Žena: njezina zadaća po naravi i milosti

by Edith Stein

By Edith Stein, (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross O.C.D.) 2d ed., revised (1996), translated by Freda Mary Oben, Ph.D. Eight essays on the theme of woman and her vocation, with index.  With reason Edith Stein has been called "the most significant German woman of this century." Her writings on woman are the fruit of both reflection and debate with other leaders of the Catholic feminist movement in German-speaking countries between the World Wars.      This second revised edition of Essays on Woman includes textual corrections, important new supplementary data, and previously unavailable material on the spirituality of the lay and religious woman. These essays crystallize long hours of experience teaching in the classroom and on the speaker's platform in the pursuit of fulfilling roles for women in all walks of life. Reviews      "Every page of these essays reveals a mind, never doctrinaire or ruffled, but rather serene, graceful, wide-ranging, fearless, and deeply dedicated to a search for truth." - Keith J. Egan, Horizons      "This newly revised edition…is a valuable text." - Review of Metaphysics      "One would hope that these essays will be read widely and carefully by both men and women." - The Thomist  

Genres: Philosophy, Catholic, Theology, Nonfiction, Religion, Faith, Christian

146 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1986

About the author

Edith Stein, also known as St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, OCD, (German: Teresia Benedicta vom Kreuz, Latin: Teresia Benedicta a Cruce) (12 October 1891 – 9 August 1942), was a German Jewish philosopher who converted to the Roman Catholic Church and became a Discalced Carmelite nun. She is a martyr and saint of the Catholic Church.

She was born into an observant Jewish family, but was an atheist by her teenage years. Moved by the tragedies of World War I, in 1915 she took lessons to become a nursing assistant and worked in a hospital for the prevention of disease outbreaks. After completing her doctoral thesis in 1916 from the University of Göttingen, she obtained an assistantship at the University of Freiburg.

From reading the works of the reformer of the Carmelite Order, St. Teresa of Jesus, OCD, she was drawn to the Catholic Faith. She was baptized on 1 January 1922 into the Roman Catholic Church. At that point she wanted to become a Discalced Carmelite nun, but was dissuaded by her spiritual mentors. She then taught at a Catholic school of education in Speyer. As a result of the requirement of an "Aryan certificate" for civil servants promulgated by the Nazi government in April 1933 as part of its Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service, she had to quit her teaching position. She was admitted to the Discalced Carmelite monastery in Cologne the following October. She received the religious habit of the Order as a novice in April 1934, taking the religious name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross ("Teresa blessed by the Cross"). In 1938 she and her sister Rosa, by then also a convert and an extern Sister of the monastery, were sent to the Carmelite monastery in Echt, Netherlands for their safety. Despite the Nazi invasion of that state in 1940, they remained undisturbed until they were arrested by the Nazis on 2 August 1942 and sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp, where they died in the gas chamber on 9 August 1942.

Reviews

[booklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally finished this. I have been reading and rereading, setting down, picking up, beginning again and mulling over the varied essays in this book for a long, long time now. And yet, I haven’t exhausted them, not by far. I know I will be recommending them to my Carmelite community—for those professed and looking for something really good to discuss in group. I know that I would love to discuss this in a group. Hmmm… Maybe I should wait to bring it up until I’m bit further along…

I’m not going to attempt to synthesize my notes at this time and probably not ever. Mostly because I think they are more useful to the reader of this text as they are. Each essay is a standalone piece and may or may not interest different readers. The entire text isn’t for everyone. However, for women interested in women’s issues, this book is a gold mine. The writing may be over 70 years old but if you didn’t know that, in most cases you would not be able to tell. The wisdom is timeless. In fact Stein was ahead of her time. I offer the following example, which was tucked away in the last 20 pages of the book.

