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Passion for Creation

The Earth-Honoring Spirituality of Meister Eckhart
AUTHOR:
Fox, Matthew
SUBJECT:
New Age

Religion & Spirituality

Nonfiction
DESCRIPTION:

• Matthew Fox's comprehensive translation of Meister Eckhart's sermons is a meeting of true prophets across hundreds of years that results in a spirituality for the new millennium.

• A brilliant interpretation of Eckhart's teachings on creation spirituality. Passion for Creation (formerly Breakthrough) is Matthew Fox's comprehensive translation of and original commentary on the critical German and Latin texts of 37 sermons by Meister Eckhart, the noted 14th-century Dominican priest, preacher, and mystic. 

The goodness of creation, 

the holiness of all things, 

the divine blood in each person, 

the need to let go and let be

—these are among Eckhart's themes, 

themes that the best-selling author Matthew Fox brilliantly interprets and explains for today's reader. 

Passion for Creation will be embraced by theologians, students, and all seekers of truth. 

It will be especially welcomed by those interested in creation spirituality, which Eckhart advocated six centuries ago and which Matthew Fox has promoted as a spiritual path for the new millennium. 

Simply put, this book is a meeting of two prophets across hundreds of years. The outcome of that meeting is a fount of wisdom.

PUBLISHER:
Inner Traditions

Inner Traditions/Bear & Company
PERIOD_DATE:
2000/01/01
ERC_FORMAT:
HTML

Adobe EPUB
LANGUAGE:
English

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Robert A. Cathey

5.0 out of 5 stars Matthew Fox Guides Readers into Insights from the mystic Meister Eckhart

Reviewed in the United States on 14 July 2019

Working with an expert in medieval church Latin and Middle High German, Fox presents new translations of over 30 of Eckhart's sermons (and a passage from one of his theological treatises), organized around four headings: the Positive Way; the Negative Way; the Creative Way; the Transformative Way. Fox shows how Eckhart's approach to mysticism makes it more accessible to ordinary seekers and believers who want to go deeper in our spiritual lives without fleeing into a monastery. 

Eckhart was truly a revolutionary in his times, championing women-centered religious movements and declaring all persons were aristocrats (over against the wealthy merchants of Cologne). 

His notion that 'the new birth' unites our souls to God in a manner associated only with Christ's union with divinity is still revolutionary and controversial. 

According to Fox, 

if Eckhart had received the attention later afforded to Luther, 

Christianity would have been set on a more positive basis in regard to how human nature and potential are valued, 

over against Augustine's novel and influential doctrine of 'original sin.' 

The book provides over a month of sermons and commentaries for serious study, daily spiritual reading, or a crash course in reasons for seeking a deeper live in God for seekers and believers today.

3 people found this helpful

 

Donald M. Joy

5.0 out of 5 stars PERSISTENT BLESSING

Reviewed in the United States on 9 September 2015

Verified Purchase

Matthew Fox first wrote Original Blessing, insisting that God's original creation was all blessing, and with Augustine the the concept of 'original sin" originated.

 I feasted on Meister Eckhart's sermons and the commentary and discussion of each sermon. There seem to be endless sermons, and when I found I had "finished the book" I was shocked with sadness. 

Reading the sermons and commentary was my daily "reset" for meditation with blessing and wrapping all of my concerns with blessings and enveloping all of my concerns with blessing and embracing those people with with present, past, and continuing affirmation and inclusion.

4 people found this helpful

 

The Book Worm

5.0 out of 5 stars The "inness" of God

Reviewed in the United States on 7 September 2012

Verified Purchase

I recommend this book for anyone who has ever contemplated questions such as, "Why am I here?" What is the purpose of my life?" 

And, yes, for those of us who still, in this non-believing time ask, "Where is God?" 

Fox's contemplation of the sermons this little-known theologian from the 14th c. reveals a message that especially illuminates our time. Like ours, the 14th c. was an age of degradation, disillusionment and the corruption of society's basic institutions.

Eckhart, a scriptural scholar trained in Scholastic theology, explains in simple language, the relationship of an eternal, creating God with all creation. 

In his words, the relationship is an "inness" of all creation in and with God. 

There is no God "out there." And since the very being of God is the act of creating, we are invited to share this act. 

This mystical insight powerfully links Christianity with other great religious and philisophical traditions. Eckhart argues that it is our destiny to seek "compassion," which he defines as comprised of 2 parts: love and justice. 

Eckhart believe this is the elegant message of Torah and the Gospels. I found Fox's introduction to the material sophisticated, but always easily understood and compelling, as are the sermons themselves.

The one criticism I would note is that the Kindle version has numerous punctuation and spelling errors, which can be a distraction.

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8 people found this helpful

 

Nonformal Educator

3.0 out of 5 stars Overkill

Reviewed in the United States on 2 August 2021

Verified Purchase

Way too much information - 600 pages worth. It was difficult to glean out the several good messages I was able to find.

