Mosley, Joanne, Edith Stein, Woman of Prayer

Abstract

This is an introduction to the life and thought of Edith Stein. As the title indicates, it focuses on her prayer life and reflections on  prayer, an aspect which is especially emphasised in the second part of the book. The first part outlines the life of Edith Stein, stressing  her upbringing in an observant Jewish family, her relationship with her siblings and early approach to religion. Mosley highlights her  studies in Göttingen, the university city in which Husserl, the father of phenomenology, lectured, and which represented the vanguard  of philosophical investigation at the time. As Mosley explains, neither Edith Stein’s Jewish upbringing nor her philosophical studies  went to waste upon conversion to Christianity, rather they helped to shape her spiritual path, facilitating her conversion. For in Edith  Stein’s own words, she converted in the wake of studying philosophy. Conversely, her philosophy is enriched by her new life as a  Catholic convert. The intersection between philosophy and theology in the life of Edith Stein is a constant theme in the book.