Synopsis
ECKHART (generally called Meister
Eckart), but a part of him; and - here enters the easy the most remarkable of
the German mystics of the transition from Eckart’s pantheistic
speculations fourteenth century, was probably born at Strass- to his ascetic
morals - the true object of human burg, 1260, and died, probably on a journey
to Avignon, 1329. He belonged to the Dominican
order, and was prior of Erfurt towards the close of the thirteenth century. In
1302 he taught in the College of St. Jacques in Paris, and took the degree of
licentiatus theologiæ. In 1303 he was appointed provincial of his order
for Saxony, and in 1307 vicar-general for Bohemia. In 1308 he again taught in
Paris, and in 1316 he settled at Strassburg as vicar for the grand-master of
his order. There he became acquainted with the Brethren of the Free Spirit; and
when, some time after, he was removed to Francfort as prior of the Dominican monastery, the extraordinary
character of his preaching aroused suspicion, and he was accused, before the
grand-master Hervé (at that moment present at Metz), of entertaining
connections with suspicious persons. An investigation was instituted, and
Eckart was acquitted. Archbishop Henry of Cologne, however, the implacable
enemy of the Beghards, had formed an opinion of his own about Eckart; and in
1325 very heavy accusations against him were laid before the chapter of the
order assembled in Venice. Nicholas of Strassburg, as papal nuntius et
minister, was charged with the investigation; and, as he himself belonged
to the mystical school of theology, he found nothing to blame in Eckart. But
Henry would not suffer himself to be robbed of his prey in this way. He accused
both Eckart and his protector, Nicholas, of heresy; and a regular process was
instituted before an episcopal court of inquisition. Both Eckart and Nicholas
protested against the competency of the court, and appealed to the Pope; but
they were, nevertheless, both of them condemned. On Feb. 13, 1329, Eckart read
from the pulpit of the cloister-chapel in Cologne a solemn declaration, in
which he protested his willingness to recant any error into which he might have
fallen. Immediately after, he set out for Avignon; but when the papal decision
was given, in the bull of March 27, 1329, he had died. The bull, however,
treated the case with great leniency. On account of the declaration he had made
at Cologne, Eckart was evidently considered as one who, before death, had
returned to the bosom of the Church. The bull condemned seventeen propositions
of his, and pointed out eleven more as suspicious. But, in spite of this
condemnation, his pupils still clung to him with great reverence and love. When
Heinrich Suso wrote his autobiography, in 1360, he spoke of Eckart as the "holy
master;" and his sermons were frequently copied in the monasteries of Germany,
Switzerland, Tyrol, and Bohemia. In 1430 the papal condemnation was repeated;
but in 1440 Nicholas of Cusa, nevertheless,
mentions Eckart’s works as one of the sources of his system. A collected
edition of his works was given by Franz Pfeiffer, Leipzig, 1857.
What startles the reader in Eckart’s
writings is his strongly pronounced though mystic pantheism, often expressed with singular power. God is not the highest being,
he says, for he is the only being. Outside of God there is nothing but illusion
and deception. In its true existence every creature is not only a revelation of
God, but a part of him; and - here enters the easy transition from
Eckart’s pantheistic speculations to his ascetic morals - the true object
of human life must consequently be to strip it of all illusions and deceptions,
and return into the one great being, God.
C. Schmidt, "Eckhart," Philip
Schaff, ed., A Religious Encyclopaedia or Dictionary of Biblical,
Historical, Doctrinal, and Practical Theology, 3rd edn, Vol. 2. Toronto,
New York & London: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1894. pp.688-689.
 |
 Meister Eckhart, Selected Writings.
Penguin USA, 1995. Pbk. ISBN: 0140433430. pp.336. |
|
 Edmund Colledge & Bernard McGinn, Meister
Eckhart: The Essential Sermons, Commentaries, Treatises, and Defense.
