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 ...
libraries and cloisters. It was in pursuing his particular devotion to Tauler that he discovered Eckhart, as a predecessor to Tauler. He was aware of Eckhart’s reputation as a heretic, but dismisses this—given the mistrustful and accusatory attitude he observed and deplored in his fellow Christians at the time—as an indication that Eckhart’s books were spiritually improving (“gar nutzlich, alle tage zu lesen und zu behalten).” 161 That Sudermann came to Eckhart via his enthusiasm for Tauler is perhaps no great surprise, given how Eckhart’s sermons came to be circulating by the sixteenth century. First of all, a number of Eckhart’s sermons circulated under Tauler’s name. 162 Secondly, the chief source of Eckhart’s writings after the advent of printing was as a sort of appendix to a large edition of Tauler’s sermons, printed in Basel in 1521 and reprinted only a year later, presumably due to its success, in 1522. (This edition is generally referred to as the Baseler Taulerdruck, and I will refer to it as such even though my interest in it is Eckhart’s contribution.) Although the sermons in the third part are attributed to Eckhart by name, his name does not appear on the title page. In other words, the composition of this edition would mean that readers would approach Eckhart only via Tauler. Unfortunately, as Josef Quint, one of Eckhart’s early editors, notes, the transmission of Eckhart’s sermons is extraordinarily complicated (he describes it as an 161 Daniel Sudermann, quoted in Degenhardt, 92. Sudermann also composed hymns inflected by Eckhartian ideas that can be seen from the titles alone. One is entitled “Hör mein Seel, hast kein warumb!”, another is called “Mensch versenk dich in deinem Nicht”. Degenhardt, 96. On Sudermann and Eckhart, see also Pieper, 56. 162 In the 15 th and 16 th century printed editions, Sermons 2, 6, 8 and 9 (Sermons 101-104 in the critical edition) were in fact by Eckhart but were printed under Tauler’s and not in the section of Eckhart sermons. “Eckhart, Meister”, Killy Literaturexikon, 2 . Auflage, Band 3, 186. See also Henrik Otto, Vor- und frühreformatorische Tauler-Rezeption, (Heidelberg: Gütersloher Verlagshaus, 2003), 24. 64
“unheilvolle Kompliziertheit”). 163 This means that he is unable to say with certainty which manuscripts served as the sources for the printed edition, and also that there is no clear link to the manuscript tradition; perhaps the printer used a single now-lost Eckhart manuscript compilation of Eckhart sermons, or perhaps he gathered together numerous manuscripts. 164 Eckhart’s work, in other words, was widely known, but by the same token diffuse. 165 Ironically, the printed edition itself might be why scholars can no longer identify a definite manuscript predecessor for the sermons. That is, once a manuscript master copy had been unbound and marked up by the typesetter, then multiplied and preserved in printed form, it was considered useless and simply thrown away or used for scrap. 166 The printer of the Basel Tauler edition was Adam Petri, who was born 1454 in Langendorf, who moved to Basel in 1480, and who took over the printing operation of his uncle Johannes Petri sometime around 1507; he died in 1527. 167 In Basel, Petri was 163 Josef Quint, Die Überlieferung der Deutschen Predigten Meister Eckeharts, (Bonn: Ludwig Röhrscheid Verlag, 1932), XV. 164 As the plural “büchere[n] die man...funden hat” in the extended title suggests, several sources were used: “Joannis Tauleri…deren Preidgen garnah hie in disem Buoch des halbtheyls meer sind den[n] in andern vorgetruckten büchere[n], die man sidhar mit der hilff gottes funden hat.” Nevertheless, Quint concludes that the Baseler Taulerdruck constitutes quite a good source in the context of the entire Eckhart tradition, and that therefore the manuscript (or manuscripts) on which the first printed Eckhart texts were based must have likewise been very good. Quint, 945. 165 Freimut Löser, "Meister Eckhart: Leben, Werke, Lehre, Überlierferung," in Meister Eckhart in Augsburg: Deutsche Mystik des Mittelalters in Kloster, Stadt und Schule, 8-23 (Augsburg: Universitätsbibliothek Augsburg, 2111), 18. On the transmission of Eckhart’s works see also Loris Sturlese, "Die Kölner Eckhartisten: Das Studium generale der deutschen Dominikaner und die Verurteilung der Thesen Meister Echarts," in Die Kölner Universität im Mittlealter: Geistige Wurzeln und soziale Wirklichkeit, 192-211 (Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1989); Bettina Wagner, "piechlein mit vil stycklein: Die Eckhart-Handschirften in der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek München," in Meister Eckhart in Augsburg: Deutsche Mystik des Mittelalters in Kloster, Stadt und Schule, (Augsburg: Universitätsbibliothek Augsburg, 2111): 34-48; Freimut Löser, "Nachlese: Unbekannte Texte Meister Eckharts in bekannten Handschriften," in Die deutsche Predigt im Mittelalter, 125-149 (Tübingen: Max Niemeyer Verlag, 1992); . 166 Frank Hieronymus, 1488 Petri: Schwabe 1988: Eine traditionsreiche Basler Offizin im Spiegel ihrer frühen Drucke, (Basel: Schwabe & Co Verlag, 1997), 138. 167 Christoph Reske, Die Buchdrucker des 16. und 17. Jahrhunderts im deutschen Sprachgebiet, (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2007), 65-66. 65
