CAROLINE J. SIMON philosopher & author

Douglas Henry

“Redolent of Will Campbell’s Brother to a Dragonfly and C. S. Lewis’s A Grief Observed, Caroline Simon’s Muted Cry unites memoir, prose elegy, and Christian meditation in touching witness to her brother Bill’s affliction. Her truth-telling—about Bill, herself, their trials, and God’s love in Christ—bears the marks of anguish and heroism, and also of hard-won wisdom and abiding faith. Muted Cry is a rare gift in its honesty and a moving invitation to see, really see, affliction even when it frightens and dismays.”

David Myers

“Should we, can we, love those in our lives who are dysfunctional, alcoholic, inconsiderate, or unappreciative? Philosopher Caroline Simon lived those questions as her brother Bill’s only family member—eliciting her support and her unmerited grace. Her well-told story bids us all to consider what Christ’s command to love our neighbor, even the least of these, might mean for us.”

Gerald L. Sittser

“The memoir is a medium of writing fraught with peril. Rarely is it done well. Caroline Simon is one of the few who has succeeded, as Muted Cry shows on every page. It drew me in and kept me there. She tells the story of her brother’s long decline and death. It is his story, and hers too. Simon also draws on the story of another, the French philosopher Simone Weil, especially her deep reflections on “affliction,” the physical and psychological equivalent of a multisystem organ failure. She tells the truth about his and her experience, as harrowing and intense as it is. He is the victim of affliction, she the suffering and confused witness. Muted Cry is an extraordinary piece of writing. I don’t know many people who could have written it. Caroline Simon is one of them." 

Amy Frykholm

“While many memoirs tell a story of travail, Caroline Simon does something more complicated in this compelling personal narrative. Weaving together the family dynamics caused by a suffering sibling and the philosophy of Simone Weil, Simon takes us deep inside the problem of our role as witness. Who are we and what difference can we make when someone we love is in affliction and we can’t get them out?”

Adam Neder 

“Simone Weil’s reflections on affliction are among her most illuminating and important contributions to Christian spirituality. Caroline Simon’s lucid and beautiful book brings a philosopher’s clarity and a devoted sibling’s wisdom to this extraordinary material. Simon’s explorations elucidate and personalize Weil’s thought in remarkable ways, and they offer unusually helpful guidance for anyone who desires to come alongside someone caught in the grip of affliction. This is a wonderful achievement.”

Eric O. Springsted 

“I know of very few books that have been able to portray, concretely and in real life, what Simone Weil called “affliction,” and to use Weil to shed light on this dark devastation of the soul. Caroline Simon is one of those rare writers to have done so, and to have done so well.”

Lynne M. Baab

“With clear and vivid descriptions, Caroline Simon throws open a window into her brother Bill’s life of affliction. As Carol cares for Bill, she struggles to navigate chasms of disparity—of education, personality, and finances—raising valuable questions about what love looks like in practice. Simone Weil’s evocative perspective on affliction, woven throughout, enhances the narrative’s insight.”

Susan Olasky

"In this thought-provoking book, philosopher and college teacher Caroline Simon seeks to bring clarity to our culture's sexual confusion. She uses helpful metaphor, optics, as a way to talk about six different lenses through which people view sex. . . . The book, written with the non-philosopher in mind, will be particularly useful for young adults searching for a way to think through sexual issues and discern the perspectives that shape media and culture."

Rebecca Manley Pippert 

"The skeptic would argue that the Bible was written in a time and culture so different from ours that its prescriptions are no longer valid or relevant for us. But truth be told, the New Testament world was characterized by as much sexual freedom as we have today. In our age of 'whatever floats your boat,' Caroline Simon makes the virtuous life appealing, worth pursuing and ultimately profoundly satisfying."

Andrew Marin

"Caroline Simon presents a balanced philosophical approach to the orthodox Christian ethics of sex for a whole new generation of wonderers. Bringing Sex into Focus is well worth your time."