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Nick Mather added it

In this series of translations of Eckhart's sermons followed by commentaries on them, Matthew Fox clearly demonstrates Eckhart's relevance in the 21st century. I agree that Eckhart provides a much needed alternative to Christianity as it is practiced today, that is still within the Christian tradition. A very inspirational work. (less)

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Lenny

Jul 29, 2009Lenny rated it it was amazing

Fox may be a quack. He may also be a genius. In either case, Eckhart was a saint. LOVED the full versions of the sermons offered in this book. The translations are fresh and startling. Whether they are all together faithful to the old German, I can't say. (less)

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Nick Mather added it

In this series of translations of Eckhart's sermons followed by commentaries on them, Matthew Fox clearly demonstrates Eckhart's relevance in the 21st century. I agree that Eckhart provides a much needed alternative to Christianity as it is practiced today, that is still within the Christian tradition. A very inspirational work. (less)

 

Lenny

Jul 29, 2009Lenny rated it it was amazing

Fox may be a quack. He may also be a genius. In either case, Eckhart was a saint. LOVED the full versions of the sermons offered in this book. The translations are fresh and startling. Whether they are all together faithful to the old German, I can't say. (less)

Mysticism and Reform, 1400-1750 by Sara S. Poor | Goodreads

Mysticism and Reform, 1400-1750 by Sara S. Poor | Goodreads



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Mysticism and Reform, 1400-1750
(ReFormations: Medieval and Early Modern)
by
Sara S. Poor (Editor),
Nigel Smith (Editor)
0.00 · Rating details · 0 ratings · 0 reviews
The apparent disappearance of mysticism in the Protestant world after the Reformation used to be taken as an example of the arrival of modernity. However, as recent studies in history and literary history reveal, the “Reformation” was not experienced in such a drastically transformative manner, not least because the later Middle Ages itself was marked by a series of reform movements within the Catholic Church in which mysticism played a central role.

In Mysticism and Reform, 1400-1750, contributors show that it is more accurate to characterize the history of early modern mysticism as one in which relationships of continuity within transformations occurred. Rather than focus on the departures of the sixteenth-century Reformation from medieval traditions, the essays in this volume explore one of the most remarkable yet still under-studied chapters in its history: the survival and transformation of mysticism between the late Middle Ages and the early modern period.

With a focus on central and northern Europe, the essays engage such subjects as 

• the relationship of Luther to mystical writing, 
• the visual representation of mystical experience in fifteenth- and sixteenth-century art, 
• mystical sermons by religious women of the Low Countries, 
• Valentin Weigel’s recasting of Eckhartian Gelassenheit for a Lutheran audience, and 
• the mysticism of English figures such as Gertrude More, 
• Jane Lead, Elizabeth Hooten, and 
• John Austin, the German Catharina Regina von Greiffenberg, and 
• the German American Marie Christine Sauer.

"Mysticism and Reform, 1400-1750 is an important and consistently insightful contribution to the fields of mysticism, of European and American cultural studies, of the history of religion, and of women's studies. It offers new ways of thinking about the relationships between and among historical periods, texts, and national cultures." —Lynn Staley, Harrington and Shirley Drake Professor of the Humanities and Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Colgate University (less)

Why a 14th-century mystic appeals to today's 'spiritual but not religious' Americans

Why a 14th-century mystic appeals to today's 'spiritual but not religious' Americans


Why a 14th-century mystic appeals to today’s ‘spiritual but not religious’ Americans

December 6, 2018 


Author
Joel Harrington

Centennial Professor of History, Vanderbilt University
Disclosure statement
A sculpture of Meister Eckhart in Germany. Lothar Spurzem , CC BY-SA

The percentage of Americans who do not identify with any religious tradition continues to rise annually. Not all of them, however, are atheists or agnostics. Many of these people believe in a higher power, if not organized religion, and their numbers too are steadily increasing.

The history of organized religion is full of schisms, heresies and other breakaways. What is different at this time is a seemingly indiscriminate mixing of diverse religious traditions to form a personalized spirituality, often referred to as “cafeteria spirituality.” This involves picking and choosing the religious ideas one likes best.

At the heart of this trend is the general conviction that all world religions share a fundamental, common basis, a belief known as “perennialism.” And this is where the unlikely figure of Meister Eckhart, a 14th-century Dominican friar famous for his popular sermons on the direct experience of God, is finding popular appeal.

Who was Meister Eckhart?

I have studied Meister Eckhart and his ideas of mysticism. The creative power that people address as “God,” he explained, is already present within each individual and is best understood as the very force that infuses all living things.

Get your news from people who know what they’re talking about.Hear from them

He believed this divinity to be genderless and completely “other” from humans, accessible not through images or words but through a direct encounter within each person.A sculpture of Meister Eckhart in Germany. Lothar Spurzem, CC BY-SA

The method of direct access to the divine, according to Eckhart, depended on an individual letting go of all desires and images of God and becoming aware of the “divine spark” present within.

Seven centuries ago, Eckhart embraced meditation and what is now called mindfulness. Although he never questioned any of the doctrines of the Catholic Church, Eckhart’s preaching eventually resulted in an official investigation and papal condemnation.

Significantly, it was not Eckhart’s overall approach to experiencing God that his superiors criticized, but rather his decision to teach his wisdom. His inquisitors believed the “unlearned and simple people” were likely to misunderstand him. Eckhart, on the other hand, insisted that the proper role of a preacher was to preach.

He died before his trial was complete, but his writings were subsequently censured by a papal decree.

The modern rediscovery of Eckhart

Meister Eckhart thereafter remained relatively little known until his rediscovery by German romantics in the 19th century.

Since then, he has attracted many religious and non-religious admirers. Among the latter were the 20th-century philosophers Martin Heidegger and Jean-Paul Sartre, who were inspired by Eckhart’s beliefs about the self as the sole basis for action. More recently, Pope John Paul II and the current Dalai Lama have expressed admiration for Eckhart’s portrayal of the intimate relationship between God and the individual soul.

