Alice von Hildebrand

Women historically have been denigrated as lower than men or viewed as privileged. Dr. Alice von Hildebrand characterises the difference between such views as based on whether man's vision is secularistic or steeped in the supernatural. She shows that feminism's attempts to gain equality with men by imitation of men is unnatural, foolish, destructive, and self-defeating. The Blessed Mother's role in the Incarnation points to the true privilege of being a woman. Both virginity and maternity meet in Mary who exhibits the feminine gifts of purity, receptivity to God's word, and life-giving nurturance at their highest.

Alice von Hildebrand is a household name to many who know her from her countless EWTN appearances, her books, and her extensive articles and essays. What is little known is the story of her life, notably the thirty-seven years she spent at Hunter College in New York City. There, despite systematic opposition she left a mark on a generation of students through her defense of truth with reason, wit, and love. By showing her students how truth fulfills the deepest longings of the heart, she liberated countless students from the oppressive relativism of the day, enabling many of them to find their way to God. Now, for the first time, discover the details of Alice von Hildebrand's life as a "Happy Failure," including: - her thrilling escape from Europe that was nearly halted by a Nazi sub - her early days in America and her dedication to education and cultivating wisdom - her marriage to the great philosopher Dietrich von Hildebrand, - her victories and defeats at Hunter where she combated a culture of relativism - and much more... Memoirs of a Happy Failure is a fascinating and essential glimpse into the life of one of contemporary Catholicism's most compelling minds. It is the story of courage, faith, and the grace of God acting in the world.

A New Selection of Classic Essays by Alice von HildebrandAlice von Hildebrand became an internationally beloved figure through her many books (The Privilege of Being a Woman, The Soul of a Lion, By Love Refined), numerous television appearances, and frequent public speaking invitations-but she was also a prolific essayist, as this volume, the first published selection of her essays, makes clear. Alice von Hildebrand's in-person brilliance lends itself most favorably to the essay, the written form that comes closest to the naturalness and immediacy of speech. Her essays spilled out of her much like the ideas would flow out of her when she was enlivened by a conversation. To read them is to be in the presence of the woman whom Pope Benedict XVI called "a noble lady." The essays in Part I of this volume, while in no way exhaustive, give a representative sample of the breadth of Alice von Hildebrand's output and highlight some of the topics most important to her: friendship, truth, faithfulness, and more. Readers familiar with Alice von Hildebrand will be glad to meet their old friend in this new publication; those new to Alice von Hildebrand will be dazzled by her sparkling wit, challenged by her poignant analysis, and enlivened by the rich world of ideas manifest in these pages. Part II collects remembrances and tributes by many of Alice von Hildebrand's friends, including: Rachel Bulman, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, Rocco Buttiglione, John F. Crosby, Anthony Esolen, Dana Gioia, Rabbi Mark Gottlieb, Scott Hahn, Peter Kreeft, Rev. Paul Scalia, Josef Seifert, and many more.

Meet ordinary people who exemplify the upside-down values of Jesus’ Beatitudes. “Why me?” is the cry I hear most often in my work as a hospice chaplain. I’m not a theologian, but through my encounters with people who are elderly, disabled, dying, and bereaved – and through my own quest for peace – Jesus’ teachings known as the Beatitudes have become essential. They describe the attributes of God’s people: God is with those who suffer, those beaten down by life and rejected by the world. Whether you consider yourself a Christian or not, you too can be encouraged by these words: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Broken but Blessed is a journey through the lives of ordinary people who exemplify these values, which flip the priorities of modern society on their head. Perhaps you, like one of these people, are up against insurmountable odds, battling illness or devastated by loss. You may have been rejected, betrayed, or abused. Whatever you are facing, these people will accompany you, showing how suffering can be transformed into blessing and how, even in our own brokenness, we can become a blessing to others.

