Edith Stein Essays On Woman (The Collected Works of Edith Stein Book 2)
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.
Really, a lot to ponder within these essays, and I just haven’t given them the justice they deserve. Her deep understanding of the nature of women and what she had to say in this regard, I found useful and thought-provoking.
