MEISTER ECKHART’S INQUISITION
One of the most debated incidents of Medieval Europe is the inquisition of Meister Eckhart which started in 1325 in Cologne and finished in 1329 in Avignon. This process brought several different intellectual traditions into interaction. The views about why Meister Eckhart undergo inquisition were directly connected with how Eckhart’s ideas would be located among theology, philosophy, and mysticism. The accusations which take part in papal bull In agro dominico displays the various forms of medieval heresy from that of female mystics to that of Averroist thinkers. This situation has also influenced modern conceptions about Ekhart’s thought and trial and caused the rise of different interpretations. In this article, the inquisition of Eckhart is examined and the essential aspects of his doctrine are analysed. His concept of existence, his view of Trinity and his criticism of religious life are discussed and compared with other heretic movements of the age. I also discuss the reasons of Eckhart’s estrangement from scholastic understanding and the reflections of the struggle between Papacy and Empire on Eckhart’s thinking. Finally, I evaluate different views on Ekhart such as his being a Catholic victim of political disintegration, a heretic who follow in woman mysticism’s footsteps or a philosopher under the influence of Islamic thought.
Selman Dilek
