new italian publication

The italian journal, Humanitas, has published a concentrated issue on Adrienne von Speyr as a mystic of the twentieth century.  Edited by Giacomo Coccolini, you will find these important articles: Humanitas, Adrienne von Speyr issue

Coccolini, G., "Introduzione" 

Martinelli, P., "Adrienne von Speyr e la mistica cristiana"

Servais, J., "Una mistica imperniata sulla Rivelazione giovannea. Adrienne von Speyr" 

Ouellet, M., "Adrienne von Speyr e il Sabato Santo della teologia" 

Krenski, Th., "Stefano o Gezabele? «Mistica oggettiva» di Adrienne von Speyr" 

Sincere thanks to Dr. Alberto Fanton for alerting me.  

 

moved

Please forgive the delays on vonspeyr.net.  I have recently moved to a new position as an assistant professor of Roman Catholic Systematic Theology at St. John's University in Queens, NY.  Development of this site will resume in earnest.

In celebration of the feast of the Birth of Mary (Sept. 8), please accept this quotation from Adrienne von Speyr's Handmaid of the Lord:

Geburt der Jungfrau by Francisco de Zurbaran"All forms of Christian fruitfulness--physical as well as spiritual, virginal as well as marital--are patterned on Mary.  They are all included in her as the perfected woman, in such a way that her perfections go out from her like rays and strike all the faithful regardless of age, gender or state of life, to develop in them in the most diverse ways.  For every individual and for every united group of people, a particular path from the Mother to them and from them to the Mother is visibly indicated.  A readiness for surrender on the part of the person is always assumed in this, but in such a way that it is included in the overflowing grace of the Mother, who has already surrendered herself.  It is she who possesses the fullness of fruitfulness, and we take part in it through a bashful wish, an attempt, a beginning at devotion and surrender.  Her fruitfulness and ours are related similarly to grace and merit: grace does not work without our cooperation, but this is itself an operation of grace and is included in its greater, sustaining sphere.  Therefore, we must see in her the mediatrix of self-surrender..." (von Speyr, Handmaid, p. 170).

 

new articles on von speyr

Two new articles on Adrienne von Speyr have appeared recently in the journals Communio and Modern Theology.  The first perhaps you have seen.  Adrian Walker is always worth reading.  The second is an important contribution to understanding von Speyr's theological anthropology.

- Adrian J. Walker, "The Gift of Simplicity: Reflections on Obedience in the Work of Adrienne von Speyr," Communio 34 (Winter 2007).

- Michele M. Schumacher, "Ecclesial Existence: Person and Community in the Trinitarian Anthropology of Adrienne von Speyr," Modern Theology 24(2008):359-385.

Here is the abstract of Schumacher's article:

"Best known for her extraordinary influence upon Hans Urs von Balthasar, Adrienne von Speyr is perhaps overshadowed by the same. Here is an effort to expose her profound mystical insights concerning the specifically Trinitarian dimension of anthropology. Of key significance is the concept of surrender, whereby the human person participates in the fundamental disposition of Christ, whose self-gift is revealed as obedient receptivity vis-à-vis the Father and loving generosity vis-à-vis the world. This in turn is revelatory of the eternal surrender of each divine Person to the Others in a continuous exchange of love. The human person thus participates in divine life by the means that characterize it: love of God and neighbor."

Enjoy these fine articles and please comment on them here.

new translation available - Book of All Saints

There will be a new Adrienne von Speyr translation available from Ignatius Press on March 28, 2008.  It is call the Book of All Saints.1274553-1373122-thumbnail.jpg

You can preorder it with them here or with another online bookstore.

This book is the first volume of the collection of posthumous works published by the Johannes Verlag.  For English-speaking von Speyr scholars (and it is possible to be such), this is quite exciting.  While I have read several of the entries in the German, it will be nice to have a translation of this profound work.  Rather than being a biography of the saints, this book gives us an interior image of the saint's prayer life. 

I am encouraged by Ignatius Press publishing this very mystical work of hers.  When this book becomes available, perhaps the English-speaking world will start to take more notice of Adrienne von Speyr as a major Christian mystical figure of the twentieth century.

what did adrienne von speyr write?

I have uploaded a complete bibliography of the primary works of Adrienne von Speyr, which is unavailable anywhere else on the internet.

This list includes everything available in book or journal form.  The English translations are added where appropriate.  Soon I will include a list of translations in other languages

If there is anything missing, please let me know.

Enjoy!

are there dissertations on von speyr?

Yes, as far as I have been able to find, there are five dissertations (one of which is my own) that have been completed on Adrienne von Speyr's writings. They are:

Berg, Blaise R.  "Christian Marrige according to Adrienne von Speyr," S.T.D. diss., Lateran Pontifical University, John Paul II Institute of Studies on Marriage and Family, Rome, 2003.

Matro, Justin. “Christian Suffering in the Spiritual Writings of Adrienne von Speyr.” S.T.D. diss., Gregorian Pontifical University, Rome, 1999.

Schiettecatte, J. “Disponibilité aimante: L’attitude d’amour johannique chez Adrienne von Speyr à la lumière de l’exégèse contemporaine.” S.T.D. diss., Teresianum Pontifical University, Rome, 1998.

