the mystical theology of valentin weigel - DataSpace at Princeton ...
the mystical theology of valentin weigel - DataSpace at Princeton ... the mystical theology of valentin weigel - DataSpace at Princeton ...
sits at the heart of Weigel’s own network of ideas) and productive (i.e. the after-effects of his intellectual engagement with Eckhart are to be observed throughout Weigel’s entire oeuvre). I will examine the dynamics of binarism in Eckhart and Weigel, and show how both writers deconstruct various dichotomies, particularly between self and God. Weigel’s treatment of Eckhartian Gelassenheit occurs, broadly speaking, in three phases: the first in which Weigel familiarizes himself with Eckhart’s writings, the second in which he transforms Eckhart’s ideas to serve as the crucial argument in his own theological projects and the third in which Weigel deploys Gelassenheit in a practical, pastoral context as a model for how Christians should behave in turbulent times. 254 This first phase, Weigel’s initial contact with Eckhart, is documented in a short treatise from 1570 entitled Zwene nützliche Tractat, der erste von der Bekehrung des Menschen, der ander von Armut des Geistes oder waarer Gelassenheit, a text that essentially consists of Weigel’s reading notes on sermons by Eckhart and Tauler, through which he becomes thoroughly acquainted with his medieval source material. Here, Weigel zeroes in on the concept of spiritual poverty, including his nearly word-for-word transcription of Eckhart’s sermon on that same subject, and the treatise demonstrates that Weigel was well-acquainted with the idea of Gelassenheit from the very beginning of his career as a writer. Eckhart is Weigel’s temporal as well as intellectual point of origin. As for the second phase, the key productive transformation of Eckhart’s idea of spiritual poverty appears in his treatise on epistemology, Der güldene Griff. Eckhart’s treatment of spiritual poverty pushes the process of detachment beyond giving up possessions, knowledge, and desires to the point of abandoning one’s very self, his goal being to return the soul to the unity it enjoyed with God before creation: the soul should 254 Zeller, “Eckhartiana,“ 338. 96
e “as it was when it was not.” For Weigel, this ultimate spiritual poverty has important epistemological ramifications. Abandoning the self entails abandoning the self’s cognitive faculties, allowing God’s own cognition to take over instead, leaving God to peacefully contemplate God’s own self without interference. In such a scenario, there cannot be, by definition, any disagreement or disunity, as the various selves abandon themselves and resolve into a single viewer (God) contemplating a single object (which is also God) through a medium that is identical with both viewer and object (in God’s own self). In the third and final phase, Eckhartian spiritual poverty appears in Weigel’s oeuvre as guidance for Christians living in discordant times. As is fitting for giving practical advice, Weigel takes up a pastoral form—the sermon. The sermon in question belongs to his most controversial work, the Kirchen- und Hauspostille, and treats the flight of the Holy Family from Herod’s violent revenge upon all the male children in Bethlehem. Weigel asks why Christ did not intervene to prevent this terrible injustice: surely the King of Kings incarnate need not fear a mere earthly king, and be reduced to sneaking away at night? Weigel reads the flight into Egypt as a defence of nonintervention in political affairs: it is better to refuse to be tempted into violence altogether by fleeing and hiding, which is therefore not cowardice, but rather imitation of Christ Himself. Just as Christ chose not to return Herod’s violence with violence, a Christian should avoid intervening in earthly affairs because any intervention (even on God’s side) can only fuel conflict—never extinguish it. Moreover, Weigel draws parallels between Herod’s Judaea and the Saxony of his own time, where corrupt priests, blinded by selfinterest, cooperate with an earthly ruler to persecute the innocent and the faithful. 97
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sits <strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> heart <strong>of</strong> Weigel’s own network <strong>of</strong> ideas) and productive (i.e. <strong>the</strong> after-effects <strong>of</strong><br />
his intellectual engagement with Eckhart are to be observed throughout Weigel’s entire<br />
oeuvre). I will examine <strong>the</strong> dynamics <strong>of</strong> binarism in Eckhart and Weigel, and show how<br />
both writers deconstruct various dichotomies, particularly between self and God.<br />
Weigel’s tre<strong>at</strong>ment <strong>of</strong> Eckhartian Gelassenheit occurs, broadly speaking, in three phases:<br />
<strong>the</strong> first in which Weigel familiarizes himself with Eckhart’s writings, <strong>the</strong> second in<br />
which he transforms Eckhart’s ideas to serve as <strong>the</strong> crucial argument in his own<br />
<strong>the</strong>ological projects and <strong>the</strong> third in which Weigel deploys Gelassenheit in a practical,<br />
pastoral context as a model for how Christians should behave in turbulent times. 254<br />
This first phase, Weigel’s initial contact with Eckhart, is documented in a short<br />
tre<strong>at</strong>ise from 1570 entitled Zwene nützliche Tract<strong>at</strong>, der erste von der Bekehrung des<br />
Menschen, der ander von Armut des Geistes oder waarer Gelassenheit, a text th<strong>at</strong><br />
essentially consists <strong>of</strong> Weigel’s reading notes on sermons by Eckhart and Tauler, through<br />
which he becomes thoroughly acquainted with his medieval source m<strong>at</strong>erial. Here,<br />
Weigel zeroes in on <strong>the</strong> concept <strong>of</strong> spiritual poverty, including his nearly word-for-word<br />
transcription <strong>of</strong> Eckhart’s sermon on th<strong>at</strong> same subject, and <strong>the</strong> tre<strong>at</strong>ise demonstr<strong>at</strong>es th<strong>at</strong><br />
Weigel was well-acquainted with <strong>the</strong> idea <strong>of</strong> Gelassenheit from <strong>the</strong> very beginning <strong>of</strong> his<br />
career as a writer. Eckhart is Weigel’s temporal as well as intellectual point <strong>of</strong> origin.<br />
As for <strong>the</strong> second phase, <strong>the</strong> key productive transform<strong>at</strong>ion <strong>of</strong> Eckhart’s idea <strong>of</strong><br />
spiritual poverty appears in his tre<strong>at</strong>ise on epistemology, Der güldene Griff. Eckhart’s<br />
tre<strong>at</strong>ment <strong>of</strong> spiritual poverty pushes <strong>the</strong> process <strong>of</strong> detachment beyond giving up<br />
possessions, knowledge, and desires to <strong>the</strong> point <strong>of</strong> abandoning one’s very self, his goal<br />
being to return <strong>the</strong> soul to <strong>the</strong> unity it enjoyed with God before cre<strong>at</strong>ion: <strong>the</strong> soul should<br />
254 Zeller, “Eckhartiana,“ 338.<br />
96
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