Classics of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1982. Pbk. ISBN:
0809123703. pp.366. |
 |
Light, Life,
and Love (Christian Classics Ethereal Library) |
|
 Bernard McGinn, Frank Tobin
& Elvira Borgstadt, Meister Eckhart: Teacher and Preacher. Classics
of Western Spirituality. New York: Paulist Press, 1987. Pbk. ISBN: 0809128276.
pp.420. |
|
Edmund
& McGinn Bernard Colledge & Bernard McGinn, eds. Selected Latin and
German Works. London: SPCK, 1982. Pbk. ISBN: 0281038481. |
|
 F. Franz Pfeiffer, Works of Meister
Eckhart. R A Kessinger Publishing Co., 1940. Hbk. ISBN: 156459274X.
pp.728. |
|
Jeanne
Ancelet-Hustache, Master Eckhart and the Rhineland Mystics. New York:
Harper Torchbooks, 1957. pp.190. |
|
James
Midgley Clark, The Great German Mystics: Eckhart, Tauler, Suso. Russell
& Russell Publishers, 1970. ISBN: 0846213516. |
 |
Winfried
Corduan, "A Hair's Breadth From Pantheism: Meister Eckhart's God-Centered
Spirituality," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 37.2
(1994): 263-274. |
|
 Oliver Davies, Meister
Eckhart: Mystical Theologian. London: SPCK, 1991. Pbk. ISBN: 0281045208.
pp.274. |
|
Michael
Demkovich, "Meister Eckhart on Justice and True Obedience," Louvain
Studies 18.2 (1993): 131-144. |
|
Blake R.
Heffner, "Meister Eckhart and a Millennium with Mary and Martha," Lutheran
Quarterly 5.2 (1991): 171-185. |
|
Dom
Sylvester Houedard, Commentaries on Meister Eckhart Sermons. Beshara
Publications, 2000. Pbk. ISBN: 0904975258. |
|
C
F Kelley, Meister Eckhart on Divine Knowledge. Yale University Press,
1977. Hbk. ISBN: 0300020988. pp.285. |
|
Niklaus
Largier, "Recent Works on Meister Eckhart: Positions, Problems, New
Perspectives, 1990-1997," Recherches de Theol et Phil Medievales 65.1
(1998): 147-167. |
|
David E.
Linge, "Mysticism, Poverty and Reason in the Thought of Meister Eckhart," Journal of American Academy of Religion 46.4 (1978):
465-488. |
|
John
Loeschen, "The God Who Becomes: Eckhart on Divine Relativity," Thomist 35.3 (1971): 405-422. |
|
Bernard
McGinn, "The God Beyond God: Theology and Mysticism in the Thought of Meister
Eckhart," Journal of Religion 61.1 (1981): 1-19. |
|
Bernard
McGinn, Frank Tobin & Elvira Borgstadt, eds., Meister Eckhart: Teacher
and Preacher. London: SPCK, 1987. Pbk. ISBN: 0281042780. |
|
 Bernard McGinn, The Mystical Thought of Meister
Eckhart: The Man from Whom God Hid Nothing. The Edward Cadbury Lectures,
2000-2001. Herder & Herder, 2001. Hbk. ISBN: 0824519140. pp.320. |
|
Joseph
Politella, "Meister Eckhart and Eastern Wisdom," Philosophy East and
West 15.2 (1965): 117-133. |
|
Michael
Sells, "Emanation and Mysticism in the Writings of Meister Eckhart," Listening 29.3 (1994): 174-185. |
|
Robert S.
Stoudt, "Meister Eckhart and the 'Eternal Birth': The Heart of the Preacher," Thomist 50.2 (1986): 238-259. |
|
Cornelius
Williams, "Meister Eckhart: the Man and His message," Theology Digest 36.3 (1989): 221-226. |
|
Richard
Woods, "Meister Eckhart and the Neoplatonic Heritage: The Thinker's Way of
God," Thomist 54.4 (1990): 609-639. |
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