This comes from the essay is entitled Church, Woman, and Youth and she is talking about the importance of women in the moral formation of young women. She writes:

…It would be the mother who has the primary calling to do this. But how few mothers, even the good conscientious ones, are able to do it properly! The priest who is a catechist or moderator is also faced here with an almost insoluble task. He may have studied psychology, and he may have had extensive experience in directing girls; but the girl’s soul will always remain for him in great measure unknown ground (and the better grounded his psychological training has been, the more he will be aware of just this fact.) … Even if the priest did not have the candor, the girls would not; and communication would be difficult to establish. Even mature women almost always find it very difficult to speak calmly and unreservedly about sex, because for them it is almost indefinably bound up with the most intimately personal considerations.’

I love and have the utmost respect for the ministerial priesthood but there are some things which women need to do for other women. I can't tell you how glad I was to read this! Thank you dear Edith, St. Teresa Benedicta. These are words which need to be said, need to be heard.


August 5, 2016: In "Problems of Women's Education" I kept going back and forth between wanting to cry and pray. She writes: 'We have discussed the threefold goal of women's education: perfected humanity, pure womanhood, and fully developed individuality. In addition, we have given consideration to the vast area of cultural tradition.' And indeed she did what she did what she claimed she did; that plus so much more. She considered the future suitability of young women for marriage, motherhood and also for single celibacy, discussing all with realism, simplicity, refined beauty.

July 25, 2016: In her "Principles of Women's Education" she talks about 'the power of grace' and describes a system which I can only imagine with wonder and awe. All the while she was writing this, Adolf Hitler and his thugs were beginning their evil rise in other parts in Germany, which would put an end to all the good which Ms. Stein envisioned. And yet, has it?

July 22, 2016: At the end of the essay "The Spirituality of the Christian Woman" Stein concludes with these words: 'The inquiry directed throughout can be summarized thus: only by drawing from the eternal source of power can woman perform the functions to which she is called by nature and destiny. On the other hand, each woman who lives in the light of eternity can fulfill her vocation, no matter if it is in marriage, in a religious order, or in a worldly profession.'

July 19, 2016: I've been showing this as ‘currently-reading’ for some time now though I haven't read anything from it in awhile. So I picked it up again last night determined to finish it this time...

My introduction to Edith Stein came back in the 1990s before she had been canonized. Pope John Paul II beatified Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (her Carmelite name) on 1 May 1987, and canonized her on 11 October 1998. But Edith was born (1891) into an observant Jewish family and became a self-declared atheist as a teenager. It was due to reading the autobiography of Teresa of Ávila, OCD, The Life of Saint Teresa of Ávila by Herself, that she was led to the Catholic Faith. Teresa’s writings had a similar effect on me around the same age.

Ever since I’ve wanted to read more by this very intelligent woman. I’ve read some of her biographies, but not her writings. Essays on Woman is the fifth volume in the authorized edition of The Works of Edith Stein. It contains a selection of papers on the theme of woman.

The first two and ½ essays were very enjoyable; her concepts and writing are timeless or outside-of-time. Although she is writing about social issues in the 1930s, her ideas aren’t dated or modern, for then or now. Ms. Stein has an Eternal view of Woman. Some would call this Biblical. She sees Woman as she has been so described in the revealed Word and yet she also sees where we are so shortsighted. I look forward to including examples but my time is limited.

This review will be continued as I read the remaining essays.

April 26, 2008: Several years back I read parts of some of these essays. Those which I read were excellent, profound, and extraordinary! It is my belief that Edith Stein, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, will be made a Doctor of the Church someday. Her writing in these essays all concern 'Woman': her nature, grace, spirituality, education, youth, significance/role (in the home, church, work place, society, etc.) and mission in the same.

They make for very heady reading. I'd like to put her and Simone Weil together in a room and just be mouse listening on, except I probably wouldn't understand a thing they said.

Like Weil, Stein was brilliant! I listed this as 'read' several years ago with the caveat that I would return to it frequently. Changing it to 'currently reading' now as spiritual reading for Carmelite formation.

[Ava Keating · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE BEING A WOMAN


In all seriousness, this woman writes beautifully and really put new words to the essence of the feminine genius that were new to me. It is geared towards education of woman but very applicable to understanding the gift of your womanhood as a whole.

“Woman naturally seeks to embrace that which is living, personal, and whole.”

