Beatrice Bruteau
Beatrice Bruteau (1930–2014) was an American contemplative, philosopher and author. Early life and education Beatrice Bruteau was born on July 25, 1930, in Evanston, Illinois. According to her obituary, her parents were Frederick and Ruth Folgerstrum Bruteau, and she was raised in Jefferson City, Missouri. She was one of the first women to study philosophy at the graduate level at Fordham University, where she earned a Ph.D. in philosophy in 1954. Career Bruteau was a pioneer in interspirituality and contemplative thinking. Her work bridged the boundaries of traditional academic disciplines, as she brought diverse subjects, such as science, mathematics, philosophy, religion, into conversation with one another. In her work, she explored mystical, contemplative and philosophical texts from multiple religions traditions, particularly within Buddhism, Christianity and Hinduism. In addition to numerous articles, Bruteau authored or edited twelve books. Amongst these was Radical Optimism: Rooting Ourselves in Reality, which was published in 1993; a second edition was published in 2002. in Radical Optimism, Bruteau suggests that by engaging in contemplative practices, we come to know ourselves more authentically, recenter spiritual values in our lives, and find more optimism about the world. Bruteau compiled a collection of essays about Benedictine monk, Bede Griffiths,