"The wisdom of Plato is not a philosophy, a search for God by means of human reason. . . . . Plato’s wisdom is nothing but an orientation of the soul toward grace.”
                                                                                             La Source Grecque

The Christian Platonism of Simone Weil

The 2001 AMERICAN WEIL SOCIETY COLLOQUY, APRIL 19-22, 2001

The American Weil Society celebrates its 21st year with an international conference at the University of Notre Dame Center for Continuing Education, McKenna Hall. Thanks to generous funding from The Florence Gould Foundation, The Henkels Lecture Series and the University of Notre Dame, we are happy to announce that a major contingent of French colleagues from L’Association pour l’étude de la pensée de Simone Weil will be present. The presentations will explore how Simone Weil’s reading of ancient Platonism and Christianity make her a major figure in the history of Christian Platonism and give that tradition contemporary relevance.

The conference will begin the evening of Thursday, April 19, with opening remarks from Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C.,  President Emeritus of the University of Notre Dame, who will introduce the first keynote speaker,  Louis Dupré, Professor Emeritus of Yale University. A reception will follow. On Friday evening, the Schola Musicorum of Notre Dame’s music department will give a concert of Gregorian chant  from original medieval manuscripts. Saturday evening, students from the Notre Dame course: "Simone Weil: Justice, Grace and Creativity," will give a poetry reading from Stephanie Strickland's "The Red Virgin." The conference will end at Sunday noon after a concluding round table discussion.