Simone Weil

Publication Type

Book Chapter

Year of Publication

2004

Author

Reilly, Patrick

Editor

Reichardt, Mary R.

Book

Encyclopedia of Catholic Literature

Volume

2

Pages

761-771

Publisher

Greenwood Press

Place Published

Westport, CT

Language

English

Keywords

antisemitism
baptism
Cathars
Hebrew Bible
mysticism
prayer
salvation
waiting

Annotation

A good, albeit extremely critical overview of Weil’s life and work drawing upon Weil’s writing in Waiting for God, paying particular attention to the themes of waiting, hesitations around baptism and critical response to such hesitations, her critique of the Christian church, her rejection of Judaism and the Hebrew Bible, her anti-Semitism, and what Reilly sees as her heterodox and elitist attitude towards scriptural exegesis, attitude to prayer, mysticism, salvation and resurrection as well as her embracing of the Cathars.