Edith Stein

A biography of Edith Stein, the Carmelite nun of Jewish origin, who perished in Auschwitz in 1942 and was beatified by the Vatican in 1987. Summarizes her philosophical and theological writings, and describes her anti-Nazi attitudes. Mentions that her request for an audience with Pope Pius XI in 1933, in order to persuade him to write an encyclical on behalf of the Jews, was rejected. Oben, herself a converted Jew, sees Stein as a symbol of the inherent unity of Judaism and Christianity, and a hopeful sign of their reconciliation. In discussing Stein's perspective on the Holocaust, and the inclusion of Nazis in her prayers, mentions her ideas on vicarious atonement and her ability to take upon herself the suffering incurred by the guilt of the Nazis.