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computer screen, which image is an expression of the information contained on the hard drive. This information (a string of 1s and 0s) does not look like its expression, but nonetheless one might say that the data on a hard drive contains the photograph in an invisible or illegible form. Likewise, the display on the screen requires the presence of the data on the hard drive, but the data on the hard drive can exist perfectly well without a manifestation that is meaningful to the human eye. The same logic of existence and expression governs Weigel’s conception of Scripture. The Word flowed outwards into a fleshly form (Jesus Christ), as well as a paper form (the pages of the Bible) to serve as a reminder, a comfort and a witness for those who are already converted: “Also soltte nicht alleine das wortt fleisch werden, sondern solches innere wortt soltte auch eußerlich zum Memorial, lehre, warnung, trost und zeugnis in die buchstaben gebildet werden.” 640 However, neither Christ’s person nor Scripture count as revelation for Weigel because, in fact, they serve only to conceal God: “Also verbirget sich das wortt ins fleisch, undt verdecket sich darunder, niemands bekant als deme der von got gelehrt wird...also verbirget und verdecket sichs auch in die buchstaben, niemandts bekandt undt offenbahr.” 641 This is a definite departure from Luther’s understanding of Scripture, for whom Scripture was a revelation, i.e. it is perfectly clear and thus could (mostly) be read literally. 642 Weigel devotes one of his more practically minded treatises, Ein Schön Gebett Büechlein, Welches die Einfelttigen berichttett (1575), to discussing this proposed 640 Weigel, Seligmachende Erkenntnis, 75. 641 Ibid. 642 On Luther’s understanding of Scripture’s clarity see Introduction, p. 37un. 234
alternative—namely prayer. 643 Weigel’s Gebetbuch is in fact modelled on Luther’s own pastoral work, Wie man beten sol, fur Meister Peter Balbirer (Weigel quotes Luther’s work in the preface to his own treatise). 644 Weigel wrote other works that were intended explicitly as “mirror-image works” (e.g. his Postille is an ironic reprisal of Luther’s own Postille, his Vom Leben Christi is an ironic reprisal of the Lutheran confessional document the Formula Concordiae), and while the Gebetbuch is less vicious in its criticism of the Lutheran church, it still follows the pattern of filling a Lutheran form with content that arrives at a distinctly un-Lutheran conclusion. For Luther, prayer is meant to supplement regular Church attendance, whereas for Weigel, prayer supplants it altogether. Moreover, Luther’s reflections on prayer are intended for people who are already Christians, whereas Weigel’s Gebetbuch seeks to help the reader attain Christ in the first place. For Weigel, this occurs by uncovering the treasure of the indwelling Christ (reminding oneself of the “gegenwertigen Schatzes”), and prayer can assist in this process by allowing a person to enter into a silent Sabbath. 645 As for sins (the dirt that covers up the hidden treasure), they still need a priest to wipe them away, but Weigel assures the penitent that this priest is inside her. Just as ordained priests do not exercise power by their own nature, but rather by wielding power in God’s name, so too does God’s indwelling grant each person the power to absolve his own sins through prayer: “Wer diser Bitt [“forgive us our sins,” from the Lord’s Prayer] Rechten Verstandt weis und sie wohl brauchen kan, der findet die Absolution und den Priester In Ihme selber er 643 Weigel, Gebetbuch, XL. The editor argues that the treatise was written in 1575, but notes that there is some uncertainty about the date of composition of this text, which could potentially have been written as early as 1572. 644 WA38, 364:13-22. 645 Weigel, Gebetbuch, 100 and 120. 235
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MYSTICISM & CONFESSIONAL CONFLICT I
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ABSTRACT This dissertation investig
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INTRODUCTION • ES IST DIR NICHT B
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mostly undisturbed by his Lutheran
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yet have signalled his assent with
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in a context where action is expect
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Protestant Mysticism: Not a Contrad
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interest, 31 and praised the Theolo
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one can observe the texture of the
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discourse and reasoned debate, or t
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with fragments of Eckhart and Taule
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Dionysius and Eckhart (for differen
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movement, but also profound shifts
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schools, as well as universities wh
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allowed them to cooperate effective
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made clear, would result in dismiss
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and in these external dealings, the
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same laws of physics, but while the
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Tertullian’s De Fuga in Persecuti
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as a martyr. Moreover, Holy Scriptu
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Alternatively, the so-called four-f
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tzeyger und unterrichter ist ynn di
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fellow Lutherans in studying books
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provoked into action unnecessarily,
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masses for the dead (for instance)
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traditional proof texts about the o
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positive understandings of indiffer
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insofar as their imperfection is ra
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Of these forms of indifference, I f
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to Dionysius’ authority. Two grou
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PART I • VALENTIN WEIGEL AND MEIS
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investigating his early modern read
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was a devilish heretic to others (
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his neglect of Eckhart. 158 For ins
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“unheilvolle Kompliziertheit”).
