Preface

The cultural life of the German people is very great. I would like to assume that, in all silence, the influence of the thoughts first expressed by him Referring to Meister Eckhart (c. 1260–1328), a German theologian and philosopher. continues to this day. It was therefore not merely a historical interest that guided me; it was a matter of bringing the newest ideas into their natural connection with the old, which lies in the common ground and soil of the German national spirit. Even upon the intellectual circles of the immediate present, a renewed acquaintance with Eckhart might not remain without influence. A form of speculation In this context, "speculation" refers to deep philosophical or theological contemplation. related in many features to the old mysticism, which had displaced the sober view of the intellect, has in its turn been displaced by a trend toward a rigid dogmatism. This dogmatism has finally progressed so far that it is destroying itself in endless and hollow disputes between the Union and Confession Refers to the 19th-century debates between the Prussian Union of churches and traditional Lutheran/Reformed confessions.. Alongside this goes the decomposing work of historical criticism, which seeks to eliminate not only the valid sources of divine revelation but, along with them, the very content of Christian doctrine. How the fundamental ideas of Christianity maintain all their power and significance—even if one were to disregard the strict closure of a dogmatism fixed in intellectual concepts and the sole validity of the source of revelation—is something the example of German mysticism can teach. Above all, however, it is the fundamental ethical outlook of Master Eckhart which seems entitled to claim not merely a historical, but an immediate interest for the generation now living.

The present work is intended essentially only as an incentive for the study of Eckhart. The passages from his writings, shared here in abundance, may serve as a kind of commentary. I have sought to translate these passages completely into our contemporary language; for it was my goal to facilitate understanding and to bring Eckhart’s circle of ideas closer to the present. I believe I have nowhere proceeded without care. That I will have failed in some things is probable; my hope is that many will take the trouble to correct my erroneous interpretations. The systematic form into which I have brought the Master’s thoughts seems