Meister Eckhart
Mystical Theologian
by Oliver Davies
Paperback
Price: £14.99
Publisher:SPCK (Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge)
Published:February 2011
ISBN:978-0-281-06410-6
GoodBookStall Review:
Oliver Davies describes this book as emerging from a lifelong fascination with the enigmatic Meister Eckhart. As such, it is perhaps unsurprising, that Davies has produced a detailed and comprehensive summary of Eckhart’s life and work.
In seeking to unpick some of the complexity of Eckhart’s mysticism and theology Davies first introduces the reader to the variety of ways Eckhart’s work has been read before embarking on a description of Eckhart’s life. In addition to charting the path that took Eckhart from being the rising star of medieval academic theology to facing a charge of heresy, Davies takes time to consider other works that may have influenced his thinking. As well as Thomas Aquinas, Davies argues the writings of Hildegard of Bingen, Mechthild of Magdeburg and Marguerite Porete and other holy women had a significant impact on the way Eckhart developed his theology.
Part two of this three-part work is devoted to understanding Eckhart’s work in its own right. Here, alongside describing Eckhart’s writing on theology, imagery and spirituality of union, Davies unpacks the models of medieval theological and philosophical thought vital to reading Eckhart’s work accurately.
As he concludes Davies asks the obvious but searching questions regarding Eckhart’s orthodoxy. Here Davies reviews Eckhart’s apparently heretical statements in the light of his early discussion on the way Eckhart appears to use language and imagery. Finally Davis offers the reader a short epilogue considering the relevance of Eckhart’s writing in a contemporary context.
Meister Eckhart by Oliver Davies is not a particularly easy read, however it is worth the effort. In addition to providing a comprehensive biography of Meister Eckhart this work also introduces the reader to a rich tradition of Christian mystical spirituality.
Reviewer: Steve Langford (04/10/11)
Oliver Davies describes this book as emerging from a lifelong fascination with the enigmatic Meister Eckhart. As such, it is perhaps unsurprising, that Davies has produced a detailed and comprehensive summary of Eckhart’s life and work.
In seeking to unpick some of the complexity of Eckhart’s mysticism and theology Davies first introduces the reader to the variety of ways Eckhart’s work has been read before embarking on a description of Eckhart’s life. In addition to charting the path that took Eckhart from being the rising star of medieval academic theology to facing a charge of heresy, Davies takes time to consider other works that may have influenced his thinking. As well as Thomas Aquinas, Davies argues the writings of Hildegard of Bingen, Mechthild of Magdeburg and Marguerite Porete and other holy women had a significant impact on the way Eckhart developed his theology.
Part two of this three-part work is devoted to understanding Eckhart’s work in its own right. Here, alongside describing Eckhart’s writing on theology, imagery and spirituality of union, Davies unpacks the models of medieval theological and philosophical thought vital to reading Eckhart’s work accurately.
As he concludes Davies asks the obvious but searching questions regarding Eckhart’s orthodoxy. Here Davies reviews Eckhart’s apparently heretical statements in the light of his early discussion on the way Eckhart appears to use language and imagery. Finally Davis offers the reader a short epilogue considering the relevance of Eckhart’s writing in a contemporary context.
Meister Eckhart by Oliver Davies is not a particularly easy read, however it is worth the effort. In addition to providing a comprehensive biography of Meister Eckhart this work also introduces the reader to a rich tradition of Christian mystical spirituality.
Reviewer: Steve Langford (04/10/11)
