Dr. Alice von Hildebrand, doctor of philosophy, talks about the priviledge of being a woman in light of Roman Catholic teaching. She says that when we look at the feminist rhetoric in the eyes of faith - the feminists eyes are far sighted. She looks at the actual Biblical stories and gives radical, positive intrepretations. She admits in history - women have been lacking from the scene. History has been "his story." Some examples she brings up are the lack of female Shakespeares and Beethoven. And even in areas that are tought to be women's domains, like cooking, men are ones noted for their work - chiefs, tailors, etc.

She gives a critical view of past feminist thiking - everything from women hating their bodies, to the sexism within nature (pregnancy is harder on the women than it is on men).

However, in the Bible, unlike some fundamentalists point out, she argues that women are always seen as the stronger sex - Mary Magdalene being the only follower who stayed and saw the first ressurection. Even the Church - at least in the eyes of Catholic teaching - is a woman in the apocalypic sense. She gives great examples of saints, and ends with meditations on meditations over Mary, the Christian form of femininity.

In her eyes, she asks, "Who is doing morre good today, Mother Teresa or the U.S. Conference of Bishops?"

A good read for anyone wanting to give a positive view of women in the Christian light.

"The Soul of a Lion" is a very moving account of the life of Dietrich von Hildebrand, one of the most important Catholic theologians of the 20th century. Since it was written by his lovely wife, Alice, she does not pretend to be an unbiased observer. However, while she clearly writes from a heart filled with deep love and affection, she also recounts his mistakes and character faults without attempting to whitewash them.

Some of the highlights of the book include the sections detailing his very cultured, very European uprbringing; his conversion to Catholicism; and his courageous, outspoken opposition to Nazism, resulting in his dangerous escape to America with his family.

My one disappointment with the book is the ending-- Alice von Hildebrand ends her account with his arrival in the United States. This necessarily leaves untold the story of how the first Mrs. von Hildebrand (Gretchen) died, and how Alice had the great good fortune of meeting and eventually marrying Dietrich. Surely this is another moving tale which deserves to be told! Perhaps, someday, a continuation??

A tiny little book with the wisdom of an encyclopedia! Clear, concise, intelligent. It presents arguments one might never have thought of on one's own; these arguments definitely hold water. It makes a good case against the standard argument: "Jesus didn't have female apostles because he bowed to the standards of his time." A must read for anyone who wants to know WHY women will not be priests.

While this book uses an interesting format - letters from an older mentor to a young bride - it completely misses the true difficulties that married couples face. The bride, Julie, swims in a calm, unperturbed sea of minor issues: some morning crankiness, some occasionally unsatisfying sex, her husband's little irritating habits such as knuckle-cracking.

How lucky we are if that's the worst it gets! How about the really tough questions? "My husband comes home late every night - is he cheating on me?" Or "I'm three months pregnant and throwing up a lot - will he ever find me attractive again?" Or in this economy, "My husband lost his job, and all we fight about now is money. How do we get through this?" Or "I was just diagnosed with breast cancer - how do I tell him?" THESE are the real life struggles, not deciding which social events to attend (a topic the writers bemoan at length).

I fear that this book, with its insipid, rosy view of life and marriage, will severely mislead newlyweds into thinking it will all be easy. When it isn't, they're going to suffer a rude shock - and a more realistic book might help them avoid that.

Excellent book that prepares you to be a wife and have a healthy relationship with your spouse.

I received a copy of this book as a gift when I was engaged. It was an excellent way to help prepare for marriage, not just the wedding day. Now we give it to almost all the young couples we know when they get married. It is easy to read but full of excellent PRACTICAL advice on how to have a wonderful marriage. I highly recommend it!