Communion with Christ: According to Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

by M. Regina van den Berg

Available mid-March 2015. Pope Saint John Paul II declared that the great challenge for Christians today is to become "the home and school of communion." St. Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein) in her life and her writings, is a sure guide to attaining the communion for which every human heart longs. This work considers St. Teresa's life and writings in the context of the "spirituality of communion." As a philosopher she was directed towards attaining communion with the Truth, and she discovered that Truth was a Person, Jesus Christ. As a Carmelite nun she gave up everything for communion with him. Dr. Alice von Hildebrand, in the foreword, says Edith Stein's message "is above her time" and that the author, Sister M. Regina van den Berg, "is well qualified to write such a book." Sister Regina explores in detail Edith Stein's theory of empathy as developed in her doctoral dissertation, as well as her theory of community. Sister Regina has also used a number of Edith Stein's writings which, until this work, have not yet been available in English translation. Each chapter explores an aspect of 'communion,' richly revealing how Edith Stein, "a Jew who became a philosopher. . . a convert to Catholicism who became a Carmelite nun and crowned her life with martyrdom." Stein's work "provides insights that can help us grow in the spirituality of communion, first by presenting to us the truth about the human person's nature and vocation and then by showing us how we can arrive at a spirituality of communion in the various aspects of life." Sister M. Regina van den Berg, F.S.G.M., obtained her Ph.D. in Philosophy from the Catholic University of America. She has served in various apostolates for her religious community and currently resides in Rome. Praise for Communion with Christ: "Philosopher, convert and martyr Edith Stein is enjoying a well-deserved revival of inte

Genres: Catholic, Religion

165 pages, Paperback

First published March 23, 2015

Reviews

[Celia · Rating 3 out of 5]

St. Edith Stein was one of the key women who helped change my spiritual journey. I so admire her, and ask for her intercession every day in my prayers. My women's group is now beginning an Endow study on her. So, I have tried to read books about her, or things she has written, and a lot of it is really difficult. This book was more readable, but unfortunately, it seemed as if it was a thesis on just one aspect of her philosophy. I was a bit disappointed.

[Paula Yerke · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ideas and writings of St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) keep crossing my path. I guess I am supposed to learn something from her! This book goes a long way in explaining what she had to teach and her great influence on philosophy and the concepts of empathy and communion. What an accomplished woman for her times and what a tragedy that she was among the many killed in concentration camps.