During the second half of the 20th century, the overlap of his teachings to many Asian practices played an important role in making him popular with Western spiritual seekers. Thomas Merton, a monk from the Trappist monastic order, for example, who began an exploration of Zen Buddhism later in his life, discovered much of the same wisdom in his own Catholic tradition embodied in Eckhart. He called Eckhart “my life raft,” for opening up the wisdom about developing one’s inner life.

Richard Rohr, a friar from the Franciscan order and a contemporary spirituality writer, views Eckhart’s teachings as part of a long and ancient Christian contemplative tradition. Many in the past, not just monks and nuns have sought the internal experience of the divine through contemplation.

Among them, as Rohr notes were the apostle Paul, the fifth-century theologian Augustine, and the 12th-century Benedictine abbess and composer Hildegard of Bingen.

In the tradition of Eckhart, Rohr has popularized the teaching that Jesus’ death and resurrection represents an individual’s movement from a “false self” to a “true self.” In other words, after stripping away all of the constructed ego, Eckhart guides individuals in finding the divine spark, which is their true identity.

Eckhart and contemporary perennials

Novelist Aldous Huxley frequently cited Eckhart, in his book, ‘The Perennialist Philosophy.’ RV1864/Flickr.com, CC BY-NC-ND

This subjective approach to experiencing the divine was also embraced by Aldous Huxley, best known for his 1932 dystopia, “Brave New World,” and for his later embrace of LSD as a path to self-awareness. Meister Eckhart is frequently cited in Huxley’s best-selling 1945 spiritual compendium, “The Perennialist Philosophy.”

More recently, the mega-best-selling New Age celebrity Eckhart Tolle, born Ulrich Tolle in 1948 in Germany and now based in Vancouver, has taken the perennial movement to a much larger audience. Tolle’s books, drawing from an eclectic mix of Western and Eastern philosophical and religious traditions, have sold millions. His teachings encapsulate the insights of his adopted namesake Meister Eckhart.

While many Christian evangelicals are wary of Eckhart Tolle’s non-religious and unchurched approach, the teachings of the medieval mystic Eckhart have nonetheless found support among many contemporary Catholics and Protestants, both in North America and Europe.

Fully understanding a new spiritual icon

The cautionary note, however, is in too simplistic an understanding of Eckhart’s message.

Eckhart, for instance, did not preach an individualistic, isolated kind of personal enlightenment, nor did he reject as much of his own faith tradition as many modern spiritual but not religious are wont to do.

The truly enlightened person, Eckhart argued, naturally lives an active life of neighborly love, not isolation – an important social dimension sometimes lost today.

Meister Eckhart has some important lessons for those of us trapped amid today’s materialism and selfishness, but understanding any spiritual guide – especially one as obscure as Eckhart – requires a deeper understanding of the context.

Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior for Our Times by Matthew Fox | Goodreads

Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior for Our Times by Matthew Fox | Goodreads






Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior for Our Times

by
Matthew Fox
4.20 · Rating details · 91 ratings · 8 reviews

Though he lived in the thirteenth century, Meister Eckhart’s deeply ecumenical teachings were in many ways modern. He taught about what we call ecology, championed artistic creativity, and advocated for social, economic, and gender justice. All these elements have inspired spiritual maverick Matthew Fox and influenced his Creation Spirituality. Here, Fox creates metaphorical meetings between Eckhart and Teilhard de Chardin, Thich Nhat Hanh, Carl Jung, Black Elk, Rumi, Adrienne Rich, and other radical thinkers. The result is profoundly insightful, substantive, and inspiring. (less)

Paperback, 336 pages
Published July 8th 2014 by New World Library (first published June 10th 2014)

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Jun 15, 2015Phil Calandra rated it it was ok
This book is essentially the study of Meister Eckhart's mysticism through the various lenses of other mystics, philosophers, educators and thinkers. 

In my view, the book misses the mark and does not help in a broader and richer understanding of Meister Eckhart's spirituality. 

No criticism of the other thinkers but the comparisons between Meister Eckhart and the others are flimsy at best and do not give the feel or appreciation of this great mystics spirituality 

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Jun 15, 2019April rated it it was amazing
Shelves: favorites, non-fiction
Matthew Fox has an amazing and original way of having his subjects converse with one another so that their comparisons benefit all readers. "Life changing" is a phrase I don't throw around lightly but I truly mean it. This book touched me, caused me to ponder things I hadn't before and enlightened me to different aspects of belief that I hadn't heard of. It's one of those books that take forever to read, not because it's written difficultly but because you read a few pages then need to savor it. This was the most wonderfully thought provoking book I've read lately. (less)
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Jun 13, 2018Susan rated it liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: did-not-finish
Good information but an awful lot of it.
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Nov 23, 2020Laurie rated it liked it
Some intriguing insights into mystical theologies.
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Feb 25, 2016Paul Rack rated it liked it
Very good look at the resonances of Eckhart with more contemporary writers, with the glaring exception that Fox, in his characteristic exuberance and enthusiasm, completely misconstrues the agenda of the quests for the historical Jesus. While Eckhart did distinguish between the HJ and the X of faith, he did so to emphasize the importance of the latter. Eckhart was nothing if not a devotee of the gospel of John. Questers largely reject John and the X of faith in their quest to reduce Jesus to an insignificant peasant. All the other chapters are wonderful. (less)
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Dec 01, 2015Bryan rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Excellent overview of mysticism in all its forms centered on the writings of the the Christian, 13-14th century mystic Meister Eckhart. Matthew Fox shows the many affinities between Eckhart and other mystics from before his time until the present. Sometimes the comparisons are a little stretched, but overall well done.
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Jul 16, 2015Michele rated it it was ok
Shelves: books-read-in-2015
Did not do Meister Eckhart justice. I loved the succinct narratives on various ways of understanding and articulating the Divine Mystery, but the practice of inserting Meister Eckhart into these traditions was contrived. He might have used his research/knowledge to simply write on Meister Eckhart.

