The Way of Paradox: Spiritual Life as Taught by Meister Eckhart

by Cyprian Smith

Spiritual guide for followers of Meister Eckhart

Genres: Spirituality, Religion, Theology, Christianity, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Taede Smedes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant book on the thought of Meister Eckhart. Instead of giving an exegesis of some of Eckhart's works, Smith describes in broad strokes the spirituality of Meister Eckhart, and how his ideas hang together. But Smith also describes how Eckhart's thought can be a source of inspiration for spirituality today. Interestingly, because of Smith's description of Eckhart's thought - especially in the way Eckhart's ideas are shot through wich paradox - Eckhart's spirituality comes very close to that of Zen Buddhism. (Smith acknowledges this at different places, by saying that "[a]ny genuine expression of truth in one particular place sets up resonances, or echoes, everywhere else", 130). Although a slender volume, the thought in this book goes deep. Recommended for those who not only want an introduction to Eckhart's ideas, but also see how it can be applied to one's own life.

[Charlotte Wrenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a an incredible book that I am now reading for the third time - I want to breathe this knowledge. Cyprian Smith lucidly explains the main themes of Meister Ekhart's teaching, while relating it to the insights of modern psychology. It is as current and alive a spiritual book in 2012 as if the Master actually lived as though 'time' was now. Riveting! I cannot recommend it highly enough!

[Niamh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, it was an engaging enough bite-sized chunk of Meister Eckhart's teachings from a very astute and knowledgeable author. It was fascinating for me to read what are essentially non-dual teachings from the perspective of a Christian. Having had a catholic upbringing, dropping the faith and coming to advaita and nonduality via buddhism, this felt like a coming home of sorts to a Christian language that, although familiar, has remained utterly mysterious to me. To finally understand the Father as Godhead or pure awareness, the Son as manifestation and the Holy spirit as Shakti was big for me!! Certain interpretations, such as that on Nothingness didn't ring true for me however... I was unsure whether this was Eckhart's interpretation or the authors as direct quotes were not too frequent in the text, and I skimmed over a few parts that didn't keep me in thrall.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be an interesting and engaging guide to the spiritual insights of Meister Eckhart and his relevance for spiritual life today (particularly for Christians, though non-Christians with some understanding of Christian theology and its concepts may find this a fruitful read too). Smith links the work of Eckhart with the spiritual challenges, insights, and yearnings that he identifies today. The book is not a how-to guide for specific spiritual practices, but in this way Smith encourages the reader to think about the interplay between inner and outer transformation in each person’s own spiritual journey in connection with Eckhart’s thought.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been on my to-read list for a while, and I picked it after trying to find something for my next read. It's hard to find an available copy, it doesn't seem to be widely available these days. It wasn't at my local library, at least. I was able to find a digital copy on the Internet Archive, so I read it from there. I think I added to the book to my to-read list when I found the title in a bibliography? I read a book aways back, "".

Anyhow, Meister Eckart was a 13th century Catholic monk. He got into trouble for teachings that were considered heretical, but the author here argues that is a misunderstanding and has been revitalized today as a model of Christian mysticism. But mysticism for Eckart is a bit different. It doesn't mean seeking out crazy supernatural experiences or encounters with deity; it means being united with God in everyday experiences, whatever you are doing, whether doing the dishes, attending church, or going to work. It's something anyone can do. The author hones in on Eckhart's concept of detachment-- which doesn't mean being cold or uncaring, not by any means. It means not being attached to the self in any way. You can hold and care for your loved ones, you can cry and experience emotion, but still exhibit detachment. Sometimes it's hard to understand fully but that's where the title comes in, "way of paradox."

It's a great book. I will try to add some quotes that were personally meaningful to me.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fr. Smith does a decent job of summarizing and interjecting aspects of Eckhardt's teachings into palatable formats that can be chewed for nourishment of spiritual lives. The book should be read several times slowly to allow time for meditative thought on the keys that it contains. It is definitely worth keeping in your library for reference over time.

[Norman Hawker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be interesting, but not particularly well written. The author often fails to distinguish between his thinking from Eckhart's. Worse, he uses confusing metaphors and fails to define key terms adequately. I wish I could recommend this book, but I can't.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Required Reading.

[Wylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our lives - a going out and coming in. The great heartbeat

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave me a ton to think about.

[Peter Jonsson · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of words. I only liked the parts that were direct quotes from Meister Eckhart. Bang On target. The rest was an endless stream of words, bla bla bla Freud, Jung bla, bla bla.