Meister Eckhart(1260 — 1328)
Meister Eckhart
Allemagne
6 min read
German Dominican theologian, philosopher, and mystic of the Middle Ages. A major figure of Rhineland mysticism, he preached the union of the soul with God and the idea of detachment. Some of his theses were condemned by a papal bull in 1329.
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Born around 1260 in Thuringia (Holy Roman Empire)
- Joins the Dominican order and teaches theology in Paris in the early 14th century
- A Master of theology (hence his nickname “Meister”), he preaches in the German vernacular
- In 1326, an inquisition trial is opened against him in Cologne over his theses
- Died around 1328; in 1329, the bull “In agro dominico” condemns 28 of his propositions
Works & Achievements
Advice given to the young Dominicans of Erfurt on obedience and the inner life; his first major work in German.
The heart of his influence: vernacular preaching on the union of the soul with God and the birth of God in the soul.
A treatise that places detachment above all other virtues, a key concept of his spirituality.
A great unfinished Latin summa blending propositions, questions, and biblical commentaries, intended for scholars.
A major philosophical exegesis developing his thought on the Word and the relationship between God and creation.
A treatise of consolation written for a grieving queen, explaining how the detached soul finds peace in God.
Part of his Latin work connecting Aristotelian philosophy with Christian theology.
Anecdotes
Meister Eckhart taught twice at the University of Paris as a “Master of Theology,” an exceptionally rare honor that, among the Dominicans, only Thomas Aquinas had received before him. It is from this double mastership that he draws his nickname, the “Master.”
He preached in German before nuns and laypeople, not only in the Latin reserved for scholars. By coining new words to express the inexpressible (such as “detachment,” *Abgeschiedenheit*), he profoundly shaped the German philosophical language.
Accused of heresy near the end of his life, Eckhart defended himself before the judges of Cologne, declaring that he could be mistaken but could not be a heretic, for error belongs to the intellect and heresy to the will.
He died around 1328 before the end of his trial. The following year, in 1329, the papal bull “In agro dominico” condemned 28 of his propositions, 17 of them judged heretical and 11 suspect.
His sermons nearly vanished after his condemnation, but copies circulated quietly in the convents. Rediscovered in the 19th century by German philosophers, he is today regarded as one of the greatest mystics of the West.
Primary Sources
As long as you still have the will to do the will of God, you are not poor in the sense we mean. For that person is poor who wills nothing, knows nothing, and has nothing.
I have read many writings, both of pagan masters and of the prophets, and I have found no virtue higher than pure detachment from all things.
We condemn the first fifteen articles and the last two as heretical, and the remaining eleven articles as suspect and rash.
In the beginning, that is, in the Son, God created heaven and earth, for through him all things were made.
Key Places
Region of Thuringia, in the Holy Roman Empire, where Eckhart was born around 1260 into a family of the minor nobility.
The greatest intellectual center of the West, where Eckhart taught twice as a master of theology, an exceptional achievement for a Dominican.
Rhineland city where Eckhart settled around 1314, preaching to Beguines and nuns and becoming a central figure of Rhineland mysticism.
Seat of the Dominican studium generale where Eckhart taught and where the heresy trial against him opened in 1326.
Residence of the popes in the 14th century, where Eckhart went to defend his theses and where he most likely died around 1328.
Dominican priory in Thuringia where Eckhart served as prior in his youth and wrote his “Talks of Instruction” intended for novices.