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and Jerome (wearing what looks like
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title page, as mentioned above, des
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of a respectable though not fanatic
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himself, but rather cultivated part
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church that Luther, Melanchthon and
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kan”), and specifically the role
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soul become convinced that nothing
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that salvation can be attained thro
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more importantly, a theology that a
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Mit Recht der Meister genannt: Mode
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These role-reversal dialogues were
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As this chapter has shown, Eckhart
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philosophers from Hegel and Schopen
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CHAPTER 2 • GELASSENE GELASSENHEI
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the relationship between Tauler and
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e “as it was when it was not.”
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Eckhart agree that spiritual povert
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one-of-a-kind thing, or the best ki
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einvaltig stille), an uncreated lig
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e as free of willing and desiring a
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nestling inside the soul, but rathe
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Gelassenheit, das ist, das er nicht
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(necessarily inferior) knowledge pr
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context is that he picks up on Eckh
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he begins to steer the discussion a
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further proof for Weigel’s theory
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understood that the mind cannot pos
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wait in stiller Gelassenheit, recei
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truth as an educated theologian or
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ungewisser”) and finds that his f
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die Blinden an ein ander gehetzett,
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gesagett das ist er selber und ist
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Gelassenheit for the Bible, which i
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that the kind of Gelassenheit Weige
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indifference that allows Weigel to
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teacher. 366 However, the turning p
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Weigel gives the passage an unexpec
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Murren”)—and they do this “in
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and all the more so since he saw li
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the strength of the intellectual re
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CHAPTER 3 • DIONYSIUS, WHOEVER HE
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demonstrated for Eckhart, I will de
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destroyer that Dionysius is most of
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ears good news to the church.” 39
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points out, with a purification, a
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served as cornerstones in defences
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(Acts 17: 15-34), one of the skepti
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to make the interpretation of these
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Outside the universities, Dionysius
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defiled the “sacred things” by
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other leaders of the Protestant Ref
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valorization of hierarchy per se in
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as well as the with the arguments u
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freedom, but rather obedience. 468
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The primary piece in the compilatio
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It is hardly surprising that Cochla
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it does during the Council of Trent
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for a hierarchical church, seizing
Page 187 and 188: the ancient teaching”) that “be
Page 189 and 190: Dionysiacum. For Lefèvre d’Étap
Page 191 and 192: Aristotle would have been glad to h
Page 193 and 194: enlightens all great thinkers in ev
Page 195 and 196: offered Dionysius to the Gelehrtenr
Page 197 and 198: nine distinct editions of Dionysius
Page 199 and 200: editions of Greek and Latin classic
Page 201 and 202: (Turin), and is a reprint of Lefèv
Page 203 and 204: presses in Spain (his first publica
Page 205 and 206: growing body of evidence suggesting
Page 207 and 208: Weigel concludes that, precisely be
Page 209 and 210: apart, he suggested that true Chris
Page 211 and 212: and so did not dwell on the fact th
Page 213 and 214: Names, as the title suggests, is ba
Page 215 and 216: animals, through plants and non-liv
Page 217 and 218: of being.” 580 As we will see lat
Page 219 and 220: (“God is a rock”) or even a neg
Page 221 and 222: This is admittedly a nonsensical as
Page 223 and 224: compositions, most likely dating to
Page 225 and 226: Dionysius to show that, just as God
Page 227 and 228: efer to Greek and Hebrew, the bibli
Page 229 and 230: argues that there cannot be more th
Page 231 and 232: dicitur una.” 616 The stress that
Page 233 and 234: Weigel suggests will allow the soul
Page 235 and 236: saving sacraments by means of which
Page 237: Melanchthon’s Defence of the Augs
Page 241 and 242: Dionysius writes that the summit of
Page 243 and 244: leibet er illimitatus.” 658 Weige
Page 245 and 246: work, Weigel had written explicitly
Page 247 and 248: Luther did not ever use the exact p
Page 249 and 250: as opposed to an office-holder, an
Page 251 and 252: writing. By calling his Layman der
Page 253 and 254: Others are loyal to mere men (the P
Page 255 and 256: zuerzeigen einen rechtschaffen vnd
Page 257 and 258: and ceremonial ones at that. 694 Th
Page 259 and 260: himself returning gloriously from H
Page 261 and 262: all being. In relinquishing any cre
Page 263 and 264: improve appearances but, because it
Page 265 and 266: than resolve it, because the proble
Page 267 and 268: parcels God, who by rights is supre
Page 269 and 270: Appendix • The Works of Valentin
Page 271 and 272: BIBLIOGRAPHY Abad, J. M. (1999). Th
Page 273 and 274: Chenu O.P., M.-D. (1968). In M.-D.
Page 275 and 276: Eckhart, M. (1993). Werke I (Vol. 1
Page 277 and 278: Israel, A. (1888). M. Valentin Weig
Page 279 and 280: MacCulloch, D. (2010). Christianity
Page 281 and 282: Payne, R. J. (Ed.). (1981). Meister
Page 283 and 284: Schindling, A., & Ziegler, W. (1990
Page 285 and 286: Verkamp, B. J. (1975). The Limits u
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