Schmidt, William. “The Sacrament of Confession as Sequela Christi in the Writings of Adrienne von Speyr.” S.T.D. diss., Lateran Pontifical University, John Paul II Institute of Studies on Marriage and Family, Rome, 1999.

Sutton, Matthew.  "The Gate of Heaven Opens to the Trinity: The Trinitarian Mysticism of Adrienne von Speyr."  Ph.D. diss., Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, 2007.

I have heard of others in process and look forward to promoting more dissertations on von Speyr's vast theological and mystical work.

learning about prayer

Here is a quotation on learning about prayer:

"How can you make people understand that they are supposed to grow into prayer?--It is just like with a foreign language: you teach the pupil word by word the language of God and the saints.  And all at once they speak this language fluently.  But this is possible only when you teach them the rudiments very clearly.  In an I-thou relationship.  Then the pupil also hears how the teacher speaks the language with others, he listens and acquires fluency.  The teacher can be God himself or the Mother of God or a priest.  But it does not absolutely have to be a human being.  God can open up heaven to a child (Adrienne von Speyr, With God and with Men: Prayers, 118)."

 

Adrienne von Speyr's own mystical, contemplative prayer began as a child and I think that this statement on the need for learning about prayer reflects some of her own interpretation about how she was taken into mystical prayer.  Hers was not an ascetical, acquired mysticism, rather she was introduced to it through a sheer gift of God and through her ascent at an early age.

where can one find von speyr's works in german?

In the USA, finding Adrienne von Speyr's works in German can be difficult.  You can purchase most of them from the Johannes Verlag.  If you are looking for some of the privately published works (i.e. a few volumes of Die Nachlasswerke), you will have to try interlibrary loan through your own library.  The Alcuin Library at St. John's University has the most complete collection of Adrienne von Speyr in German, except for the second volume of Kreuz und Hoelle.  I would very much like to find a copy of this second volume.

von balthasar society call for papers

The Von Balthasar Society of the Catholic Theological Society of America has called for papers for their 2008 Convention.  Their call is as follows:

The Hans Urs von Balthasar Consultation invites proposals for its session at the 2008 Convention.  In keeping with the conference theme of “Generations,” the conveners are especially interested in proposals that treat the topic of youthfulness in von Balthasar’s theology.  All proposals, including those dealing with von Balthasar’s thought but not on the convention theme, are welcome and will be reviewed by the conveners (Peter Casarella, Barbara Sain, and David L. Schindler).  Proposals from younger members of CTSA are encouraged.

500-word proposals can be submitted to Barbara Sain by email (bksain@stthomas.edu) on or before August 31, 2007.

moving

There has been some delay in getting this website up and running with more tools for scholarly research of Adrienne von Speyr.  I have recently moved for my new position in the Department of Theology at the College of Saint Benedict / Saint John's University (csbsju.edu/theology).  My apologies for the delay.

On the docket for website development:

1) Provide more extensive biography of Adrienne von Speyr with hyper links.

2) Compile and upload full list of exciting (scholarly speaking, of course) von Speyr and von Balthasar links.

3) Upload complete Adrienne von Speyr bibliography with reviews and hyper links.

obedience

I am always struck by the central theme of obedience in von Speyr's works. 

I recently did a presentation as a guest lecturer for the Carmelite sisters in Milwaukee.  For the presentation, I chose the evangelical virtue of obedience and used the chapter on obedience in Adrienne von Speyr's book They Followed His Call.  The focus of the class was on the first sentence, "To be a child of God means to be obedient, to draw on an obedience that has its source in the obedience of the Son himself, in order to live by it." (Speyr, They Followed His Call, 58).  Our obedience as children of God must imitate the obedience of the true child of God, the Son, and this imitation is of the crucified Son who "became obedient unto death, even death on a cross" (Phil 2:8).  These Carmelite sisters, who have committed themselves to redeeming the world by their daily obedience to God through their Mother Superior, were really moved by the Holy Spirit in what Adrienne von Speyr had to say about obedience.  Through this presentation on her theme of obedience I could see them widening their horizon of daily obedience to take in the great landscape of the eternal obedience of the Son of God. 

wilkommen

Many of God’s blessings to you.

I welcome you to this site dedicated to the theological study and promotion of Adrienne von Speyr and her writings. 

Within this site (as it is built up), there will be a great many sources for those interested in learning more about von Speyr and also for those interested in theologically cultivating the spiritual seeds contained in von Speyr’s writings.

If you have begun reading Adrienne von Speyr, you already know that in her writings the face of the Trinity encounters you with love and invitation.  Please enter into this site in order to encounter more fully this triune face of love.

If you are interested in studying and further developing your scholarship on von Speyr, you know that this is best done in a community of scholars who see their study vivified by the center of the Church and always at the service of the Church.  Please enter into this site in order to help you more fully enter into von Speyr’s writings.  May this site also be at your service to promote your scholarship on her.

As I begin to build this site into what many theology scholars as well as friends of Adrienne von Speyr are looking for, I am interested in any help you would like to give.

Mit freundlichen Gruessen.