supplemental reading

I’ve included links to three important podcast episodes for anyone who would like to delve deeper in the life and thought of Weil. First, I have included an In Our Time episode that brings together three experts to discuss the life and thought of Simone Weil. This offers a nice introduction to who she is. Secondly, I have included an episode from Revolutionary Left Radio. This episode dives a deeper into her life as a whole, but pays particular attention to her political work. Thirdly, I have included two episodes from the The Partially Examined Life, that take a more philosophical look at the importance of Weil. In addition to this, I’ve provided a link to her book of reflections, Gravity and Grace.

We Have not Reached the Point Where God Exists

Simone Weil (1909 – 1943) was an intellectually brilliant and deeply troubled philosopher, mystic, and political activist. Taking a path that was unusual among twentieth-century left-leaning intellectuals, she became interested in mysticism as her life progressed.

In this excerpt we witness an example of Weil's complex and subtle work that opens up an understanding the divine that cut against the idea of God as a being. Weil's work has a place in the wider development of a post-theistic approach to theology.