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Product description

Review

"By connecting Eckhart's wisdom to the problems of today, Fox creates a sense of optimistic urgency; solutions do not wait in the future or lie in the past, but are present right now if people choose to act with compassion and conviction. The book is not only an excellent introduction to Eckhart's theology, but also an inspirational guidepost for connecting faith with activism."

-- Publishers Weekly

"In this book Matthew Fox, one of the gigantic Christians of this century, engages and presents Meister Eckhart, one of the gigantic Christians of the ages, in dialogue with some of today's best minds. The result is a stunning new vision of Christianity that transcends both creeds and boundaries. It is a thrilling read."

-- John Shelby Spong, author of The Fourth Gospel: Tales of a Jewish Mystic

"Matthew Fox is perhaps the greatest writer on Meister Eckhart that has ever existed. No one paints as broad a portrait of the master as Fox does in this book."

-- Steven Herrmann, author of Spiritual Democracy

"I can't imagine a richer, juicier, or more relevant introduction to the grandeur and brilliance of Meister Eckhart's vision. Matthew Fox has given us yet another radioactive, stunning work. Every chapter is a pure, clear, and swift revelation."

-- Andrew Harvey, author of The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism

"[Fox] not only gives us his beloved spiritual father as a living presence for our lives but also brings us a whole rainbow of mystic-warriors as companions on the way."

-- Joanna Macy, coauthor of Active Hope

"Whether our species has a future on Earth does not depend on the development of more gee-whiz technologies, but on whether we are willing to move into the psycho-spiritual dimension proclaimed by Meister Eckhart and elucidated by Matthew Fox in this important book."

-- Larry Dossey, MD, author of One Mind

"Crucial! Fox brings Eckhart's voice into cogent meeting with a long list of pivotal global luminaries. Marrying these confluences may well determine the success or failure of our planet's inevitable process toward globalization and multiculturalism."

-- Kurt Johnson, coauthor of The Coming Interspiritual Age

"The special uniqueness of this book lies in Matthew Fox's ability to put a host of ancient and contemporary thinkers and social activists in close mutual relationship with Meister Eckhart. . . . With this book, Matthew Fox gives us an intimation that hope in the future is not some idle passing thought. That it is even possible to have written this book is a reminder that such spiritual searching and the worldwide diversity that accompanies it is more prevalent than one would think."

-- Fred Gustafson, Literary Aficionado --This text refers to the paperback edition.

About the Author

The author of thirty books, Matthew Fox has been an instrumental teacher and scholar in the revival of Western mysticism, particularly the work of Hildegard of Bingen, Meister Eckhart, and Thomas Aquinas. Fox teaches and speaks widely and lives in Oakland, California. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

Print length ‏ : ‎ 338 pages

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars

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Top reviews from other countries

H. A. Weedon

5.0 out of 5 stars Interestingly Helpful.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 May 2015

This work by Matthew Fox has all the marks of being both well researched and well written and it is certainly very readable. It also has the commendable trait of stimulating the reader into finding out more about the various characters referred to in the text. However, the reader needs to be aware that, good as it is, we have here just one scholar's interpretation of the relevance of Meister Eckhart's teaching with regard to realistic religious belief. For instance, there is no mention of the obvious connections between the teachings of Meister Eckhart and such inspiring religious teachers as Hui Neng, Bankei and Thomas Ken or anything about the connection between Eckhart's teachings and the Diamond Sutra. Then again, although Mother Julian of Norwich is given a page to herself, the reader is not taken to the heart of the real resemblances between her teachings and those of Meister Eckhart.

This work will be of more interest to those who already know quite a bit about most of the religious teachers and mystics mentioned in the text. Matthew Fox tries too hard to relate Meister Eckhart's teachings to too many people, some of whom are clearly some way from seeing things as Eckhart did. Where this work becomes truly valuable is in how Eckhart is shown to be the true reformer seeking to inspire spirituality rather than to replace papal dictatorship with biblical dictatorship in a world in which women continued very much to be regarded as inferior to men. Eckhart knew better than this. His teachings reflect a spirituality that is beyond gender, dogma and qualified deification, and this is something that Fox skilfully brings out as we read what he has to say about the host of inspiring characters. For this alone, this work deserves five stars. People of various beliefs and no beliefs at all will find it helpful in all kinds of ways.

