German mysticism
The German mysticism , sometimes as Dominican or Rhinelands mysticism called, was a medieval Christian mystical movement, which in the 14th century particularly within the Dominican Order unfolded in Germany. The term German mysticism is used primarily in relation to Meister Eckhart , Johannes Tauler , Heinrich Seuse or Hildegard von Bingen , whose writings achieved the greatest circulation. Other well-known names from the extensive list of mystics include Rulman Merswin and Margareta Ebner from the circle of friends of God . Above and beyond the religious sphere, German mysticism was also particularly important for the development of the written German language .
The relationship between scholasticism and German mysticism is controversial, depending on the weighting of the opposites and similarities. The use of the vernacular is cited as a contrast, while the scholastics wrote in Latin. But even Meister Eckhart, who is known for his sermons in German, also wrote extensive philosophical treatises of the same doctrine in Latin; while von Tauler, however, only works in German have survived.
German mysticism was important for the Reformation beyond the Middle Ages : Martin Luther edited the Theologia deutsch . In the centuries that followed, Protestant and Catholic renewal and awakening movements repeatedly reverted to ideas from German mysticism.
literature
- Kurt Ruh : History of occidental mysticism (4 volumes), ISBN 9783406344718 .