A Sure Way by Edith Stein Edited by Carolyn Beard

About the Book:

A rising feminist thinker, Edith Stein examined everything in her relentless pursuit of truth. This ultimately led her to the foot of Jesus’ cross and to taking the veil as a Carmelite nun. Though she renounced fame for a hidden life of prayer and service, history would not pass her by. Because of her Jewish heritage, her life ended in the gas chambers at Auschwitz. Yet she will be remembered for all time as a saint, martyr, and trustworthy spiritual guide, Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.

This collection introduces Edith Stein to a new generation, inviting the reader to walk with her on the way that leads to joy, peace, and assurance even in times that test the soul. The selections bring together her most essential writings – reflections, letters, prayers, poems, advice, and spiritual meditations – offering a window into a soul whose love for Jesus gave her life a firm direction from which she never wavered. Whether used for group study or quiet personal reflection, this little book will encourage anyone seeking to follow God in a complicated world.

My Review:

This is a good introduction to and collection of Stein's work, someone I did not know about. Living in a very troubled time, she wrote seriously and is a good example of a person persevering to the point of martyrdom. She was a Jew, then an atheist, then converted to Catholicism, becoming a nun. I appreciate the good editing, presenting a collection represented in short chapters so as not to overwhelm. I found the translation to be readable. Her work is good to read, encouraging for ones living in dangerous times. It is as important today as it was in her own time.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Edith Stein (1891–1942) was born into an observant Jewish family. She became an atheist as a teenager, but at the age of thirty encountered the autobiography of Saint Teresa of Ávila, converted to Catholicism, and took vows as a Carmelite nun. Because of her Jewish ancestry she was executed at Auschwitz by the Nazis in August 1942. She was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1998. 

Plough Publishing, 168 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)