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Dangerous Mystic: Meister Eckhart's Path to the God Within by Joel F. Harrington | Goodreads

Dangerous Mystic: Meister Eckhart's Path to the God Within by Joel F. Harrington | Goodreads







Dangerous Mystic: Meister Eckhart's Path to the God Within

by Joel F. Harrington
4.16 · Rating details · 80 ratings · 17 reviews

Life and times of the 14th century German theologian Meister Eckhart, whose theory of a personal path to the divine inspired thinkers from Jean Paul Sartre to Thomas Merton, and most recently, Eckhart Tolle

Meister Eckhart was a medieval Christian mystic whose wisdom powerfully appeals to seekers seven centuries after his death. In the modern era, Eckhart's writings have struck a chord with thinkers as diverse as Heidegger, Merton, Sartre, John Paul II, and the current Dalai Lama. 

He is the inspiration for the bestselling New Age author Eckhart Tolle's pen name, and his fourteenth-century quotes have become an online sensation. Today a variety of Christians, as well as many Zen Buddhists, Sufi Muslims, Jewish Cabbalists, and various spiritual seekers, all claim Eckhart as their own. Meister Eckhart preached a personal, internal path to God at a time when the Church could not have been more hierarchical and ritualistic. Then and now, Eckhart's revolutionary method of direct access to ultimate reality offers a profoundly subjective approach that is at once intuitive and pragmatic, philosophical yet non-rational, and, above all, universally accessible. This "dangerous mystic's" teachings challenge the very nature of religion, yet the man himself never directly challenged the Church.

Eckhart was one of the most learned theologians of his day, but he was also a man of the world who had worked as an administrator for his religious order and taught for years at the University of Paris. His personal path from conventional friar to professor to lay preacher culminated in a spiritual philosophy that combined the teachings of an array of pagan and Christian writers, as well as Muslim and Jewish philosophers. His revolutionary decision to take his approach to the common people garnered him many enthusiastic followers as well as powerful enemies. After Eckhart's death and papal censure, many religious women and clerical supporters, known as the Friends of God, kept his legacy alive through the centuries, albeit underground until the master's dramatic rediscovery by modern Protestants and Catholics.

Dangerous Mystic grounds Meister Eckhart in a world that is simultaneously familiar and alien. In the midst of this medieval society, a few decades before the Black Death, Eckhart boldly preached to captivated crowds a timeless method, a "wayless way," of directly experiencing the divine. (less)

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Hardcover, 384 pages
Published March 20th 2018 by Penguin Press (first published 2018)
ISBN
1101981563 (ISBN13: 9781101981566)
Edition Language
English




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Jan 14, 2019robin friedman rated it it was amazing
A New Study Of Meister Eckhart

For centuries after his death the teachings of the medieval German mystic Meister Eckhart (1260 -- 1328) fell into obscurity. Beginning in the mid-19th century, Eckhart's writings were rediscovered and made widely available. Today many people of widely varying backgrounds and religious dispositions draw inspiration from Eckhart. He has been celebrated in the music of John Adams, for example, and his been a source for popular spiritual works as well as for scholarly study and reflection. I have explored Eckhart at various times of my life for years and have learned from him.

Joel Harrington's recent book, "Dangerous Mystic:Meister Eckhart's Path to the God Within" (2018) shows the author is a person who has thought deeply and learned from Eckhart. His book will be valuable both to scholars and to those readers newly approaching Eckhart. Neither a philosopher nor a theologian, Harrington is Centennial Professor of History at Vanderbilt University who has written about German history in the early modern era of the sixteenth century. In his study of Eckhart, Harrington puts his formidable skills as a historian to use.

Many fine books are available about Eckhart's thought and a still larger number are available about Medieval history. But there are few studies which have integrated the two and considered Eckhart within the context of his times. Harrington does so brilliantly and in the process helped me understand both Eckhart's teachings and his life.

The book consists of four parts each of which works to elucidate part of Eckhart's fundamental teaching of letting go. The first part, "Letting Go of the World" talks about the young Eckhart by discussing the world into which he was born. Harrington describes a culture moving towards a monetary, commercialized economy and the impact of this movement on religious belief. He describes the literature of courtly love and of spiritual search in the context of an increasingly commercial society and explores how this literature doubtlessly influenced the young nobleman and, more importantly, is reflected in Eckhart's writings and in his spiritual search. This part of the book takes Eckhart's biography through his early years as a Dominican friar at Erfurt, his home for most of his life.

The second part of the book "Letting Go of God" explores Eckhart's long period of study of scholastic philosophy in Paris where he ultimately earned the title of "Master" or "Meister" for his extensive learning (roughly equivalent to the modern-day PhD). Harrington gives background on the nature of scholastic life and of the scholastic approach to philosophy and religion. His approach places Eckhart squarely within and, indeed, a master of the scholastic philosophy of his day. Eckhart gradually became attracted to a Neoplatonic approach to philosophy rather than the Aristotelian approach more common in the schools. Eckhart questioned the ability of reason and logic to provide an approach to God and developed an approach relying more on intuition and personal experience. He conceived the project of writing his own "Summa" to rival and correct that of Aquinas. This project was never realized.

In the third part of the book "Letting Go of the Self" Harrington explores Eckart's life after leaving Paris and the academy for reasons which remain uncertain. Eckhart became a skilled administrator in the Dominican order and a preacher. He took his highly developed thought and presented it to the people, especially to religious women, rather than to fellow scholars and students. Importantly he spoke in German rather than in Latin. Harrington describes Eckhart's life as an administrator and he explores Eckhart's relationship to the movement of women's spirituality expressed by the community of beguines, including figures such as Marguerite Porete, who was burned at the stake for heresy. There is a great deal of mutual influence between Eckhart's teachings and the teachings of the beguines. In this part of the book, Harrington offers an exposition of Eckhart's basic and difficult teachings and of his frequently paradoxical style of writing. Eckhart was aware both of the limitations of human speech and of the necessity of speech for finite beings to approach understanding.

