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Knowledge and Faith
This book contains five contributions on the title themes, including two of Stein's most famous a comparison of Husserl and Aquinas, and an examination of the 'Ways to Know God' according to Pseudo-Dionysius.
The articles and notes in this new anthology come from the final twelve years of Edith Stein's life, and reveal her efforts to integrate the Christian faith she had embraced at the time of her baptism with her rigorous training as a phenomenologist. Included here for the first time are both versions of her famous comparison between the thought-systems of Edmund Husserl (her philosophical mentor) and Thomas Aquinas (representing the Catholic tradition), written first in dialogue form and then reworked as an essay in Husserl's honor. The final entry, 'Ways to Know God,' a study of the famed fifth or sixth century author who wrote under the name of Dionysius the Areopagite, was originally published in The Thomist and intended for an American audience. One of the last works that Edith Stein completed before her arrest and deportation to Auschwitz, it is presented here in a fresh new translation, amplified with previously deleted sections that deal with such important topics as atheism and the nature of symbols.
In his recent encyclical, Fides et Ratio, Pope John Paul II recommends attention to Edith Stein as one of the great modern figures who 'offer significant examples of a process of philosophical enquiry which was enriched by engaging the data of faith' (para. 74). This book provides readers interested in Edith Stein with an accessible introduction to major themes in her later thought.
The articles and notes in this new anthology come from the final twelve years of Edith Stein's life, and reveal her efforts to integrate the Christian faith she had embraced at the time of her baptism with her rigorous training as a phenomenologist. Included here for the first time are both versions of her famous comparison between the thought-systems of Edmund Husserl (her philosophical mentor) and Thomas Aquinas (representing the Catholic tradition), written first in dialogue form and then reworked as an essay in Husserl's honor. The final entry, 'Ways to Know God,' a study of the famed fifth or sixth century author who wrote under the name of Dionysius the Areopagite, was originally published in The Thomist and intended for an American audience. One of the last works that Edith Stein completed before her arrest and deportation to Auschwitz, it is presented here in a fresh new translation, amplified with previously deleted sections that deal with such important topics as atheism and the nature of symbols.
In his recent encyclical, Fides et Ratio, Pope John Paul II recommends attention to Edith Stein as one of the great modern figures who 'offer significant examples of a process of philosophical enquiry which was enriched by engaging the data of faith' (para. 74). This book provides readers interested in Edith Stein with an accessible introduction to major themes in her later thought.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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About the author
Edith Stein
253 books197 followersEdith 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 24, 2019
[From the publisher]:
As the translator relates, Stein initially submitted her philosophical comparison of Husserl and Aquinas in the form of a dialogue between the two -- a contribution to a Festshrift for Husserl's seventieth birthday. Heidegger, as editor, "returned the dialogue to its author, asking for a more 'neutral' treatment of the subject matter." Stein then rewrote it as an essay. This compilation includes the dialogue and essay together, in such a manner as each section was presented in one format, then the other, with the unfortunate effect of making for some disjointed (or repetitive) reading. My own subjective impression as a reader is that Heidegger's decision to reject the Stein's initial submission was wise, insofar as the content matter is really just too dense to present effectively in dialogue format, with the bulk of the "dialogue" given to Aquinas himself. On the other hand and to Stein's credit, it does read remarkably well as an academic essay and makes for very interesting reading (I don't believe anybody else attempted a comparison of this nature?) -- though I would say it bringing the two figures/schools into confrontation, it is far more successful in its indication of where Husserl parts ways with Aquinas than elucidating what they have in common.
This is followed by some brief philosophical "fragments" defining knowledge, truth and being, largely grounded in Stein's readings of Scholastic philosophy. It's good for what it's worth, though not entirely unique if you already have a background in Aquinas.
On the other hand, the last and final part of the book -- "Ways to Know God: The Symbolic Theology of Dionysius the Areopagite and Its Objective Presuppositions" -- I found to be especially educational as well as most enjoyable for its clarity and explication of its subject. On the whole I'd give the book 3 stars, but it's my appreciation for this final section that pushes it to 4.
Historical note: the tragic story behind this piece is that it was originally composed prior to Stein's deportation to Auschwitz and was not deemed suitable for one publication; it eventually found its way overseas and was picked up by the American philosophical journal The Thomist -- however, I don't believe she ever had the pleasure of knowing its eventual publication.
This book contains five contributions on the title themes, including two of Stein's most famous essays: a comparison of Husserl and Aquinas, and an examination of the 'Ways to Know God' according to Pseudo-Dionysius.
The articles and notes in this new anthology come from the final twelve years of Edith Stein's life, and reveal her efforts to integrate the Christian faith she had embraced at the time of her baptism with her rigorous training as a phenomenologist. Included here for the first time are both versions of her famous comparison between the thought-systems of Edmund Husserl (her philosophical mentor) and Thomas Aquinas (representing the Catholic tradition), written first in dialogue form and then reworked as an essay in Husserl's honor. The final entry, 'Ways to Know God,' a study of the famed fifth or sixth century author who wrote under the name of Dionysius the Areopagite, was originally published in The Thomist and intended for an American audience. One of the last works that Edith Stein completed before her arrest and deportation to Auschwitz, it is presented here in a fresh new translation, amplified with previously deleted sections that deal with such important topics as atheism and the nature of symbols.
