Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior for Our Times

by Matthew Fox

Though he lived in the thirteenth century, Meister Eckhart’s deeply ecumenical teachings were in many ways modern. He taught about what we call ecology, championed artistic creativity, and advocated for social, economic, and gender justice. All these elements have inspired spiritual maverick Matthew Fox and influenced his Creation Spirituality. Here, Fox creates metaphorical meetings between Eckhart and Teilhard de Chardin, Thich Nhat Hanh, Carl Jung, Black Elk, Rumi, Adrienne Rich, and other radical thinkers. The result is profoundly insightful, substantive, and inspiring.

Genres: Spirituality, Philosophy, Religion, Biography, Christianity, Nonfiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published June 10, 2014

About the author

Timothy James "Matthew " Fox is an American priest and theologian. Formerly a member of the Dominican Order within the Catholic Church, he became a member of the Episcopal Church following his expulsion from the order in 1993.
Fox has written 35 books that have been translated into 68 languages and have sold millions of copies and by the mid-1990s had attracted a "huge and diverse following"

Reviews

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matthew Fox has an amazing and original way of having his subjects converse with one another so that their comparisons benefit all readers. "Life changing" is a phrase I don't throw around lightly but I truly mean it. This book touched me, caused me to ponder things I hadn't before and enlightened me to different aspects of belief that I hadn't heard of. It's one of those books that take forever to read, not because it's written difficultly but because you read a few pages then need to savor it. This was the most wonderfully thought provoking book I've read lately.

[Phil Calandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is essentially the study of Meister Eckhart's mysticism through the various lenses of other mystics, philosophers, educators and thinkers. In my view, the book misses the mark and does not help in a broader and richer understanding of Meister Eckhart's spirituality. No criticism of the other thinkers but the comparisons between Meister Eckhart and the others are flimsy at best and do not give the feel or appreciation of this great mystics spirituality

[John Fredrickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is quite a book. I have been curious about Eckhart for a long time, and thought this book would offer a good introduction to him. It is an outstanding introduction. This book not only makes me want to read Eckhart's sermons (I never ever thought I would say something like that), but it ties Eckhart to other spiritually-minded souls as well, in a way that is very educational.

Whether your background is that of Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Sufism, or more humanist approaches like psychology, this book incorporates all of these and more, one chapter at a time.

The way that Fox opens up the Christian message in light of these other religious practices was eye-opening. He educates the reader in modern discoveries of gospels and what they (potentially) indicate about the nature of Christianity at the time of the actual Christ. This reading of the Christian message is radically different from that which is offered by the Church.

The book is a little uneven in its accessibility (at least to me). While much of it was great and fascinating, I found the sections on feminism and education in particular to be more difficult to appreciate. The sections at the end of the book, where Fox attempts to enfold ecology, justice and education into his argument, felt forced compared to much of the material that preceded it. In spite of the difficulty I experienced at the latter part of the book, I still found the book to be instruction and enlightening.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good information but an awful lot of it.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some intriguing insights into mystical theologies.

[Nigel Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible. Integrative. Inspiring. Has encouraged me to keep moving forward beyond what I've grown accustomed to.

[Paul Rack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good look at the resonances of Eckhart with more contemporary writers, with the glaring exception that Fox, in his characteristic exuberance and enthusiasm, completely misconstrues the agenda of the quests for the historical Jesus. While Eckhart did distinguish between the HJ and the X of faith, he did so to emphasize the importance of the latter. Eckhart was nothing if not a devotee of the gospel of John. Questers largely reject John and the X of faith in their quest to reduce Jesus to an insignificant peasant. All the other chapters are wonderful.

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent overview of mysticism in all its forms centered on the writings of the the Christian, 13-14th century mystic Meister Eckhart. Matthew Fox shows the many affinities between Eckhart and other mystics from before his time until the present. Sometimes the comparisons are a little stretched, but overall well done.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not do Meister Eckhart justice. I loved the succinct narratives on various ways of understanding and articulating the Divine Mystery, but the practice of inserting Meister Eckhart into these traditions was contrived. He might have used his research/knowledge to simply write on Meister Eckhart.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly superb.