Meister Eckhart M Walshe

Meister Eckhart, born Eckhart von Hochheim around 1260 in Thuringia, was a German Catholic priest, theologian, philosopher, and mystic. He rose to prominence during a period of ecclesiastical tension and faced accusations of heresy in his later years. These accusations led to a trial before the Inquisition, where excerpts from his "Book of Divine Consolation" were used against him. He is believed to have died before a verdict was reached. Eckhart was known for his engagement with lay groups like the "Friends of God." Following renewed interest since the 19th century, he is recognized as a significant mystic in contemporary spirituality and a subject of scholarly study within medieval philosophy.

Born near Gotha around 1260, Eckhart von Hochheim's early life and family background remain largely unknown, with earlier assumptions of noble lineage being inaccurate. He joined the Dominican order in Erfurt around age eighteen and likely pursued studies in Cologne and possibly Paris. His early career included lecturing on Peter Lombard's "Sentences" in Paris in 1294, followed by appointments as Prior in Erfurt and Dominican Provincial for Thuringia. During this period, he produced his earliest vernacular work, "Reden der Unterweisung" (c. 1295–1298), offering guidance to Dominican novices.

Eckhart held significant academic positions, including a professorship of theology at the University of Paris (1302–1303 and again 1311–1313). Following his second Parisian tenure, he spent time in Strasbourg, reportedly focusing on spiritual direction and preaching within Dominican convents. He also served as Provincial superior for Saxony, overseeing numerous convents and founding three for women. His administrative role extended to being appointed vicar-general for Bohemia to reform demoralized monasteries. A record from 1320 mentions a prior Eckhart in Frankfurt suspected of heresy, though the link to Meister Eckhart is debated by historians.

In the early 1320s, Eckhart moved to Cologne, continuing his preaching amidst a climate of clerical disarray and growing lay spiritual movements. Concerns about his teachings, possibly from Dominican authorities or the Archbishop of Cologne, led to an investigation into his orthodoxy. Despite his defense and assurances to superiors, an inquisitorial trial was ordered in 1326. Eckhart publicly protested his innocence and appealed to Pope John XXII in Avignon. While the papal commission reviewed his case, reducing suspect articles and examining his defenses, Eckhart died before a final verdict. In 1329, Pope John XXII issued the bull "In Agro Dominico," declaring some of Eckhart's propositions heretical and others suspect of heresy, though he was not personally condemned as a heretic due to his death.

Eckhart's theological framework was deeply influenced by medieval scholasticism, Aristotelianism, Augustinianism, and particularly the Neoplatonism of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. His teachings explored profound concepts of the divine, including the "Gottheit" beyond the conventionally named God. He engaged with pious lay groups, notably the "Friends of God," and his more circumspect disciples, Johannes Tauler and Henry Suso, carried forward his spiritual legacy. Since the 19th century, Eckhart has experienced a resurgence of interest, gaining recognition as a major mystic within popular spirituality and a significant figure in scholastic and philosophical scholarship.