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Works of Jacob Behmen: The Teutonic Philosopher Part 1
This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.
- GenresPhilosophy
Paperback
First published July 1, 2003
21 people want to read
About the author
Jakob Böhme
446 books154 followersJakob Böhme (probably April 24, 1575[1] – November 17, 1624) was a German Christian mystic and theologian. He is considered an original thinker within the Lutheran tradition, and his first book, commonly known as Aurora, caused a great scandal. In contemporary English, his name may be spelled Jacob Boehme; in seventeenth-century England it was also spelled Behmen, approximating the contemporary English pronunciation of the German Böhme.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 25, 2021
I am blessed and honored to have read, and now review this book.
You know when you have encountered a classic when the pages are multicolored from your significant highlights. This reminds me of how I used to study in college and medical school.
An interesting consequence too, is that now I not only have a deeper appreciation for this late Medieval mystic and theologian (although Behmen would NEVER have described himself as either), but also for the author, Alexander Whyte. Their minds and spirits (there IS a difference!) speak directly to me.
Thank God.
For example, this quote from Whyte could have served as an excellent Preface, even though it is found within the body of the book:
"I do not propose to take you down into the deep places where Jacob Behmen dwells and works. And that for a very good reason. For I have found no firm footing in those deep places for my own feet. I wade in and in to the utmost of my ability, and still there rise up above me, and stretch out around me, and sink down beneath me, vast reaches of revelation and speculation, attainment and experience, before which I can only wonder and worship."
This one sentence of Whyte's best summarizes Behmen's works exquisitely and poetically for me. It is from the former's review of the latter's book, A Treatise of the Four Complexions, or A Consolatory Instruction for a Sad and Assaulted Heart
"And then, as always with Behmen, all this observation of men, all this discovery and self-discovery, ran up into philosophy, into theology, into personal and evangelical religion."
NB: The "complexions" are the four personality temperaments of ancient Greek and Renaissance proto-psychology:
Sanguine
Choleric
Melancholic, and
Phlegmatic
In other words, an updated Whyte could read, "...ran up into psychology, philosophy, into theology, into personal and evangelical religion." Which is what Behmen is all about anyway.
My good friend and pastor Scot M. McKnight wrote a phenomenal book called The Jesus Creed which explains, expounds, and expands Jesus Christ's answer to the question "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
---Matthew 22:36-40 New International Version
(As a significant aside, I believe that the honorable Dr. McKnight is missing a very important element. He's ⅔'s of the way there, though).
What has this to do with the equally honorable Jacob Behmen? Everything, since he left us this summary of his life's mission just before he died at only 50-years old. I cannot think of a more fitting ending to this Review than his plea:
"'Throw out thy heart upon all men,’ he now commands and now beseeches us. ‘Throw open and throw out thy heart. For unless thou dost exercise thy heart, and the love of thy heart, upon every man in the world, thy self-love, thy pride, thy contempt, thy envy, thy distaste, thy dislike will still have dominion over thee. The Divine Nature will be quenched and extinguished in thee, till nothing but self and hell is left to thee. In the name, and in the strength of God, love all men. Love thy neighbour as thyself, and do to thy neighbour as thou doest to thyself. And do it now. For now is the accepted time; and now is the day of salvation!’"
Emphases mine
So just do it. Now!
Blessings,
Michael Mangold, Winter Solstice 2020
@DrMikeMangold
You know when you have encountered a classic when the pages are multicolored from your significant highlights. This reminds me of how I used to study in college and medical school.
An interesting consequence too, is that now I not only have a deeper appreciation for this late Medieval mystic and theologian (although Behmen would NEVER have described himself as either), but also for the author, Alexander Whyte. Their minds and spirits (there IS a difference!) speak directly to me.
Thank God.
For example, this quote from Whyte could have served as an excellent Preface, even though it is found within the body of the book:
"I do not propose to take you down into the deep places where Jacob Behmen dwells and works. And that for a very good reason. For I have found no firm footing in those deep places for my own feet. I wade in and in to the utmost of my ability, and still there rise up above me, and stretch out around me, and sink down beneath me, vast reaches of revelation and speculation, attainment and experience, before which I can only wonder and worship."
This one sentence of Whyte's best summarizes Behmen's works exquisitely and poetically for me. It is from the former's review of the latter's book, A Treatise of the Four Complexions, or A Consolatory Instruction for a Sad and Assaulted Heart
"And then, as always with Behmen, all this observation of men, all this discovery and self-discovery, ran up into philosophy, into theology, into personal and evangelical religion."
NB: The "complexions" are the four personality temperaments of ancient Greek and Renaissance proto-psychology:
Sanguine
Choleric
Melancholic, and
Phlegmatic
In other words, an updated Whyte could read, "...ran up into psychology, philosophy, into theology, into personal and evangelical religion." Which is what Behmen is all about anyway.
My good friend and pastor Scot M. McKnight wrote a phenomenal book called The Jesus Creed which explains, expounds, and expands Jesus Christ's answer to the question "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
---Matthew 22:36-40 New International Version
(As a significant aside, I believe that the honorable Dr. McKnight is missing a very important element. He's ⅔'s of the way there, though).
What has this to do with the equally honorable Jacob Behmen? Everything, since he left us this summary of his life's mission just before he died at only 50-years old. I cannot think of a more fitting ending to this Review than his plea:
"'Throw out thy heart upon all men,’ he now commands and now beseeches us. ‘Throw open and throw out thy heart. For unless thou dost exercise thy heart, and the love of thy heart, upon every man in the world, thy self-love, thy pride, thy contempt, thy envy, thy distaste, thy dislike will still have dominion over thee. The Divine Nature will be quenched and extinguished in thee, till nothing but self and hell is left to thee. In the name, and in the strength of God, love all men. Love thy neighbour as thyself, and do to thy neighbour as thou doest to thyself. And do it now. For now is the accepted time; and now is the day of salvation!’"
Emphases mine
So just do it. Now!
Blessings,
Michael Mangold, Winter Solstice 2020
@DrMikeMangold
Displaying 1 of 1 review