Meister Eckhart’s Influence on Nicholas of Cusa: A Survey of the Literature

Abstract

Soon after Franz Pfeiffer published his edition of Eckhart’s German sermons and treatises in 1857, scholars became interested in exploring the relationship between Meister Eckhart and Nicholas of Cusa. With the beginning of the publication of critical editions of the works of both Nicholas of Cusa in 1932 and Eckhart in 1936 came the growing opportunity for a careful, textual comparison of the two thinkers. Koch’s doctoral student, Herbert Wackerzapp, undertook an extensive study of Eckhart’s influence on the early writings of Nicholas of Cusa from 1440–50. Wackerzapp showed that Cusanus was already well acquainted with Eckhart before 1444. Rudolf Haubst advanced Wackerzapp’s study with a piece on Nicholas of Cusa as an “interpreter and defender” of Eckhart. Klaus Reinhart, Isabelle Mandrella, and Harald Schwaetzer have all contributed articles that deal with the theme of the birth of God in the soul in Meister Eckhart and Nicholas of Cusa. Keywords:Ekhart’s German sermons; Herbert Wackerzapp; Josef Koch; Meister Eckhart; Nicholas of Cusa; Rudolf Haubst