[Shelby Arnette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have many thoughts (esp. as a Protestant lol)!! This was so so good. What especially stuck with me was Stein’s insistence that to be a woman in the way God intended means to be wholly devoted to him. One must be a “spiritual virgin” in the sense that their heart is pure and untouched (ultimately) by anyone besides Christ. I also appreciated her idea that all woman are called to be “spiritual mothers”. This is a very wholistic idea of what it means to be a woman. Whether in the actual season of motherhood or not all woman are called to develop motherliness as this accords with the purpose for which God made them. I think Stein puts forward a much more fleshed out and human idea of woman than some who insist on women being defined by certain categories (I.e. the woman only fulfills her true vocation strictly as a house wife etc). A woman’s life goes through many seasons and Stein puts forward a womanhood that remains consistent no matter what time of life.

[Father Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because of her unique structure, the Catholic Church is perhaps humanity's last bulwark, of genuine appreciation of the difference between the sexes." --Hans Urs von Balthasar

Saint Teresa Benedicta (born Edith Stein) composed these essays in the years following her conversion to Catholicism but before her entry into the Carmel from which she was eventually deported to the Nazi death camps. During this interim period, Stein dedicated herself (among many other things) to an articulation of a theological vision of femininity that both recognized the myriad changes in how women were being regarded (and how they regarded themselves) as well as the theologoumena of Christian revelation. With the upheaval generated by the first world war and the subsequent recovery efforts enlisting the help of men, women, and children alike, traditional feminine roles were called into question. Women seemed capable of accomplishment in the very areas previously denied to them. Stein sought to sort out the wheat from the chaff and present God's plan for man and woman in the midst of this world turned on its head.

I came across this book during research for a talk on the Catholic Church's reservation of priestly ordination to men alone, and Stein does touch on the issue briefly, but I found her presentation of the meaning of a particular calling for the male and female sex insightful and profound. Her philosophical training obviously shines through here, though without obscuring her points in technical terminology--most of these essays are adapted from lectures delivered to women's organizations simply interested in sorting through the rhetoric of women's emancipation. She even resorts to sampling from literary forms in her pursuit of the feminine vocation, earning a big A+ in my book for referencing a character in Sigrid Undset's quadrilogy The Master of Hestviken.

Some might consider a book written in the 1930s hopelessly outdated for a contemporary discussion on woman, but the power of her perspective has a ring of truth about it that ought not be hastily dismissed. I would encourage anyone with an interest in the subject to dive in to her essays and take her seriously.

[Hayley Heskett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite literally my favorite book of all time. St. Edith Stein is now my best friend and she prays for me and I love her!

[Michal Anne Gillig · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant collection of essays on being a woman! Lots of great insight on the vocations of woman, education, and commentary on what would become the first wave of feminism. She does a great job of not shying away from what the world expects and gives hope to how to live as authentic woman when the world has started to demand women step outside of the natural vocations and careers suited to feminine nature (not just talking being barefoot and pregnant). Many modern feminists would have HUGE issue with what she has to say women are made for and what our natural inclinations are designed for. She describes the roles of man and woman brilliantly and bluntly. She gave one of the best explanations for St. Thomas Aquinas's statements on women, which most people are offended by. Her traditional views of womanhood are refreshing in a modern world where people can't even define womanhood.
Her advocacy and deep attention to the education of young women is so inspiring. She constantly goes back to needing a foundation of divine intimacy in order to understand our roles. Overall I feel very inspired and recommend this book to every woman, especially those in education. St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, pray for us!

[Jeff Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I am reading through her collected works, this is the second volume from ICS. I did not know quite what to expect regarding these essays.

I found that I very much enjoyed her perspective on the dignity and vocation of women. This was written partly in the context of the feminist movement of her time and her own experience as an academic and teacher. These essays were written before she became a Carmelite nun.

It is such an enjoyment to go deeper into a topic you had not gone deep into before. Her discussion on the feminine soul, women's vocations (broad use of vocations here), and their education brought out many points I had not dwelled on before. Some of the distinctions she made I was generally aware of, but this put them much more into focus.