A book of everyday ethics by a man whom Pope St. John Paul II called "one of the great ethicists of the twentieth century," The Art of Living is Dietrich von Hildebrand's essential guide to the moral life. In just over one hundred pages, Dietrich von Hildebrand, with his wife Alice, presents a distinctive view of the virtuous life that begins with reverence, "the mother of all virtues," and includes chapters on "Faithfulness," "Goodness," "Hope," "The Human Heart," and many others. The essays that make up this book began as a popular series of radio lectures in 1930s Germany, and their conversational tone comes through in this new edition, which maintains Alice von Hildebrand's original translation, and updates this beloved work for a new generation of readers. The Art of Living promises to provide clarity, hope, and fresh insights for those seeking to live life more fully, faithfully, and beautifully. Editorial Reviews"The author is true to his title. Hildebrand writes about virtue with an artist's flair. He shows us the moral life as it is -- and so we can see the overwhelming appeal of every virtue, every value. It is the art of living virtuously that makes love possible and leads us to friendship and communion - with God and neighbor. A better life, the life we want, begins in these luminous pages."-- Scott Hahn, bestselling author of over forty titles, including The Lamb's Supper and Reasons to Believe. "The essays in Dietrich von Hildebrand's The Art of Living are a sublime treasury, filled with light and truth. Whoever longs to live fully and truly will do well to discover and cherish this golden book."-- Eric Metaxas, New York Times Bestselling author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy "The primacy of moral virtue has never had a more passionate, insightful--and bracing-- champion in the modern era than Dietrich von Hildebrand. Men and women of all faiths should celebrate the reissue of this inspired volume."-- Rabbi Mark Gottlieb, Senior Director, The Tikvah Fund

This book shatters the myth that formal prayer has to be dull and oppressive. It shows how the Liturgy actually improves those who take part in it, and it explains the numerous ways in which formal prayer is actually better than spontaneous prayer.

Inhaltlich unver nderte Neuauflage. Dietrich von Hildebrand ist einer der gro en katholischen Philosophen des 20. Jahrhunderts. Bis zu dieser nun vorliegenden Biographie von seiner Frau Alice war jedoch nur wenig über sein Leben bekannt. Alice von Hildebrand, selbst eine hochangesehene katholische Denkerin, erz hlt in dieser Biographie von dem bewegten und spannenden Leben eines wahrhaft bedeutenden Mannes der Kirche. Basierend auf einem sehr langen Brief, den Dietrich seiner Frau Alice in fortgeschrittenem Lebensalter schrieb, erz hlt das Buch seine Lebensgeschichte - von der einzigartigen intellektuellen und kulturellen Bildung in seiner Jugend, seiner Konversion zum Katholizismus, seiner gro en Leidenschaft für die Wahrheit und Sch nheit, seinen umfassenden Schriften zur Philosophie und Theologie bis zu der Zeit seines Widerstands gegenüber den Nazis, die aus ihm einen stigmatisierten Mann machten. Eine packende Biographie eines überzeugten Sohnes der Kirche, eines Mannes mit der "Seele eines L wen". "Wenn in Zukunft einmal die intellektuelle Geschichte der katholischen Kirche im 20. Jahrhundert geschrieben wird, wird der Name Dietrich von Hildebrand unter den Gestalten unserer Zeit herausragend sein. Wir k nnen Alice von Hildebrand daher tief dankbar sein, dass sie diesen gro en Dienst geleistet und uns das faszinierende Portrait seines au ergew hnlichen und inspirierenden Lebens geschenkt hat." Joseph Kardinal Ratzinger

In follow-up to her acclaimed Privilege of Being a Woman, Dr. von Hildebrand expands the discussion to explore how the fullness of human nature is found in the perfect union between man and woman. God chose to create man doubly complex. He made man of both soul and body a spiritual reality and a material reality. To crown this complexity, He created them male and female. Dr. von Hildebrand elucidates the tragic separation that happened with original sin and the consequences of this brokenness in the world today: the distortion of the male and female genius, supernatural blindness, and the triumph of secularism. She explores how this brokenness can be healed by following God's Divine plan for man and woman. We see this first and foremost in our Blessed Mother, exemplar of the path to holiness. This is also seen in the characteristics of saintly male / female relationships between husbands and wives, fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, brothers and sisters, and holy friendships. It is only by coming to more fully understand the Divine plan for man and woman, and submitting ourselves to His plan, that true complementarity harmony of body and soul, male and female can be accomplished.

Dietrich von Hildebrand, widely regarded as one of the great Catholic philosophers of the 20th century, is well-known for his numerous books, but, until this present work, not much has been known of his remarkable and inspiring life. Written by his wife, Alice, also a highly respected Catholic thinker, this is a fascinating, moving and, at times, gripping account of a truly great man of the Church who suffered much for the faith. Based on a very long "letter" Dietrich wrote to his wife late in his life, it tells his story from his glorious youth with a unique intellectual and cultural formation, his coversion to Catholisism, his great passion for truth and beauty, his extensive writing on Christian philosophy and theology, and his steadfast, determined opposition to Nazism that made him a marked man who miraculously escaped execution. A powerful biography of a relentless fighter against injustice, a devoted son of the Church, a man who had the "soul of a lion." Illustrated.