Passion for Creation: The Earth-Honoring Spirituality of Meister Eckhart

Mathew Fox has done an excellent job of interpreting and commenting on Meister Eckharts sermons. Fox's commentaries on the sermons help the reader to understand what Eckhart was trying to get at and allows the reader to delve more deeply into the world of German mysticism. If this is not the definitive volume on Eckhart's sermons it will certainly be in the top three.

My copies called "Breakthrough - Meister Eckhart's Creation Spirituality in New Translation" published in 1980, i guess this is the new version. This is one of the most important spiritual books I have. Along with Bernadette Roberts' books, Eckhart is probably about as far as you can go towards a universal spirituality within the christian framework (i'm not a Christian by the way). It's not conservative stuff, no way, no repressive crap here - this is liberation, love and life. Did you know Eckhart was a large intellectual influence on Heidegger? "God is Being". His work is obviously pantheistic - God is the world, the world is an aspect of God. It's fully world loving and accepting. If you swapped "God" for "Dzogchen" then there would be a large cross-over with that Tibetan tradition. i.e being is present and presence is the creative/energetic aspect of the godhead. If your liberal in your spirituality, if you love the earth like your mother, if you've got a brain and can think - then this book is for you. Thank-you to Matthew - great job! Eckhart lived 1260 to 1329 and more important and relevant now than ever.

Passion of Creation if a compilation of Meister Eckhardt's sermons. His view of God and God's relation to his creatures - humans and the rest of creation is very different from many views of this subject. Each sermon is followed by an explanation by Matthew Fox. Eckhardt feels that God is everywhere - within us, around us, in all of creation. I find the book very comforting. Lest you think this is some new idea, Meister Eckhardt was a Dominican priest who lived in the 15th century. Passion of Creation is a book that will be read and re-read until the cover falls off and one has to order a new one

Of all the books I've read on spirituality in the last thirty years this book "Passion for Creation" (Formerly Breakthrough) has to rank as one of the best works for its refreshing and stimulating understanding of the content of Miester Eckharts thought.We indeed are indebted to Matthew Fox for his integration and synthesis of the core of Eckharts thought. His is a rich, systematic presentation of Eckharts vision of the holiness and blessing of that which we call life.His commentaries will provide many hours of delightful and challenging reflection for those whose path or journey leads them in the direction of intellection and erudite study. For those who are of the western contemplative or eastern meditative tradition, or anyone whose joy it is to spend time in deep prayer, will find in Eckharts thoughts, a path which is delightfully familiar, one that gives credence and expression to their everyday experiences, and will truly make one feel at home in their growth in spirituality

I began reading excerpts from Fox's book on Eckhart several years ago on a backpacking trip. Each page seemed like a delicious morsel of spiritual food to roll around inside my heart and savor. The full text is presented in Fox's four path's of creation spirituality. Fox's commentary is deep, eloquent and helpful. Eckhart's writings on "letting go and letting be" take us very close to a meeting of the Occident and the Orient. Stranded on a desert island, this is the book I would choose.