Comments on: Part I: Williams on Two Eccentric Female Philosophers, Simone Weil and Etty Hillesum

By: bernard l.

bernard l. — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:51:59 +0000

I do not find any word of simone weil’s favorite prayer, the “our father” which in my opinion is the really key to understand her ideas of the sujet. Second: Her experience by reading herbert’s wonderful poem is only one of the (mystical ?) experiences. Especially in speaking our the words of the greec “pater hemon…” she feels comletly fullfilled with a feeling hardly understood. Cause of my very limited english i will take the short way but I would be glad to read from you! Thank you very much! _bernard

By: mattboulter

mattboulter — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:16:59 +0000

You mention Williams’ favorable portrayal of Calvin. One of the things that has amazed me over the last three semesters at the Episcopal seminary I am at is that almost all of the theologians who consider themselves to be in what you might call the Platonic underbelly of Anglicanism (Hooker, Carolignian Divines including Herbert, Jeremy Taylor, Lancelot Andrewes, CS Lewis, and certainly Rowan and Radical Orthodoxy) are constantly speaking highly of the Reformed tradition, even calling themselves Reformed (as Rowan does in some of his books). They extol not just Calvin (for laying out a social order in the _Institutes_ which is patterned on the divine order or the life of the triune God) but also Jonathan Edwards, whom they regard as a Platonic participationalist.

It seems like a tendency among these people, by the way, to disparage Luther, which of course Rowan does NOT do. (Rowan loves Luther and is constantly quoting him.)

By: Cynthia R. Nielsen

Cynthia R. Nielsen — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 03:17:56 +0000

Below is the full text of Herbert’s poem (thanks to: http://topmostapple.blogspot.com)

Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.

George Herbert. 1593–1632

286. Love

LOVE bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning 5
If I lack’d anything.

‘A guest,’ I answer’d, ‘worthy to be here:’
Love said, ‘You shall be he.’
‘I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,
I cannot look on Thee.’ 10
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
‘Who made the eyes but I?’

‘Truth, Lord; but I have marr’d them: let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.’
‘And know you not,’ says Love, ‘Who bore the blame?’ 15
‘My dear, then I will serve.’
‘You must sit down,’ says Love, ‘and taste my meat.’
So I did sit and eat.

By: Ken Smith

Ken Smith — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:48:35 +0000

I love the quote about learning a language: “In learning a language, you submit your mind and your feelings to the structure of something that is there, and as you do that you enter into a kind of freedom.” That’s very true: we can enter into that kind of freedom much easier as children than as a adults, and it may be part of what Jesus meant when he said that we must be as little children to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Whether as a Christian, linguist, or even a technologist, one has to be willing to think about things differently, and try out what we find rather than what we think should be there.

By: Cynthia R. Nielsen

Cynthia R. Nielsen — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:22:05 +0000

Dear Mark,

Thank you for your comment and the correction (my American ears are still becoming accustomed to RW’s attractive British accent : )

Best wishes,
Cynthia

By: Mark Knight

Mark Knight — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:42:23 +0000

Thanks for offering these thoughts. I believe the Herbert you’re speaking of is actually ‘Love bade me welcome’. It’s a wonderful piece.

By: Kevin Davis

Kevin Davis — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:03:14 +0000

I did my undergrad dissertation on Weil. She is truly an amazing philosopher-theologian, but she is also sub-Christian in fundamental respects. In particular, her core doctrine was that the ego should be wholly negated — to the very loss of “first perspective” thinking, insofar as this is possible. It is hard not too read a lot of her writings as morbid and, more importantly, creation-denying.

For Weil, the only adequate response of created intellects is to deny one’s own creation — to desire to not exist. I think this played a critical role in her desire to not eat on her deathbed. She wanted to die and be wholly united with God. She couldn’t commit suicide outright, but she did when the closest opportunity (very ill health) came.