Richard J. Mouw
"In this fine book Caroline Simon delivers marvelously on what she promises: philosophically informed insight into the complexities of human sexuality. Not that she stays on the level of theory. There is much practical wisdom here on the 'ordinary' interactions of our highly sexualized culture: flirtation, seduction, 'hook-ups,' and much more!"

Lisa Graham McMinn
"Caroline Simon defends sexual integrity, but that's not her sole intention. With clarity and care Simon describes cultural lenses used to determine what we believe about flirting, premarital sex, prostitution and other sexual behaviors. She challenges readers to avoid simplistic explanations of perspectives other than their own as she helps us understand how each leads to consistent beliefs about sexual behaviors. Simon's readable, philosophical study of sex makes an important contribution to the field."

Jenell Williams Paris

"Bringing Sex into Focus delivers on the promise of its title: clarifying the meaning of sex and sexual faithfulness. Caroline Simon describes multiple lenses--both Christian and secular--used to interpret human sexuality, and fairly brings them into dialogue with one another. The book promotes civility and fairness for Christians engaging diverse sexual views and also upholds Christian ideals. Readers will be challenged to sharpen their vision, supported by this well-researched and lucidly presented book." 

Miroslav Volf
"This is a wise book, written in an engaging dialogue with some of our best novelists, philosophers, and theologians. Simon's profound reflections about the light that love sheds by the fire it carries deserve a wide audience."

Publishers Weekly
"A penetrating and illuminating glimpse into the vagaries of human love."

Booklist
"Caroline J. Simon's book is not only a lucid philosophical examination of love but also an important contribution to contemporary philosophical and theological discussion of narrative. It is accessibly written and will appeal to a broad general audience; but it will also be of interest to specialists concerned particularly with the influence of Anders Nygren in Protestant theology and with discussion of both love and narrative in such philosophers as Martha Nussbaum and Iris Murdoch. Readers will appreciate Simon's perceptive discussion of fictional works by Flannery O'Connor, Leo Tolstoy, William Kennedy, F. Scott Fitzgerald, George Eliot, Wallace Stegner, and Isak Dinesen, as well as her discussion of correspondence between Leslie Marmon Silko and James Wright. The book is a delight, both for Simon's insights and for her pointers to others who have participated and are participating in a lively conversation about love and friendship."

William Hasker
"Caroline Simon has given us a wonderful book. She anatomizes our various loves in a way that is challenging, richly insightful, and at times disturbing. The Disciplined Heart invites comparison with C. S. Lewis's The Four Loves, and in some ways surpasses it."

Richard T. Hughes

“This wonderful book both instructs and inspires. It shows that a program for mentoring new faculty members at a church-related college is ‘an embodiment of Christian hospitality’ and thus a natural outgrowth of the Christian tradition.”

Michael Beaty

“A wonderful resource for those of us responsible for faculty development programs at religious colleges and universities. There is nothing else like it available in terms of content and quality. It is full of insight and superb practical suggestions.” 

Allen Verhey

"This is a quite wonderful collection of essays with splendid introductions. Andrew Dell'Olio and Caroline Simon have provided a book that begs to be taught and the invites reflection not just about moral theory but about our moral lives."

Kelly Clark

"This is an excellent introductory ethics reader. Selections are wisely chosen, with attention paid to both theoretical and applied ethics, classical and contemporary authors, Eastern and Western traditions, and religious and non-religious perspectives. The well-written introductions to the selections and the helpful study questions will prove useful to both students and instructors." 

Garrett Ward Sheldon

“This is a well-written, fascinating study of a small Christian college and the changes it has endured over its 150-year history. The authors sensitively and honestly examine the social and theological changes that have occurred in this Reformed Dutch church institution of higher education….Highly recommended.”

Jason M. Morris

“I valued the honesty, and effort the authors used to tell the story of Hope and the lessons learned as one deeply interested in the future of Christian higher education. I recommend this read as a timely addition to the discussion of the purpose and sustainability of Christian higher education.”