Description
Edith Stein, perhaps one of the most controversial women to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church, was put to death in Auschwitz, August 9, 1942. Her canonization as a saint and a martyr in 1998 stirred considerable controversy amongst Jews and perplexed many Catholics. Stein converted to Catholicism at the age of 30 and eventually entered a Carmelite convent. In contrast to many converts, she never denied her Jewish background and consistently reminded others of it. Rather than hiding behind her conversion, she prepared herself to share the fate of her people. Stein was an active feminist, concerned with women’s suffrage and rights since she was a university student. She believed that women were capable of intellectual achievement and deserved equal rights, including statements about women becoming priests, which she presents in her writings. She was a philosopher on her own right, whose work was published both during her life and posthumously. In this presentation we will discuss her life and her philosophy.