Meister Eckhart: A Deeper Dive (33 Books To Explore)

A Facebook friend recently posted a request for suggestions on books by or about Meister Eckhart. There are so many, that I couldn’t figure out a succinct way to respond to the request, so I figured I’d just post a list of books here instead. So what follows is a list of books featuring English translations of the writings of the medieval German theologian/mystic Meister Eckart, along with some books of commentary, and even a few collections of poetry inspired by (and drawing from) Eckhart’s own words. Once I started drawing up the list, I kept thinking of more books to add, and before I knew it, it had become a very long list indeed. If you are new to Eckhart, I hope this list will be a fun jumping-off point, and even if you are a long-time student of the Meister, maybe you’ll find a gem or two in this list that’s new to you.

I should mention that this is a general list and I haven’t made any attempt to sort the books out in any way other than the three general categories of translations, poetry, and commentary. The commentaries especially cover a wide terrain: some are interspiritual in nature, others written from a decidedly Catholic viewpoint, and others look at Eckhart from a scholarly or philosophical perspective. I doubt if any one person is going to love all these books, so look them over, read reviews and excerpts and decided for yourself which ones sound interesting to you. Please also note that some of these books are considered controversial in the field of Eckhart scholarship, which might be something to consider and which also could be evidence of, for example, how academics don’t always appreciate books written for the general public (and/or contemplative practitioners). At first I thought I’d annotate this list, but my time is limited so I decided just to encourage you to do your own due diligence and decide which of these books meets your criteria for something worth reading.

Of course, I can’t help expressing my opinion some how (!), so I’m putting in bold type several of these books that I think are especially suitable for contemplative practitioners and/or persons new to Eckhart. But all the other books on the list are worth considering, too!

Books featuring the Writings of Meister Eckhart

Meister Eckhart, Selected Writings (translated by Oliver Davies)
Meister Eckhart, Complete Mystical Works of Meister Eckhart (translated by Maurice O’C Walshe)
Meister Eckhart, The Essential Sermons, Commentaries, Treatises and Defense (translated by Edmund Colledge & Bernard McGinn)
Meister Eckhart, Teacher and Preacher (translated by Bernard McGinn, Frank Tobin & Elvira Borgstadt)
Meister Eckhart, The Essential Writings (translated by Raymond B. Blakney)
Meister Eckhart, Meister Eckhart, from Whom God Hid Nothing (edited by David O’Neal)
Meister Eckhart, Selected Treatises and Sermons (translated by James M. Clark and John V. Skinner)
Meister Eckhart, The Best of Meister Eckhart (edited by Halcyon Backhouse)
Meister Eckhart, Meister Eckehart Speaks (translated by Elizabeth Strakosch)