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 ...
variety of things, the intellect cannot be materially transformed by any thing it perceives 264 —which means, Eckhart concludes, that intellect is nothing at all: intellect only is as it knows, and can know either all things or no thing in particular, meaning that it is either all things or no thing in particular. 265 As outlined above, the only other instance of being that is nothing at all was the esse indistinctum, and in this sense, the intellect is God—which leads Eckhart to the bold conclusion that the soul, insofar as it is intellect, is God. 266 This does not mean that the intellect does not function in more mundane ways, as it does when it is oriented towards multiplicity—that is, when it is ungelassen. However, when oriented toward the One in stripping away all distinction, the intellect is God. On the subject of intellect (vernünfticheit), Eckhart writes: “In dem, daz disiu kraft nihte glîch enist, sô ist si gote glîch,” and conversely “Rechte, als got nihte glîch enist, als enist ouch disiu kraft nihte glîch.” 267 Of course, Eckhart alludes to the intellect by a plethora of other metaphors as well, chief amongst which are the spark of the soul (Seelenfunke, vünkelîn), a little castle (burgelîn), a desert (wüeste), a silence (ein ieglîichez, daz ez ist, und werdent doch in der würklicheit der angesiht als ein, daz man mac gesprechen in der wârheit: ougeholz, und daz holz is mîn ouge. Waere aber daz holz âne materie und ez zemâle geistlich waere als diu gesiht mines ougen, sô möhte man sprechen in der wârheit, daz in der würklicheit der gesiht daz holz und mîn ouge bestüenden in einem wesene.” Eckhart, Werke, Vol. 1, 506:5-14. 264 Otherwise, if the intellect became square materially when it perceived a square thing, it would no longer be able to perceive a square thing (and all perception is by contrasts), because it would have to be both square and non-square, which is impossible. See Turner, 158. 265 This explanation of Eckhart’s definition of intellect relies on Turner’s presentation of the subject. Turner, Darkness, 156-159. 266 Eckhart, Werke, Vol. 2, 673. Though the intellect can function in these two modes, there are nevertheless not two intellects, but only one that can be gelassen or ungelassen. As Eckahrt writes: “Dâvon, als man die krefte [of the soul, including the five sense] nimet in dem wesene, sô sint sie alle ein und glîche edel; aber dâ man die kreft nimet in irn werken, sô ist einiu [das ungeschaffene Licht] vil edeler und vil hoeher dan diu ander.” Eckhart, Werke, Vol. 1, 508:2-5. (“If we consider the powers of the soul in their being, they are all one and equally noble: but if we take them in their functions, one is much higher and nobler than the other.” Eckhart, Complete Mystical Works, 310.) On the unity of the soul, or rather the unity of the entire man (body and soul), see also Turner, Darkness, 152-156. 267 The passages here are from Sermon 69. Eckhart, Werke, Vol. 2, 46:31 and 48:20-21. (“The very fact that this power is like nothing makes it like God. Just as God is like nothing, so this power is like nothing.” Eckhart, Teacher and Preacher, 313.Though Eckhart addresses the intellect throughout his work, Sermons 5b, 9, 69 and 71, taken together, address in more detail what I have given here in my paraphrase. 102
einvaltig stille), an uncreated light (lieht, daz ist in der sêle, daz ist ungeschaffen), 268 and the ground (grunt) or ground of the soul (seelengrunt), or even more simply as an einez. Behind Eckhart’s concept of Gelassenheit, then, stands a daring (or scandalous, as the fact that he was charged with heresy suggests) metaphysics, anthropology, and epistemology. When the gelassene soul does not distinguish between pleasure and pain, self and world, between self and other people, its indifference mirrors God’s own “indifference,” that is, God’s indistinctness or unity. Gelassenheit is the affective or anthropological correlate of both indistinctness and union, and a shortcut to the core of Eckhart’s theology. Eckhart in Weigel I: Zwene nützliche Tractat (Or, Eckhart teaches how not to love God) Weigel enthusiastically embraced Eckhart’s treatment of spiritual poverty in his first extant work, Zwene nützliche Tractat, der erste von der Bekehrung des Menschen, der ander von Armut des Geistes oder waarer Gelassenheit. 