Meister Eckhart: The Essential Sermons, Commentaries, Treatises, and Defense

The Classics of Western Spirituality

by Meister Eckhart, Edmund Colledge (Editor), Bernard McGinn (Editor)

Genres: Spirituality

366 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1981

About the author

Eckhart von Hochheim, commonly known as Meister Eckhart, was a German theologian, philosopher and mystic, born near Gotha, in Thuringia.

Meister is German for "Master", referring to the academic title Magister in theologia he obtained in Paris. Coming into prominence during the decadent Avignon Papacy and a time of increased tensions between the Franciscans and Eckhart's Dominican Order of Preacher Friars, he was brought up on charges later in life before the local Franciscan-led Inquisition. Tried as a heretic by Pope John XXII, his "Defence" is famous for his reasoned arguments to all challenged articles of his writing and his refutation of heretical intent. He purportedly died before his verdict was received, although no record of his death or burial site has ever been discovered.

Meister Eckhart is sometimes (erroneously) referred to as "Johannes Eckhart", although Eckhart was his given name and von Hochheim was his surname.

"Perhaps no mystic in the history of Christianity has been more influential and more controversial than the Dominican Meister Eckart. Few, if any, mystics have been as challenging to modern day readers and as resistant to agreed-upon interpretation."
—Bernard McGinn, The Mystical Thought of Meister Eckhart

Reviews

[tomas p · Rating 4 out of 5]

hes so chill

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was way over my head. It was a struggle to read and I am not sure if it did me much good. Maybe it would be more meaningful to a learned theologian, or just someone who is smarter. But I gave it my best shot