Meister Eckhart the Mystic

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1. Universality and necessity of grace. 168. —
2. Freedom and grace. Predestination. 172. —

4. Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

1. Faith based on authority. 175. — 2. Faith in a higher sense. 179. — 3. Justification through faith. 182. —

5. Justification . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

Conversion, penance, forgiveness of sins, enlightenment. 183. —

6. Detachment Detachment (Abgeschiedenheit): A central pillar of Eckhart’s teaching, referring to the state where the soul is "cut off" from worldly distractions and self-will to be fully open to God. . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

1. Inner recollection. 186. — 2. Freedom from the creaturely in knowing and desiring. 187. — 3. Freedom of the human being from themselves. 188. — 4. Freedom of the human being from God This refers to letting go of human concepts and "images" of God to reach the pure Divine Essence.. 191. — 5. Being dead [to the world]. 191. —

7. The Birth of God in the soul . . . . . . . 194

1. The essence of the birth. 195. — 2. The process of the birth. 197. —

8. Sanctification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

9. Union with God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

1. Perfect freedom. 204. — 2. Communion of the saints. Unity with God in action and essence. 207. — 3. Deification Deification (Vergottung): The mystical transformation where the soul is united so deeply with God that it partakes in the divine nature.. 209. — 4. Restrictions. 211. —

IV. On the Moral Life . . . . . . . . . . . . 216

1. The prerequisites of the moral life . . 216

2. Work and Disposition . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

1. The value of the will. 221. — 2. The value of action. 223. — 3. The value of good works. 224. — 4. The value of works of love. 226. —

3. The inner work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230

4. Virtue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

1. The good is not good simply because God wills it This explores whether morality is grounded in God's arbitrary will or in His essential nature.. 234. — 2. Virtue is its own highest purpose. 235. — 3. Virtue should be the essence of the human being. 239. —

5. The Virtues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

6. The virtuous state . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

1. Immovability original: "Unbeweglichkeit." A state of spiritual stability that cannot be shaken by external events.. 247. — 2. The play of sensations, external activities. 248. — 3. Immovability in the "little spark" original: "Fünklein." The indestructible, divine core of the soul.. 251. —

7. The Imitation of Christ . . . . . . . . . . . 253

8. Suffering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254

9. Poverty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

10. The contemplative and the active life . . 258

1. Contemplation and activity as opposites; 258. — 2. they require one another; 259. — 3. they do not disturb each other. 263. —

11. The principle of moral action . . . . . 266

1. The moral person has no choice. 266. — 2. Within the moral...