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Thinking with Theologians does pretty much what it says on the tin. In each course, we will grapple with some significant texts by notable Christian thinkers, past and present, in the hope of expanding, deepening and challenging our understanding of what it might mean to talk about God. Each session will include a short presentation by the tutor, followed by a period of focused group discussion of a particular text or texts.
Sometimes the focus of the course will be on a particular figure or school of thought; sometimes it will be a particular theme or doctrine. Either way, the method will be the same: read carefully; reflect deeply; talk honestly – then see what happens.
In this course we will focus on the French philosopher, mystic and activist, Simone Weil. Although she died young, at the age of just 34, Weil’s writings have become highly influential in theological and philosophical circles, and she has been hailed by many of the greatest intellectual figures of the 20th century (e.g. Albert Camus, T S Eliot, Iris Murdoch, Pope John XXIII). Born into a middle-class Jewish family, Weil from a young age felt compelled to understand the lives of the poorest working-class people in France.
Weil lived an extraordinary life, in many ways, in the midst of the turbulence of the mid-20th century. Influenced by Marxist analysis of social life, she nevertheless underwent a series of spiritual experiences which re-shaped her thinking, and for her remaining years she attempt to integrate her spirituality with her philosophical and political concerns. The result is a brilliant but fragmented body of written work, which is perhaps even more extraordinary than her life was: profound but sometimes strident; beautiful yet seeking rigour; wide-ranging, vibrant and always provocative.
In this course we will begin with some of Weil’s most famous work, on the notion of attention, before probing deeper into her attempts to reconfigure the Christian worldview in a way that could satisfy her intense conviction that the love of God was radically available to all who truly desired it. We will also explore the way in which her account of the human ‘desire for the good’ helped to inform her understanding of fundamental human dignity, rights and responsibilities – which predate, and perhaps challenge, the ideas expressed in the UN Declaration of Human Rights. We will explore some of Weil’s most famous essays, whilst taking note of some of Weil’s notebook entries which shed light on these. Each week will begin with a short presentation by the tutor, who has published a number of academic papers on this topic.
All readings listed below are available to download, except where indicated. The seminar discussion will be based on the main reading, but you are welcome to read more widely, if you have the time and inclination.
There is an introductory chapter available to download from the course page, which you may wish to look at before the course starts, or to refer to as it proceeds.
1. Attention
Seminar reading:
‘On the right use of school studies with a view to the love of God’, from Waiting on God (translated as ‘Reflections on the good use of school studies with a view to the love of God’ in Simone Weil: Basic Writings). This is currently available for free online, here: https://themathesontrust.org/papers/christianity/Weil-Reflections.pdf
Additional readings:
- ‘Attention and will’ from Gravity and Grace*
- ‘Essay on the concept of reading’ from Simone Weil: Late Philosophical Writings;
2. The love of God
Seminar reading: ‘Some reflections on the love of God’ &‘Reflections on the love of God’ from Gateway to God (originally published in Science, Necessity and the Love of God)
Additional reading
- ‘Forms of the implicit love of God’ from Waiting on God'
3. Affliction
Seminar reading:
- ‘God’s love and affliction’ from Simone Weil: Basic Writings (the first part of this long essay is also included in Waiting on God and Simone Weil: An Anthology under the heading ‘The love of God and affliction’)
Additional reading:
- Human personality’ in Selected Essays, 1934-43
4. Obligation and need
Seminar reading:
- ‘Draft for a statement of human obligations’ (in Simone Weil: Selected Essays, as translated as ‘Study for a declaration of obligations to the human being’)
Additional reading:
- The Need for Roots (extract)
5. Justice and mysticism
Seminar reading:
- ‘Are we struggling for justice?’ from The Simone Weil Reader (translated as ‘Are we fighting for justice?’ in Simone Weil: Basic Writings)
Additional reading:
- ‘Is there a Marxist doctrine?’ from Oppression and Liberty
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Stuart is the Theology Lead at LJC. He graduated with a degree in Literature and Theology from the University of Hull in 2000. From 2003-9 he studied Philosophical Theology part-time at the University of Nottingham, whilst continuing to work in the third sector with vulnerably-housed or homeless people, and young asylum seekers (as well as pulling pints in a pub). He was Lecturer at York St John University for almost a decade, before moving to London Jesuit Centre in 2021. He now lives in South East London, and spends as much time as he can in the woods.
