O universo interior de Etty Hillesum transfigurado pela presença de Deus

Abstract

Esther (Etty) Hillesum was born on January 15th, 1914, in the city of Middelburg – the Netherlands – and died at Auschwitz on November 30th, 1943. She overcame her inner conflicts when she met the therapist Julius Spier, initiator of her spiritual life and with whom she learners to pronounce the name of God and also discovers Him in the depth of her soul. Her life trajectory was based on her writings "Diaries” and "Letters ", written in the transit field of Westerbork (between 1942-1943). At the age of 27, she initiates her return to herself, a spiritual journey out of any religious reference which will lead her far beyond, having the conviction that the true life is within interiority. Transfigured by faith, in her writings, she presents her encounter with God in a lively and divinized way. This study aims to recognize and understand Etty Hillesum’s spirituality as well as to show how this mystic person could, through her human and relational course, be possessed by a spiritual force revealed to her by the mystery of God. From this aspect, we trace the story of a brave and resilient Jewish girl and we will analyze how the intense Divine Presence within her was able to transform her soul and made her dedicate her life to the most needy and oppressed ones in that dark field, always emphasizing the presence of God, in a moment of pain and suffering.