Lissa McCullough is an independent scholar and writer who has taught religious studies at Muhlenberg College, Hanover College and New York University. Her previous books are Thinking Through the Death of God: A Critical Companion to Thomas J J Altizer (edited with Brian Schroeder), The Call to Radical Theology and Conversations with Paolo Soleri.

'This is an extraordinary work that accomplishes what numerous other works on Weil did not: provide a clear and coherent account of the entirety of Weil's religious reflections. It is an exceptional accomplishment that should be marketed and advertised as a landmark work. I cannot overstate its importance for contemporary discussions of theology and religious studies, nor its value to the current dialogue concerning the future of Christianity.' - Patrick Horn, Azusa Pacific University 'This book is a page-turner. It is totally compelling in the service of making available a religious thinking that is liminal in form and content: in form, largely fragmentary and elliptical; in content, on the border between Judaism and Christianity, and also on the border between Platonism and Christianity; a thinking of God that continually troubles Christian orthodoxy while embracing it passionately; a thinking of God beyond the idolatries of divine presence that consoles and legitimates our lust for power; a thinking that ask for insight with respect to our motivations and attention and compassion towards a world of embodied selves that are weak and vulnerable. This is an extraordinarily readable text. I have rarely seen a book that manages so successfully to render an author in his or her own voice.' - Cyril O'Regan, Huisking Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame 'Lissa McCullough convincingly shows that Simone Weil identifies God with the Good. Instead of concluding that God is "beyond" being, Weil characterizes God's manner of being as antithetical to that of the created world. Her dialectical theology affirms both God's abdication from creation and his minimal abiding wherever there is evil in the world. God's saving grace manifests itself whenever we cultivate a "pure love of the world." If redemption is possible, it is only on the cross, not from the cross - and true Christianity must take the form of what McCullough eloquently calls "love for the anonymous neighbor". This is a thoughtful and challenging book.' - Andrew Cutrofello, Professor of Philosophy, Loyola University Chicago. 'paradoxical reflections displayed with much elegance by Lisa [sic] McCullough.' - Ann Loades, University of St Andrews, Theology.

• Abbreviations and Textual NotesIntroductionBiographical GroundingsReading Simone Weil1 / Reality and Contradiction Reality: The IrreducibleTruth and AfflictionThe Role of AttentionThe Negative Role of WillThe Value of ContradictionRight Use of Dogma2 / The Paradox of DesireWe Desire the GoodThe Good Is AbsentThe Good Is a NothingnessDetachment of DesireWaiting for GodThe Earthly Criterion(Not) To Speak of Holy Things3 / God and the WorldCreation as WithdrawalThe Absent God“Original Sin”The Self-Emptying GodCrucifixion as RedemptionSupernatural Harmony4 / Necessity and ObedienceAbdication to NecessityProvidenceBeautySufferingNecessity: Root of Beauty and SufferingObedience of Matter: GravityObedience of Spirit: GraceAmor Fati5 / Grace and DecreationSin Says “I”Grace Decreates the “I”Nothingness: The Humility of GodHeaven and HellTransparenceCompassionAction as Incarnation6 / Conclusion: Weil’s Theological CoherenceBackground Theological InfluencesDialectic of Nature and GraceGod Beyond Good and EvilWeil’s Anonymous ChristianityEndnotesSelected BibliographyIndex

Lissa McCullough is an independent scholar and writer who has taught religious studies at Muhlenberg College, Hanover College and New York University. Her previous books are Thinking Through the Death of God: A Critical Companion to Thomas J J Altizer (edited with Brian Schroeder), The Call to Radical Theology and Conversations with Paolo Soleri.

'This is an extraordinary work that accomplishes what numerous other works on Weil did not: provide a clear and coherent account of the entirety of Weil's religious reflections. It is an exceptional accomplishment that should be marketed and advertised as a landmark work. I cannot overstate its importance for contemporary discussions of theology and religious studies, nor its value to the current dialogue concerning the future of Christianity.' - Patrick Horn, Azusa Pacific University 'This book is a page-turner. It is totally compelling in the service of making available a religious thinking that is liminal in form and content: in form, largely fragmentary and elliptical; in content, on the border between Judaism and Christianity, and also on the border between Platonism and Christianity; a thinking of God that continually troubles Christian orthodoxy while embracing it passionately; a thinking of God beyond the idolatries of divine presence that consoles and legitimates our lust for power; a thinking that ask for insight with respect to our motivations and attention and compassion towards a world of embodied selves that are weak and vulnerable. This is an extraordinarily readable text. I have rarely seen a book that manages so successfully to render an author in his or her own voice.' - Cyril O'Regan, Huisking Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame 'Lissa McCullough convincingly shows that Simone Weil identifies God with the Good. Instead of concluding that God is "beyond" being, Weil characterizes God's manner of being as antithetical to that of the created world. Her dialectical theology affirms both God's abdication from creation and his minimal abiding wherever there is evil in the world. God's saving grace manifests itself whenever we cultivate a "pure love of the world." If redemption is possible, it is only on the cross, not from the cross - and true Christianity must take the form of what McCullough eloquently calls "love for the anonymous neighbor". This is a thoughtful and challenging book.' - Andrew Cutrofello, Professor of Philosophy, Loyola University Chicago. 'paradoxical reflections displayed with much elegance by Lisa [sic] McCullough.' - Ann Loades, University of St Andrews, Theology.