This hits on many of the tensions we are seeing today now that education is focused as if girls/boys, men/women are simply interchangeable with no modification as to teaching method or other distinctive. There was a lot of material to reflect on here and so much of what she has to say is valuable generally. I wish I could adequately summarize these essays since I feel they would be useful beyond an academic context and in the home in regards to the education of girls and their nurturing.

[Morning Glory · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much to think about! I wish there were more ways to implement some of the changes she suggested, but her observations about being female are spot-on, especially how our natural gifts can be twisted (curiosity I’m looking at you).

[Maggie Lunsford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like this book of essays was heavily targeted at teachers but also full of just truth and inspiration for every woman. St. Edith Stein is a boss and sees the necessary value of women living their lives as women in all realms of society. The direct and simple truth of these essays is that the world needs women who are fully alive in Jesus Christ.

[Margaret Gipson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I was unfairly hoping for something anachronistic in Stein's essays on women. This meant that I was doubly discouraged when faced with her repetitive assertions that women are less gifted at "abstract thought" and "creative action," her dim view of sex, and her harsh stereotypical views on feminine downfalls (the phrase "evil seductress" is, unfortunately, employed). I understand that many readers have the opposite reaction, but to me her description of the female soul feels proscriptive, limiting, and based more on tradition and stereotype than on evidence. Sometimes it can be hard for me to tell if think something is untrue or if I just don't like it, but Stein's description of the female soul isn't one that matches my experience very closely or comfortably, and she doesn't offer much, if anything, in the way of evidence or arguments. There were parts of these essays I found interesting and beautiful, but in the end I feel that she is too much of a product of her time, and I am too much a product of mine.

[Ariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book, full of wisdom and appropriate reflections on the nature of the Christian woman. However, it is so packed with important insights and content that it is oftentimes a dense read - this is why it took me over one year to get through the whole book. It stays there on the fence between being extremely useful but also difficult to understand for the laywoman.
Edith Stein is a woman of her own time, and some of her reflections have to be put in context of the historical place and time when they were written. Still, as she aptly affirms in the last essay, "Our foundation cannot tremble because we have built on solid ground (...) our ideal is one which exists prior to all time and which will endure for all time." The appropriate centering of all reflections on the feminine nature and vocation contained in this book in the redeeming love of Christ is its most precious treasure. It is also why it is a profoundly enlightening book, despite all the social differences we face almost 100 years later: for the Christian woman, focusing on God and His Kingdom as the ultimate goal is the lifejacket that enables her to keep a firm foundation amidst all the conflicting messages of the world, including the current extremes of woman-degrading misogyny or of man-hating radical 'feminism'. As St. John Paul II wrote in 1995, "In transforming culture so that it supports life, women occupy a place, in thought and action, which is unique and decisive. It depends on them to promote a “new feminism” which rejects the temptation of imitating models of “male domination,” in order to acknowledge and affirm the true genius of women in every aspect of the life of society and overcome all discrimination, violence, and exploitation."

[Elisabeth Ball · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally finished! I have been working on this one for ages. I feel encouraged and ready to take in the world as an authentic Catholic woman. Edith Stein cuts through the conflicting ideologies of modern western society and places forth the timeless ideal of a Christian woman, modeled after Mary, who lives united to God and becomes a fruitful mother to souls in every state of life and every place in society. She explains the vital role of the mother in the home, the consecrated woman, and of the working single woman. She outlines the necessary education to form authentic women fully alive and able to follow God’s call to nurture life in and form souls in cooperation with God’s work of salvation. This book is the remedy to the extremes of our times between the feminists who recognize no feminine singularity, who attest that the work of service and motherliness are an oppression, and the anti-feminists who believe feminine singularity to be a weakness, that women’s natural feeling and personal attitude are a danger to public life, and that women are only suited for the care of home and children, a job they grossly underestimate in importance assuming it can be done by instinct and needs no particular formation to complete. Edith Stein cuts through with the Truths of Scripture, accessibly applied to modern life. Some of the essays were difficult to follow in structure, but the content rings with truth and conviction. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was one of the most difficult books I’ve ever read, not due to intellectual capabilities, just the fact it was so dry. St Edith Stein was a genius, just not in the realm of writing a captivating book.