269 In the second of the two tracts, Weigel copies almost the entire text of Eckhart’s well-known sermon Beati pauperes spiritu, in which Eckhart formulates a demanding definition of spiritual 268 These terms occur throughout Eckhart’s work, but see the following as examples: Wüeste and stille are at Werke, Vol. 1, 508:20-21; Grund at Werke, Vol. 1, 70:12; burgelîn, vünkelîn, huote and lieht at Werke, Vol. 1, 32:26-30. 269 Valentin Weigel, Zwene nützliche Tractate, edited by Will-Erich Peuckert and Winfried Zeller, Volume 3, (Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt: Friedrich Frommann Verlag, 1966); Weeks, Religious Dissenter, 65. To clarify a point of terminology, Eckhart usually referred to spiritual povery as abgescheidenheit, though he sometimes also used the words gelassen and Gelassenheit. Weigel chooses the latter as his preferred term for spiritual poverty, as the title of the tracts indicates, Armut des Geistes oder waarer Gelassenheit, and this dissertation will follow Weigel in using Gelassenheit as a synonym for spiritual poverty.) 103
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einvaltig stille), an uncre<strong>at</strong>ed light (lieht, daz ist in der sêle, daz ist ungeschaffen), 268 and<br />
<strong>the</strong> ground (grunt) or ground <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> soul (seelengrunt), or even more simply as an einez.<br />
Behind Eckhart’s concept <strong>of</strong> Gelassenheit, <strong>the</strong>n, stands a daring (or scandalous, as<br />
<strong>the</strong> fact th<strong>at</strong> he was charged with heresy suggests) metaphysics, anthropology, and<br />
epistemology. When <strong>the</strong> gelassene soul does not distinguish between pleasure and pain,<br />
self and world, between self and o<strong>the</strong>r people, its indifference mirrors God’s own<br />
“indifference,” th<strong>at</strong> is, God’s indistinctness or unity. Gelassenheit is <strong>the</strong> affective or<br />
anthropological correl<strong>at</strong>e <strong>of</strong> both indistinctness and union, and a shortcut to <strong>the</strong> core <strong>of</strong><br />
Eckhart’s <strong>the</strong>ology.<br />
Eckhart in Weigel I: Zwene nützliche Tract<strong>at</strong> (Or, Eckhart teaches how<br />
not to love God)<br />
Weigel enthusiastically embraced Eckhart’s tre<strong>at</strong>ment <strong>of</strong> spiritual poverty in his<br />
first extant work, Zwene nützliche Tract<strong>at</strong>, der erste von der Bekehrung des Menschen,<br />
der ander von Armut des Geistes oder waarer Gelassenheit. 269 In <strong>the</strong> second <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> two<br />
tracts, Weigel copies almost <strong>the</strong> entire text <strong>of</strong> Eckhart’s well-known sermon Be<strong>at</strong>i<br />
pauperes spiritu, in which Eckhart formul<strong>at</strong>es a demanding definition <strong>of</strong> spiritual<br />
268 These terms occur throughout Eckhart’s work, but see <strong>the</strong> following as examples: Wüeste and stille are<br />
<strong>at</strong> Werke, Vol. 1, 508:20-21; Grund <strong>at</strong> Werke, Vol. 1, 70:12; burgelîn, vünkelîn, huote and lieht <strong>at</strong> Werke,<br />
Vol. 1, 32:26-30.<br />
269 Valentin Weigel, Zwene nützliche Tract<strong>at</strong>e, edited by Will-Erich Peuckert and Winfried Zeller, Volume<br />
3, (Stuttgart-Bad Cannst<strong>at</strong>t: Friedrich Frommann Verlag, 1966); Weeks, Religious Dissenter, 65. To clarify<br />
a point <strong>of</strong> terminology, Eckhart usually referred to spiritual povery as abgescheidenheit, though he<br />
sometimes also used <strong>the</strong> words gelassen and Gelassenheit. Weigel chooses <strong>the</strong> l<strong>at</strong>ter as his preferred term<br />
for spiritual poverty, as <strong>the</strong> title <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tracts indic<strong>at</strong>es, Armut des Geistes oder waarer Gelassenheit, and<br />
this dissert<strong>at</strong>ion will follow Weigel in using Gelassenheit as a synonym for spiritual poverty.)<br />
103