Simone Weil: Resistance and Writing

Publication Type

Journal Article

Year of Publication

2010

Author

Loades, Ann

Journal

International Journal of Public Theology

Volume

4

Number

1

Pages

100-117

Language

English

Keywords

Judaism
'the real'
war
work

Annotation

After a brief discussion of Weil’s life and work and some of the scholarship on her, Loades turns to focus on the ‘public life of her (Weil’s) time’ (p. 102). She begins with a well-informed discussion of Weil’s experience of war and its consequences. She then turns to Weil’s thoughts on ‘divine justice’ contrasting her views to those of Miroslav Volf. In the section ‘Weil and Religious Affiliation’, Loades raises the issue of Weil’s troubling relation to Judaism, noting Weil’s ignorance of many aspects of the Jewish tradition. Weil’s attitude towards and experiences of work and her relationship to workers are next addressed, followed by a short discussion of Weil’s search for the ‘real’ and its unexpected manifestation in her life. The final pages of the article takes up the subject of ‘Weil and ‘Resistance’’, noting how Weil’s ability to ‘resist’ was circumscribed by her geographical location in London in the final months of her life.