[Cris · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the theologically, philosophically inclined or for educators of women -- a marvelous book. Stein is a first class intellectual and theologian. Her essays on the nature of women are profoundly well grounded in the history of Catholic thinkers, however the essays here presented were addresses they do not come with an extended discussion of where does ideas come from. You are going to have to be well versed in Thomism and Patristics to be able to pick out the insights that this Jewish convert refined into a fairly cohesive theory of woman. It is however a very insightful look at the spiritual life of women, of both Historical woman and of Pre-lapsarian woman. But this book is also a practical guide for any woman looking to order her internal life to the will of God, with a frank look at the strenghts and weaknesses of our natures. It was exciting to finally discover a woman and a theologian with such intellectual and moral gifts.

[Mariah Dolenc · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredibly rich dive into the nature of woman and the feminine. It took me a while to read due to its advanced use of language, and worth every minute. It has improved my life and how I see myself as a woman.

[Bailey L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is FULL of timeless ideas about women worth consideration, despite having been written in the 1930s.

A couple of quotes that strike a chord, for me at least, that I think many women need to hear:
-“it is vital here that she does not lose herself in association with her husband, but, on the contrary, cultivate her own gifts and power.“
-“We should mention the importance of the influence of an adolescent literature created by women who were themselves of the romantic type, as well as the ideal of women held by romantic men.” Um, Twilight, anyone? And all this Romantasy literature of late?

Also considerations for husbands too, in this book:
“It even seems to be a contradiction of the divine order when the professional activities of the husband escalate to a degree which cuts him off completely from the family life.” (More quotes I could include but that’s just a taster.)

Most importantly, things for me to meditate on:
-The wife is “the heart of the family and soul of the home”
-“If her life is anchored completely in Jesus, then, also, she is best protected against the dangerous loss of moderation. This could happen by her being overly wrapped up in those around her; or, on the contrary, it could happen by her being wrapped up only in herself and will cut the ground from under her feet, the ground from which she must stand if she is able to help and support others. Her professional activity counterbalances the risk of submerging herself all too intimately in another’s life and thereby sacrificing her own; however, an exclusive preoccupation with her professional activity would bring the opposite danger of infidelity towards the feminine vocation”
-There must be two people for love to exist and her reference to St Gregory the Great homily on the mission of disciples who were dispatched two by two. Brilliant connection. Never thought of that or heard that connection before.
-She discusses the value of the wife being interested in her husband‘s professional life, and assisting in someway with it – this has been validated in my life and marriage for sure! May add this idea into dating class at church.

Why four stars? Well one because I think it could be a bit more approachable, though that could just be the language barrier. Two, she references many times an idea that men are more objective and women more personal, though she recognizes there are exceptions. There are too many exceptions for this to be a meaningful observation. Three, her mariology at times made me wonder if she went too far, per Vatican II, though she gave these talks before VII.

There are many other ideas I will be thinking about, that are perhaps more controversial that I won’t include in a public review, but if anyone else reads this book, let’s discuss her ideas around women and the professional life, when to stay at home, homeschooling(?), and tangential topics therein.

[Katie]

This took a lot out of dedication to read and I didn’t have the dedication or concentration to devote to it during my pregnancy. A month after giving birth and I am finally finished. It is flawed in many ways. But it also opened my eyes to new ways of seeing men and women which I can apply to my marriage as well as the education of my daughters. I hope what I’ve gleaned from this will stay with me.

[Emily Whalen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would read more of her! Cool progressive Catholic woman for both the time she was living and now. Wish I hadn’t had taken such a long break in reading it.