• Abbreviations and Textual NotesIntroductionBiographical GroundingsReading Simone Weil1 / Reality and Contradiction Reality: The IrreducibleTruth and AfflictionThe Role of AttentionThe Negative Role of WillThe Value of ContradictionRight Use of Dogma2 / The Paradox of DesireWe Desire the GoodThe Good Is AbsentThe Good Is a NothingnessDetachment of DesireWaiting for GodThe Earthly Criterion(Not) To Speak of Holy Things3 / God and the WorldCreation as WithdrawalThe Absent God“Original Sin”The Self-Emptying GodCrucifixion as RedemptionSupernatural Harmony4 / Necessity and ObedienceAbdication to NecessityProvidenceBeautySufferingNecessity: Root of Beauty and SufferingObedience of Matter: GravityObedience of Spirit: GraceAmor Fati5 / Grace and DecreationSin Says “I”Grace Decreates the “I”Nothingness: The Humility of GodHeaven and HellTransparenceCompassionAction as Incarnation6 / Conclusion: Weil’s Theological CoherenceBackground Theological InfluencesDialectic of Nature and GraceGod Beyond Good and EvilWeil’s Anonymous ChristianityEndnotesSelected BibliographyIndex

Lissa McCullough is an independent scholar and writer who has taught religious studies at Muhlenberg College, Hanover College and New York University. Her previous books are Thinking Through the Death of God: A Critical Companion to Thomas J J Altizer (edited with Brian Schroeder), The Call to Radical Theology and Conversations with Paolo Soleri.

'This is an extraordinary work that accomplishes what numerous other works on Weil did not: provide a clear and coherent account of the entirety of Weil's religious reflections. It is an exceptional accomplishment that should be marketed and advertised as a landmark work. I cannot overstate its importance for contemporary discussions of theology and religious studies, nor its value to the current dialogue concerning the future of Christianity.' - Patrick Horn, Azusa Pacific University 'This book is a page-turner. It is totally compelling in the service of making available a religious thinking that is liminal in form and content: in form, largely fragmentary and elliptical; in content, on the border between Judaism and Christianity, and also on the border between Platonism and Christianity; a thinking of God that continually troubles Christian orthodoxy while embracing it passionately; a thinking of God beyond the idolatries of divine presence that consoles and legitimates our lust for power; a thinking that ask for insight with respect to our motivations and attention and compassion towards a world of embodied selves that are weak and vulnerable. This is an extraordinarily readable text. I have rarely seen a book that manages so successfully to render an author in his or her own voice.' - Cyril O'Regan, Huisking Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame 'Lissa McCullough convincingly shows that Simone Weil identifies God with the Good. Instead of concluding that God is "beyond" being, Weil characterizes God's manner of being as antithetical to that of the created world. Her dialectical theology affirms both God's abdication from creation and his minimal abiding wherever there is evil in the world. God's saving grace manifests itself whenever we cultivate a "pure love of the world." If redemption is possible, it is only on the cross, not from the cross - and true Christianity must take the form of what McCullough eloquently calls "love for the anonymous neighbor". This is a thoughtful and challenging book.' - Andrew Cutrofello, Professor of Philosophy, Loyola University Chicago. 'paradoxical reflections displayed with much elegance by Lisa [sic] McCullough.' - Ann Loades, University of St Andrews, Theology.

• Abbreviations and Textual NotesIntroductionBiographical GroundingsReading Simone Weil1 / Reality and Contradiction Reality: The IrreducibleTruth and AfflictionThe Role of AttentionThe Negative Role of WillThe Value of ContradictionRight Use of Dogma2 / The Paradox of DesireWe Desire the GoodThe Good Is AbsentThe Good Is a NothingnessDetachment of DesireWaiting for GodThe Earthly Criterion(Not) To Speak of Holy Things3 / God and the WorldCreation as WithdrawalThe Absent God“Original Sin”The Self-Emptying GodCrucifixion as RedemptionSupernatural Harmony4 / Necessity and ObedienceAbdication to NecessityProvidenceBeautySufferingNecessity: Root of Beauty and SufferingObedience of Matter: GravityObedience of Spirit: GraceAmor Fati5 / Grace and DecreationSin Says “I”Grace Decreates the “I”Nothingness: The Humility of GodHeaven and HellTransparenceCompassionAction as Incarnation6 / Conclusion: Weil’s Theological CoherenceBackground Theological InfluencesDialectic of Nature and GraceGod Beyond Good and EvilWeil’s Anonymous ChristianityEndnotesSelected BibliographyIndex