and what such a vision has to offer to the present world.