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

[3.5 stars]

The first few essays in this collection were my favorite since they discussed the general nature of women. Since I'm not currently involved in the field of education, the others didn't really apply to me and I began to lose interest.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been a long road but I made it through! Definitely worth the read but a challenge to complete.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually did not finish this whole thing bc there’s a big old chunk in the middle that I frankly did not want to read. Lots to ponder in here—it made for great group discussions! Plus, I just love Edith Stein :)

[Mobile Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quotes from The woman, her role according to nature and grace.:
“At a difference we have already mentioned: that the woman imitates divine perfection especially in developing harmonious of all energies, while the man in the strong deployment of some.”
“There is only one educational force that is not tied to the limits of nature that we talked about, but that can transform from within the same moulding interior form: it is the power of grace.”
Personal comment:
The work deals with female education in the various contexts of life: family, study and professional, placing at the highest degree the religious instruction.
The invitation to the Christian womanly life is a call from God to the education of the soul (Gemütsbildung).
The school education, according to the essence (Sosein) of the feminine nature, is geared to the knowledge of the living and concrete person, then to the humanities, and educational and psychological sciences, as well as to the religious training.
The invitation to the professional activity (Beruf) is a call from God (berufen) to their own vocation.
Above all is the transforming action of grace nourished by the Eucharist and the liturgy of the Church.
The author embodies and expresses a Christian conception of human formation (Bildung) that considers the role of women in the life and in the world.
Worth the reading and a deeper reflection.

[Megan Uy]

I found/find Edith Stein (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) fascinating--a Jewish convert to Catholicism who joined the Carmelite sisterhood and was sent to the Nazi concentration camps where she was killed and, in 1998, canonized by Pope John Paul II. Clearly a highly intelligent woman and incisive scholar/writer, I was intrigued by her thinking--at times, she held to very traditional notions/concepts about women and womanhood; at other times, she seemed to suggest some newer ideas (particularly for her time)about women and their capacity/vocation as well as ideas about the Church and the evolution of its doctrine and practice. Interestingly, while she dismisses the possibility of women in the priesthood out of hand, she also takes care to note that there is nothing about women that makes them inherently unsuited to the priesthood and that perhaps one day the Church will change. I wonder, had she lived, how her thinking would have evolved. I only abandoned this book because I had borrowed it through the interlibrary loan program from Regis College in Weston, MA and was unable to renew it.

[Alexcal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very reading regarding womanhood. I think that Stein has an excellent understanding of the basic differences between the male and female nature. Very refreshing given that modern feminist not only claim that both, not only equal in all aspects, but implying that all men are inferior to women.

In her essays she shares her understanding of how civilization has progressed so much that it is now possible for women to be part of every profession just as any man is. Not only that, she even argues that women, having certain natural qualities can even bring a new perspective and bring even better and more lasting solutions to all jobs in society.

Great to see a women that share light on the things they can bring to the modern world.

[Dominik · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, rich book, filled with insights into feminine psychology and grounded in Catholic theology. This book serves as a powerful illustration and explanation of the profound differences between men and women. Put simply, it helped me better understand women.

If I'm ever graced with daughters, I'll return to this book's chapters on Feminine Education, as Ms. Stein goes into detail about girls' unique educational needs.

This translation shines, with lucid, readable prose that flows naturally.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every woman should read this book. The concepts are not hard to understand, and she also holds the attention of those more academically trained. "Thus we are able to recapitulate in the one word 'motherliness' that which we have developed as the characteristic value of woman. Only, the motherliness must be that which does not remain within the narrow circle of blood relations or of personal friends; but in accordance with the model of the Mother of Mercy, it must have its root in universal divine love for all who are there, belabored and burdened" (264).

[Anna Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edith Stein (aka St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) is was a brilliant German philosopher. This is a collection of her essays/talks on the nature of Woman, her soul, vocation, purpose and education. It's pretty dense and requires very slow reading, but worth it if you have an interest in philosophy & human nature. I will definitely be referencing it again as I feel like I just scratched the surface on a first read through.

[Erik]

Included in the "Miscellaneous" section of Fr. John McCloskey's 100-book Catholic Lifetime Reading Plan.

[Katie Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down the best book about Christian womanhood that I've ever read.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in pieces because it is divided well by chapters and sections. It has so many helpful insights. I would absolutely recommend it.