The final part of the book "Holding on to Religion" addresses both holding on and letting go. Harrington discusses the inquisition into Eckhart's thought which ultimately led to the papal condemnation of some of his writing after Eckhart's death. The condemnation was based on the alleged antinomian character of Eckhart's work, its possible radical individualism, and its alleged break from institutional Catholicism. Eckhart's reputation went into eclipse for centuries, and Harrington traces the course of the history of Eckhart's reception in the final sections of his book. With the revival of interest in Eckhart, the tension in understanding his work that began at the outset has revived: some of those who learn from Eckhart place him within the boundaries of orthodox Christian teaching while others see Eckhart as breaking away towards a new form of spirituality outside the bounds of any particular religion.

In placing Eckhart thoroughly within the context of his times and in his insightful discussions of Eckhart's teachings, Harrington's sympathies lie clearly with seeing Eckhart within the context of Christian teachings. Harrington is properly skeptical of relativistic, anything goes understandings of Eckhart. Still, Harrington recognizes that Eckhart's words and teachings in some ways break through traditional Christianity and have allowed those people influenced by Eastern religions, as well as those with a mystical bent in the Moslem and Jewish traditions, and those not professing any particular religion and in some cases not being religious at all to learn from Eckhart. Eckhart's teachings are, in their depth, broader than Christian; and yet in Harrington's account , also stress the value of adherence to a particular religious body, in Eckhart's case Christian. In an Epilogue explaining what Harrington sees as the sources of Eckhart's continued importance, Harrington concludes:

"Meister Eckhart's wayless way deliberately remained general and nonprescriptive, allowing for countless subjective variations. It would be ahistorical and presumptuous to predict his opinion of either religious exclusivism or perennialism. But based on his long life of service, we can conclude with conviction that nothing would have pleased the master more than to be considered still useful to his fellow seekers' journey to the God within."

Harrington's book has helped deepen my own understanding and appreciation of Meister Eckhart.

Robin Friedman (less)
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Jul 16, 2018Jackson Hager rated it really liked it
Shelves: read-catholicism
A good, readable introduction to Meister Eckhart, the famed German mystic. I will admit that when I picked up this book, I was nervous that this was going to be an attempt to remove Meister Eckhart from his Christian context and attempt to paint as some sort of representative of a some universal religious truth, which has been the fate of many spiritual leaders, Christian or not, in our day and age. But I was presently surprised to find that instead of falling into that trap, Harrington instead stresses the importance of placing Meister Eckhart within his specific and religious context in order to gain the best picture of the man. All in all, I would recommend this book to everyone looking for a beginning primer into one of Christian's faiths most interesting thinkers. (less)
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Mar 30, 2020Christopher rated it it was amazing
Shelves: biography
This is a very nice biography of Meister Eckhart. It a great deal of information of what was going on in the church in this time frame as well as several people who were influenced by him. Such as Martin Luther, Thomas Merton, John Paul II and the current Dali Lama. How can you not love a man that said "The eye through which I see God is the same eye through which God sees me" or " you must love all men equally, respect and regard them equally, and whatever happens to another, whether good or bad, must be the same as if it happened to you" no bad for some time around 1320 (less)
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Apr 30, 2018brightredglow rated it it was amazing
Loved it. I knew nothing about Meister Eckhart but I've been on a history obsessive roll of late. Enough so that I am not avoiding the medieval period, my usual standard "Wake me when we get to the Renaissance" period.

That's why I selected "Dangerous Mystic" by Joel Harrington to read. It was more enjoyable than I had expected. Very detailed but at same time, very readable and engaging. Author did a great job at bringing Meister Eckhart to life in context to his times and then to our own.

Glad ...more
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Aug 23, 2021Eden rated it it was amazing
Shelves: nf-faith, middle-ages, nf-history
2021 bk 265. Well researched, well planned out, well written and now, well read. After our pastor referred to Meister Eckert in a series of sermons, I was interested enough to search out a biography of him. This has led to a summer of reading. Even with a background in history, I did not know the history of Eckert's time and place, nor of the religious forces at work within the Catholic church at the time. I found this a fascinating read that stretched my vocabulary and frequently caused me to lay the book aside in order to think about either Eckert's writings or the times he was in. In fact, I will admit to realizing that I needed to read this in small chunks and so it took me most of the summer. Thanks to Harrington, I have a far better idea of the man, his thoughts, and the forces at play in the times in which he lived. (less)
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May 08, 2019Caleb Abraham rated it really liked it
Excellent introduction to the life, times, and thought of Meister Eckhart, a truly fascinating and complex figure.
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Sep 19, 2020Jodina Renae rated it it was amazing
Outstanding book! As someone who has been drawn to the teachings of Meister Eckhart, this was a thorough, well-written, accessible read placing Eckhart in his historical context.
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Aug 07, 2019Ions rated it really liked it
An interesting biography about someone I never knew existed! It's refreshing hearing some Christian philosophies from the 1200s sounding almost modern. (less)
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Nov 26, 2017Roxanne rated it really liked it
This is a Goodreads win review.I do not know what to make of this book. I have never heard of this Meister Eckhart or his teachings. From what I can tell he was a very learned man and lay preacher. He had a revolutionary method at that time of having people reach a personal internal path to God, which a lot of people liked and some people did not like and could not understand.
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Jul 01, 2019Brett Folkman rated it it was amazing
I really enjoyed Joel Harrington's efforts to place Meister Eckhart into the historical context of his life. I've read Eckhart's writings, but found this treatment of the man himself, the political and social climate, etc., very helpful in trying to understand Eckhart's theology - which in my opinion - we are all guessing at, since it wasn't clearly laid out by the Meister himself. Many take a few quotes, a sentence or two that support their world view and pat themselves on the back! I think that's why he's now nearly universally looked upon as a wise sage - you can interpret his purposefully veiled statements in many ways. It was also very beneficial to understand the theological speculations that came before and after Eckhart to place his views, as we have them, into the broader context of developing theologies. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to get to know Meister Eckhart and not just his sayings!