- Page 17 and 18: one can observe the texture of the
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- Page 61 and 62: PART I • VALENTIN WEIGEL AND MEIS
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“unheilvolle Komplizier<strong>the</strong>it”). 163 This means th<strong>at</strong> he is unable to say with certainty<br />
which manuscripts served as <strong>the</strong> sources for <strong>the</strong> printed edition, and also th<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong>re is no<br />
clear link to <strong>the</strong> manuscript tradition; perhaps <strong>the</strong> printer used a single now-lost Eckhart<br />
manuscript compil<strong>at</strong>ion <strong>of</strong> Eckhart sermons, or perhaps he ga<strong>the</strong>red toge<strong>the</strong>r numerous<br />
manuscripts. 164 Eckhart’s work, in o<strong>the</strong>r words, was widely known, but by <strong>the</strong> same<br />
token diffuse. 165 Ironically, <strong>the</strong> printed edition itself might be why scholars can no longer<br />
identify a definite manuscript predecessor for <strong>the</strong> sermons. Th<strong>at</strong> is, once a manuscript<br />
master copy had been unbound and marked up by <strong>the</strong> typesetter, <strong>the</strong>n multiplied and<br />
preserved in printed form, it was considered useless and simply thrown away or used for<br />
scrap. 166 The printer <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Basel Tauler edition was Adam Petri, who was born 1454 in<br />
Langendorf, who moved to Basel in 1480, and who took over <strong>the</strong> printing oper<strong>at</strong>ion <strong>of</strong><br />
his uncle Johannes Petri sometime around 1507; he died in 1527. 167 In Basel, Petri was<br />
163 Josef Quint, Die Überlieferung der Deutschen Predigten Meister Eckeharts, (Bonn: Ludwig Röhrscheid<br />
Verlag, 1932), XV.<br />
164 As <strong>the</strong> plural “büchere[n] die man...funden h<strong>at</strong>” in <strong>the</strong> extended title suggests, several sources were used:<br />
“Joannis Tauleri…deren Preidgen garnah hie in disem Buoch des halb<strong>the</strong>yls meer sind den[n] in andern<br />
vorgetruckten büchere[n], die man sidhar mit der hilff gottes funden h<strong>at</strong>.” Never<strong>the</strong>less, Quint concludes<br />
th<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> Baseler Taulerdruck constitutes quite a good source in <strong>the</strong> context <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> entire Eckhart tradition,<br />
and th<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong>refore <strong>the</strong> manuscript (or manuscripts) on which <strong>the</strong> first printed Eckhart texts were based must<br />
have likewise been very good. Quint, 945.<br />
165 Freimut Löser, "Meister Eckhart: Leben, Werke, Lehre, Überlierferung," in Meister Eckhart in<br />
Augsburg: Deutsche Mystik des Mittelalters in Kloster, Stadt und Schule, 8-23 (Augsburg:<br />
Universitätsbiblio<strong>the</strong>k Augsburg, 2111), 18. On <strong>the</strong> transmission <strong>of</strong> Eckhart’s works see also Loris Sturlese,<br />
"Die Kölner Eckhartisten: Das Studium generale der deutschen Dominikaner und die Verurteilung der<br />
Thesen Meister Echarts," in Die Kölner Universität im Mittlealter: Geistige Wurzeln und soziale<br />
Wirklichkeit, 192-211 (Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1989); Bettina Wagner, "piechlein mit vil stycklein: Die<br />
Eckhart-Handschirften in der Bayerischen Sta<strong>at</strong>sbiblio<strong>the</strong>k München," in Meister Eckhart in Augsburg:<br />
Deutsche Mystik des Mittelalters in Kloster, Stadt und Schule, (Augsburg: Universitätsbiblio<strong>the</strong>k Augsburg,<br />
2111): 34-48; Freimut Löser, "Nachlese: Unbekannte Texte Meister Eckharts in bekannten Handschriften,"<br />
in Die deutsche Predigt im Mittelalter, 125-149 (Tübingen: Max Niemeyer Verlag, 1992); .<br />
166 Frank Hieronymus, 1488 Petri: Schwabe 1988: Eine traditionsreiche Basler Offizin im Spiegel ihrer<br />
frühen Drucke, (Basel: Schwabe & Co Verlag, 1997), 138.<br />
167 Christoph Reske, Die Buchdrucker des 16. und 17. Jahrhunderts im deutschen Sprachgebiet,<br />
(Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2007), 65-66.<br />
65
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