Mystical Language in Meister Eckhart and His Disciples

Abstract

Meister Eckhart and his two main followers, Henry Suso and John Tauler, preached and wrote at a unique time, or kairos moment, in the development of vernacular mysticism in German-speaking lands. This article investigates aspects of their vernacular vocabulary regarding the divine nature as unique ground and overflowing Trinity. For Eckhart and his followers ‘God’s ground and the soul’s ground is one ground’, an apophatic mystery that can be figured in powerful symbols like the abyss and the desert. The article also considers the five practices Eckhart, Suso, and Tauler identified for returning to the ground: interiorization, detachment, inner poverty, birthing, and breaking-through.

Keywords:

• vernacular mysticism
• apophaticism
• ground (grunt)
• detachment
• birthing
• breaking-through