Brett Folkman, Doctor of Ministry (less)
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Apr 11, 2019Phil Calandra rated it really liked it
"Dangerous Mystic...." is a biography of the great Christian Mystic, Meister Eckhart. It chronicles his life as a child, his entry into the Domincan Order and the progression of his spiritual life. This is the most comprehensive history of Meister Eckhart's life that I have read. It gives an account not only of Meister Eckhart's life but the history of the time that contributed to Eckhart's philosophy; however, this book appears to be more geared to the historian than the casual reader but I would still highly recommend it. (less)
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Sep 21, 2020The Book Grocer rated it it was amazing
Purchase Dangerous Mystic here for just $12!

This is a fascinating, concise introduction to famed German Medieval mystic, Meister Eckhart, explaining Eckhart's philosophy and large influence on Western Christian mysticism. The writing is lively and engaging.

Paul, The Book Grocer (less)
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Sep 16, 2018Mark Jurgensen rated it it was amazing
Given that this biography was written by a history professor at Vanderbilt, I was afraid the prose might be dry and slow going. Not so. While Harrington does spend considerable time discussing the cultural/social/political/religious context in which Meister Eckhart lived (the late 13th - early 14th centuries), the writing is lively and engaging. Ironically, Harrington does a better job elucidating Eckhart's main philosophical ideas than many theologically trained writers I've read. Highly recommended! (less)
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Nov 23, 2020SCDavis rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
In so far as I understand what is written of Meister Eckhart in this book, I am compelled to strive for a similar relationship with God as the one he had. That is I hope to go further down that road or rather realize how much of the road is under my feet after dwelling on the truths contained within his writings. This book helped me realize a bit more about his contribution to this goal of realization.
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May 02, 2018Gypsi rated it it was amazing
Shelves: 2018-books-read
Harrington presents a biography of Medieval mystic, Eckhart, set in historical context. This is an easily readable scholarly work which shares some of Eckhart's teaching in addition to his life. The reader is left with a full idea of who Eckhart was and why he is influencing thinkers today. (less)
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Dangerous Mystic: Meister Eckhart's Path to the God Within Kindle Edition

by Joel F. Harrington  (Author)  Format: Kindle Edition

4.6 out of 5 stars    44 ratings

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"Masterfully executed... rich... Harrington... takes on the so-called 'mystic's mystic' with a historian's capacity to immerse the reader in the 14th century and in Eckhart's spiritual framework. He does so with a writerly elegance and elucidation that situates the medieval thinker squarely in this modern-day moment."--Chicago Tribune

"[A] wonderfully smart, readable biography of a 14th-century Dominican priest and mystic named Meister Eckhart. . . . [Harrington] is a scholar/storyteller who can tell a true tale that feels like a novel, without cheap tricks. . . . At times, Dangerous Mystic has a Name of the Rose excitement to it, a man against the grain during a time of ferment, a mind that sought to rise above it. Dangerous Mystic is likely to make Eckhart even more of a hero to more people. Good."--Philadelphia Inquirer

"Impressive. . . . This illuminating book successfully explains Meister Eckhart's philosophy and large influence on Western Christian mysticism."--Publishers Weekly

"An excellent biographical work . . . [Harrington] does an admirable job of presenting Eckhart dispassionately, as a historical figure, a theological innovator, and an impetus for modern thinkers. Extremely well-researched and fluidly written, [DANGEROUS MYSTIC] will serve as a meaningful resource for students of mysticism and of late Medieval Christianity."--Kirkus, starred review

"Calmly dazzling... a serene, intelligent, appropriately ambitious yet accessible work on one of history's most mysterious theologian mystics."--Joy Williams, Book Post

Joel Harrington here offers a characteristically subtle and elegant evocation of mediaeval spirituality at its most powerful. Meister Eckhart's noble quest for enlightenment resonates through the centuries, and here we see what made the man whose preaching sent such shock waves through the mediaeval church. ― Andrew Pettegree, author of BRAND LUTHER

A rare combination of sweeping historical narrative, penetrating biography, and profound spiritual elucidation. Joel F. Harrington elegantly shows why Meister Eckhart is reclaimed as a touchstone of humane holiness in every era - especially ours. This is a book to read, to save, and to give."

