Simone Weil (1909-1943) was the Jewish daughter of a respected French physician and sister of one of this century's greatest mathematicians. This scholarly woman's quest for meaning and truth took her to jobs as an unskilled worker in factories, to enlistment with the Spanish Loyalists, and to work in trade unions. Her quest for God brought her into Catholicism but not to membership in a church. She died in 1943 of tuberculosis.

Eric O. Springsted, who has been president of the Simone Weil Society since 1981, draws a bead on her short but visionary life. He writes: "Possessed of a rare and pure intensity of spirit and an unusual combination of personal commitment and a high and clear intelligence, she has spoken clearly to those who have sought both justice in human affairs and light in matters of the spirit." Springsted has selected writings that reflect the breadth of her interests in politics, spirituality, and ethics. Here you will find essays on power, affliction, love of God, sacraments, and justice. This volume is part of Orbis's "Modern Spiritual Masters Series."