Models of Charitable Care: Catholic Nuns and Children in Their Care in Amsterdam, 1852-2002

At various times in her academic career, Heijst (ethics, U. of Tilburg) has focused on the history of religious Dutch women, the ambivalence of autonomy, and the ethics of care. She linked them into a integrated study, de Arme Zusters van het Goddelijk Kind sinds 1852, which was published by Hilversom in 2002. She has revised it for this translation by Annelies Wing-Wirth and Kay Caldwell. She looks at the historical care practice of women religious by focusing on a congregation of Catholic nuns who took care of neglected children and other vulnerable groups during the 19th and 20th centuries. They were originally called the Poor Sisters of the Divine Child, but were widely known as Sisters of "The Providence", which became the official name in 1970. The central question the study addresses is how to interpret and value the charitable care practice of the congregations. Annotation 穢2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)