- Home
- Speakers
- Meister Eckhart
- Creatures' Comfort Is Only On The Surface
Meister Eckhart
Meister Eckhart (c. 1260–c. 1328) was a German Dominican preacher, mystic, and theologian whose profound sermons and writings made him a towering figure in medieval Christian spirituality. Born around 1260 near Gotha in Thuringia, likely as Eckhart von Hochheim, he entered the Dominican Order as a young man, receiving a robust education in theology and philosophy. He studied at the University of Paris, earning the title "Meister" (Master) after completing his Master of Theology degree by 1302, and served as prior of the Dominican house in Erfurt and vicar of Thuringia. Little is known of his personal life, including family details, as his focus remained on intellectual and spiritual pursuits within the church. Eckhart’s preaching career unfolded primarily in Strasbourg and Cologne, where he delivered sermons in both Latin and Middle High German, blending speculative theology with practical mysticism. Appointed professor of theology at Paris in 1302 and later provincial of the Dominican province of Saxony from 1303 to 1311, he preached to nuns, monks, and laypeople, emphasizing the soul’s union with God and the concept of detachment. His works, including the Book of Divine Consolation and numerous sermons, drew large audiences but also scrutiny; in 1326, the Archbishop of Cologne initiated an inquisition against him for suspected heresy due to his bold statements, such as calling God “nothing.” Eckhart appealed to Pope John XXII and died around 1328, likely in Avignon, before a final verdict. His legacy as a preacher endures through his influential mystical theology, later embraced by diverse Christian traditions despite posthumous condemnation of some teachings in 1329.
Download
Topic
Sermon Summary
Meister Eckhart preaches about the incomparable perfection found in God, where all perfections that are fragmented in creation are united. He illustrates how earthly comforts, such as food, clothing, and possessions, always come with limitations and never fully satisfy, unlike the complete and unending comfort that God provides. God's comfort is described as full, lacking nothing, and a gift that He is compelled to give us until we have received all of Him.
Creatures' Comfort Is Only on the Surface
It is only in God that are collected and united all the perfections, which in the creatures are sundered and divided. If I had everything that I could desire, and my finger ached, I should not have everything, for I should have a pain in my finger, and so long as that remained, I should not enjoy full comfort. Bread is comfortable for men, when they are hungry; but when they are thirsty, they find no more comfort in bread than in a stone. So it is with clothes, they are welcome to men, when they are cold; but when they are too hot, clothes give them no comfort. And so it is with all the creatures. The comfort which they promise is only on the surface, like froth, and it always carries with it a want. But God's comfort is clear and has nothing wanting: it is full and complete, and God is constrained to give it thee, for He cannot cease till He have given thee Himself.
- Bio
- Summary
- Transcript
- Download
Meister Eckhart (c. 1260–c. 1328) was a German Dominican preacher, mystic, and theologian whose profound sermons and writings made him a towering figure in medieval Christian spirituality. Born around 1260 near Gotha in Thuringia, likely as Eckhart von Hochheim, he entered the Dominican Order as a young man, receiving a robust education in theology and philosophy. He studied at the University of Paris, earning the title "Meister" (Master) after completing his Master of Theology degree by 1302, and served as prior of the Dominican house in Erfurt and vicar of Thuringia. Little is known of his personal life, including family details, as his focus remained on intellectual and spiritual pursuits within the church. Eckhart’s preaching career unfolded primarily in Strasbourg and Cologne, where he delivered sermons in both Latin and Middle High German, blending speculative theology with practical mysticism. Appointed professor of theology at Paris in 1302 and later provincial of the Dominican province of Saxony from 1303 to 1311, he preached to nuns, monks, and laypeople, emphasizing the soul’s union with God and the concept of detachment. His works, including the Book of Divine Consolation and numerous sermons, drew large audiences but also scrutiny; in 1326, the Archbishop of Cologne initiated an inquisition against him for suspected heresy due to his bold statements, such as calling God “nothing.” Eckhart appealed to Pope John XXII and died around 1328, likely in Avignon, before a final verdict. His legacy as a preacher endures through his influential mystical theology, later embraced by diverse Christian traditions despite posthumous condemnation of some teachings in 1329.