― James Carroll, author of THE CLOISTER

"In this engrossing and compelling book, Joel Harrington offers a profound, moving, and accessible portrayal of one of the greatest yet most enigmatic figures of medieval Christianity. Meister Eckhart gave expression to humanity's yearning for union with God, and for a pure and selfless knowledge of the divine. With a masterful touch, Harrington places the Dominican mystic in the changing, febrile world of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and guides the reader through the development and expanse of Eckhart's sublime thought and interior spirituality. We encounter the men and women to whom Eckhart preached, his teachers, his friends and enemies, and popes and inquisitors, all of whom are cast in bold profile in the author's stylish and vivid prose. Eckhart's life was filled with visions, charity, politics, and controversy, and ended with papal censure. His legacy continues to be debated. This life of one of Western Christianity's great mystics is an astonishing achievement." --Bruce Gordon, author of CALVIN, Titus Street Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Yale Divinity School

Joel F. Harrington's Dangerous Mystic: Meister Eckhart's Path to the God Within is a bold new reading of the life and thought of the great fourteenth-century German mystic who has remained both influential and controversial since his death. Harrington situates Eckhart in his historical and intellectual context in a way accessible to the general reader, as well as thought-provoking for Eckhart scholars. This is a book that will open up the great Dominican teacher and mystical preacher to a new generation. It deserves to be widely read.

― Bernard McGinn, Naomi Shenstone Donnelly Professor (Emeritus) of historical theology and history of Christianity at the University of Chicago and author of THE PRESENCE OF GOD

Praise for THE FAITHFUL EXECUTIONER by Joel F. Harrington:

"Fascinating . . . Engrossing . . . Harrington brings out the sheer strangeness of the past . . . In The Faithful Executioner, Mr. Harrington has not only rescued the life of an individual from disgust and condescension but also, by focusing on a career in killing, brought a whole world back to life." ―The Wall Street Journal

"Remarkable . . . [A] fascinating exploration . . . this is a surprisingly modern, even topical story that poses difficult questions about capital punishment and what Harrington calls 'the human drive toward retribution.'" ―The Washington Post

"Fascinating . . . One of the pleasures of reading history is to be transported somewhere, even if we aren't sure we want to go." ―The Chronicle of Higher Education

"[A] vividly drawn portrait . . . Harrington succeeds in deftly taking us beyond Schmidt's biography to address broader questions. Finely researched and crafted." ―History Today

"Surprisingly poignant . . . A whole teeming world of Reformation Germany comes alive." ―Kirkus Reviews

"Who can imagine how an executioner feels about his trade? Joel F. Harrington has written a considered and fascinating book that helps us hear the voice of one such man, a professional torturer (and healer) who, astonishingly, kept a diary. Exploring both sixteenth-century Nuremberg and the world about the city, he re-creates the social context for the flamboyant displays of cruelty that later centuries find so hard to comprehend. Both the executioner and his victims are rescued from our condescension and restored to their own moral universe―which is not as far from ours as we like to suppose." ―Hilary Mantel, Man Booker Prize-winning author Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies

"A book as entertaining and revealing as it is improbable and outrageous. Joel F. Harrington has told a marvelous yarn, giving us not just the compelling biography of Meister Frantz but his world." ―Rick Atkinson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944

"The Faithful Executioner is much more than a description of the many imaginative and horrifying means of torturing and putting prisoners to death. It is a rare and utterly fascinating examination of the society that demands it." ―New York Journal of Books --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Book Description

Life and times of the 14th century German spiritual leader Meister Eckhart, whose theory of a personal path to the divine inspired thinkers from Jean Paul Sartre to Thomas Merton, and most recently, Eckhart Tolle. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

About the Author

Joel F. Harrington is a professor of history at Vanderbilt University. He is the author of The Faithful Executioner, The Unwanted Child, and A Cloud of Witnesses. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

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Print length ‏ : ‎ 384 pages

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4.6 out of 5 stars

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Samuel W. Johnson

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, but....

Reviewed in the United States on 5 May 2018

This is an important book for anyone with an interest in Meister Eckhart. Professor Harrington maps out the socio-historical and religious context of Eckhart's time exceedingly well, and he understands, explicates, and probably even embodies to a significant extent The Meister's message. The problem with the book is that it is written from, and frequently seeks to prove Eckhart's fidelity to, an Orthodox Christian perspective that Eckhart soars beyond.

20 people found this helpful

 

Roger L. Conner

5.0 out of 5 stars Readable, Facinating Book of History

Reviewed in the United States on 6 April 2018

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Brilliant book of history even if theology isn’t your bag. Fascinating insights into our own time: They had corrupt politicians, incorrigible children and “declining morals.” Uncanny parallels to our own time.

12 people found this helpful

 

Ethan James

2.0 out of 5 stars Not enough Eckhart!

Reviewed in the United States on 19 June 2020

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The title of the book is misleading. Way too much irrelevant medieval history and not enough about Eckhart's actual thought.

6 people found this helpful

 

Carol Breslin

4.0 out of 5 stars Once past the introductory chapters that provide the history of ...

Reviewed in the United States on 5 June 2018

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Once past the introductory chapters that provide the history of the Middle Ages, this book becomes a challenging exploration of the life and beliefs of an original medieval religious and mystic. A compelling, challenging read.

6 people found this helpful

 

Harold R. Case

5.0 out of 5 stars Concise and Informative

Reviewed in the United States on 22 March 2020

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An excellent, concise overview of Eckhart, the Dominican order, and the culturally exciting times in which he lived. A person steeped in his thinking may find repetitive.

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