As the translator relates, Stein initially submitted her philosophical comparison of Husserl and Aquinas in the form of a dialogue between the two -- a contribution to a Festshrift for Husserl's seventieth birthday. Heidegger, as editor, "returned the dialogue to its author, asking for a more 'neutral' treatment of the subject matter." Stein then rewrote it as an essay. This compilation includes the dialogue and essay together, in such a manner as each section was presented in one format, then the other, with the unfortunate effect of making for some disjointed (or repetitive) reading. My own subjective impression as a reader is that Heidegger's decision to reject the Stein's initial submission was wise, insofar as the content matter is really just too dense to present effectively in dialogue format, with the bulk of the "dialogue" given to Aquinas himself. On the other hand and to Stein's credit, it does read remarkably well as an academic essay and makes for very interesting reading (I don't believe anybody else attempted a comparison of this nature?) -- though I would say it bringing the two figures/schools into confrontation, it is far more successful in its indication of where Husserl parts ways with Aquinas than elucidating what they have in common.
This is followed by some brief philosophical "fragments" defining knowledge, truth and being, largely grounded in Stein's readings of Scholastic philosophy. It's good for what it's worth, though not entirely unique if you already have a background in Aquinas.
On the other hand, the last and final part of the book -- "Ways to Know God: The Symbolic Theology of Dionysius the Areopagite and Its Objective Presuppositions" -- I found to be especially educational as well as most enjoyable for its clarity and explication of its subject. On the whole I'd give the book 3 stars, but it's my appreciation for this final section that pushes it to 4.
Historical note: the tragic story behind this piece is that it was originally composed prior to Stein's deportation to Auschwitz and was not deemed suitable for one publication; it eventually found its way overseas and was picked up by the American philosophical journal The Thomist -- however, I don't believe she ever had the pleasure of knowing its eventual publication.
August 5, 2021
Edith Stein is a spring.
Phenomenology is present in all these writings. For example, in the description of the first Christian mystic Pseudo Dionysus she promptly starts to look at the meaning of the words in the ancient context.
Also, she prefers to describe than to explain. Description, especially using the "how" questions as a guide, is also a phenomenological method applied to theological matters.
In her writings about knowledge and truth, she also describes knowledge as the "mind grasping". That is important because if you compare recent theories of knowledge this is not frequently pointed out: knowledge, as an act, is grasping in any instance.
Stein falls short compared with other descriptions of knowledge (Heidegger, Ryle, Nozick, Popper), but I found her description firmly grounded in the religious experience, which is based on the description of knowledge as an act, not as a potency.
Her writing on Thomas and Husserl is really good, if you are aware of some phenomenology she helps to see the similitudes and the differences in the method and the grounding points.
The last writing regarding Pseudo Dyonisus is an excellent introduction to the first mystical experience in Christianity, the difference with the new definitions, and how the mystic requires experience: is not only by faith alone that you reach God, you need to put your skin and reach God with effort.
Recommended read.
Phenomenology is present in all these writings. For example, in the description of the first Christian mystic Pseudo Dionysus she promptly starts to look at the meaning of the words in the ancient context.
Also, she prefers to describe than to explain. Description, especially using the "how" questions as a guide, is also a phenomenological method applied to theological matters.
In her writings about knowledge and truth, she also describes knowledge as the "mind grasping". That is important because if you compare recent theories of knowledge this is not frequently pointed out: knowledge, as an act, is grasping in any instance.
Stein falls short compared with other descriptions of knowledge (Heidegger, Ryle, Nozick, Popper), but I found her description firmly grounded in the religious experience, which is based on the description of knowledge as an act, not as a potency.
Her writing on Thomas and Husserl is really good, if you are aware of some phenomenology she helps to see the similitudes and the differences in the method and the grounding points.
The last writing regarding Pseudo Dyonisus is an excellent introduction to the first mystical experience in Christianity, the difference with the new definitions, and how the mystic requires experience: is not only by faith alone that you reach God, you need to put your skin and reach God with effort.
Recommended read.
November 8, 2023
If ever there were a philosopher more suitable for the reconciliation of the Thomistic school of philosophy with the Edmund Husserl school of phenomenology, it would be Edith Stein, or St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. By shifting Husserl's egocentric focus to a theocentric focus while including a heavy dose of realism, she corrected the failings of her mentor, demonstrated the compatibility of the two schools, and showed how they can help each other. Her fictional dialogue between St Thomas and Husserl most clearly depicted this. She also excellently described the ways of knowing God, the nature of faith, and more. In addition, she highlighted the often understated mystical elements of St Thomas' writings. Her philosophy is one of the few instances where a text can be both philosophical and mystical simultaneously.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews