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Meister Eckhart's Book of Darkness & Light: Meditations on the Path of the Wayless Way
“Within each of us is a divine treasure, and if we hope to discover it, we need to go deep into the heart of who we are.” —Meister Eckhart
Meister Eckhart has been a huge figure in spirituality for more than eight hundred years—spiritual leaders such as Eckhart Tolle, Richard Rohr, and Matthew Fox have all credited Eckhart as being an important influence on their thought.
This book of Meister Eckhart meditations is for people seeking the “wayless way.” It is not for those looking for a simple path. These fresh, stunning renderings of Eckhart’s writings in poetic form bring life to one of the great spiritual voices of any age. They reveal what it means to love God and find meaning in darkness. Not darkness in general, but your darkness, because it is the one thing you know something about—without facing your darkness, you’ll never know what it means to desire the light. Only when you are in the darkness, Meister says, do you have even the possibility of seeing the light.
“What Coleman Barks has done for Rumi, Sweeney and Burrows have done for Eckhart—making his insight accessible and his wisdom sing.” —Carl McColman, author of The New Big Book of Christian Mysticism and Eternal Heart
“Sweeney and Burrows, in poems that are as elegant as they are scholarly, revoice Meister Eckhart’s grounding and expansive instructions to ‘seek the light that shines / out of the darkness.’” —Pádraig Ó Tuama, poet and host of Poetry Unbound, from On Being Studios
Meister Eckhart has been a huge figure in spirituality for more than eight hundred years—spiritual leaders such as Eckhart Tolle, Richard Rohr, and Matthew Fox have all credited Eckhart as being an important influence on their thought.
This book of Meister Eckhart meditations is for people seeking the “wayless way.” It is not for those looking for a simple path. These fresh, stunning renderings of Eckhart’s writings in poetic form bring life to one of the great spiritual voices of any age. They reveal what it means to love God and find meaning in darkness. Not darkness in general, but your darkness, because it is the one thing you know something about—without facing your darkness, you’ll never know what it means to desire the light. Only when you are in the darkness, Meister says, do you have even the possibility of seeing the light.
“What Coleman Barks has done for Rumi, Sweeney and Burrows have done for Eckhart—making his insight accessible and his wisdom sing.” —Carl McColman, author of The New Big Book of Christian Mysticism and Eternal Heart
“Sweeney and Burrows, in poems that are as elegant as they are scholarly, revoice Meister Eckhart’s grounding and expansive instructions to ‘seek the light that shines / out of the darkness.’” —Pádraig Ó Tuama, poet and host of Poetry Unbound, from On Being Studios
- GenresSpiritualityChristianity
165 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 1, 2023
90 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
Jon M. Sweeney
111 books85 followersJon M. Sweeney is an independent scholar and writer of popular history. He is married, the father of three, and lives in Montpelier, Vermont. He has worked in book publishing for 25 years: after co-founding SkyLight Paths Publishing, he was the editor in chief and publisher at Paraclete Press, and in August 2015 became editorial director at Franciscan Media Books.
He has written more than 20 books, seven about Francis of Assisi, including "When Saint Francis Saved the Church" and "The Complete Francis of Assisi." HBO has optioned the film rights to "The Pope Who Quit."
Jon's first 20 years were spent as an involved evangelical (a story told in the memoir "Born Again and Again"); he then spent 22 years as an active Episcopalian (see "Almost Catholic," among others); and on the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi in 2009 he was received into the Catholic Church. Today, Jon is a practicing Catholic who also prays regularly with his wife, a rabbi. He loves the church, the synagogue, and other aspects of organized religion. He would never say that he's "spiritual but not religious."
In all of his writing, Jon is drawn to the ancient and medieval (see "The Road to Assisi," and "Inventing Hell"). Many of his books have been selections of the History Book Club, Book-of-the-Month Club, and Quality Paperback Book Club.
He has written more than 20 books, seven about Francis of Assisi, including "When Saint Francis Saved the Church" and "The Complete Francis of Assisi." HBO has optioned the film rights to "The Pope Who Quit."
Jon's first 20 years were spent as an involved evangelical (a story told in the memoir "Born Again and Again"); he then spent 22 years as an active Episcopalian (see "Almost Catholic," among others); and on the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi in 2009 he was received into the Catholic Church. Today, Jon is a practicing Catholic who also prays regularly with his wife, a rabbi. He loves the church, the synagogue, and other aspects of organized religion. He would never say that he's "spiritual but not religious."
In all of his writing, Jon is drawn to the ancient and medieval (see "The Road to Assisi," and "Inventing Hell"). Many of his books have been selections of the History Book Club, Book-of-the-Month Club, and Quality Paperback Book Club.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 25, 2025
Wow.
Every page was a great read!
It opens up countless spiritual doorways! Deep breaths and tears throughout.
"Light is only for the humble."
Every page was a great read!
It opens up countless spiritual doorways! Deep breaths and tears throughout.
"Light is only for the humble."
May 1, 2024
Paraphrases/loose translations of Eckhart's writings stylized as poems, this collection of writings is something to sit with over a long period of time and hope its message of God's radiance always within you no matter what your external concerns or sufferings are seeps in and takes hold. The Wayless Way, how Eckhart described the Christian faith, is not one where we follow a path clearly defined, but where we let go of the need to find the correct path and live in joy that God is present and able to experienced no matter what path the uncertainty of life takes us on.
May 23, 2025
I started this little book over a year ago and I'm about halfway through. This is about the most savory stuff you can give your attention to, friend. I read a bit and camp out with a poem (or pair) as long as it seems I need to sit with them. I love this work so much and can't recommend it highly enough. As an introduction to Eckhart's thinking and writing, I couldn't ask for a more generous and provocative meeting.
April 3, 2023
This book sheds light on a new spiritual realm, quite different from reality in the form of poetry. In my opinion, the beginning and middle are beautifully written, with quite a few concepts and metaphors that capture your thinking and make you question your thoughts. Though nearing the end, the book becomes centered around God, within the terms of Christianity, and for an avid reader independent of religion, it can get quite tedious, to say the least.
August 5, 2023
Wonderful meditations to prompt thinking about God.
February 21, 2024
A beautiful, accessible, poetic rendering of Meister Eckhart teachings. It makes me want to dig deeper in his thinking. A good book to lead into meditation.
June 4, 2024
A book about finding inner peace and our essential role of creating a peaceful world through the examples and lives of others.
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July 2, 2025Wonderful short religious poems by this catholic mystic.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews