Meister Eckhart's Book of Darkness & Light

Named one of Spirituality and Practice’s Best Spiritual Books of 2023   “Sweeney and Burrows, in poems that are as elegant as they are scholarly, revoice Meister Eckhart’s grounding and expansive instructions to ‘seek the light that shines / out of the darkness.’” —Pádraig Ó Tuama, poet and host of Poetry Unbound, from On Being Studios Meister Eckhart is one of the greatest of Christian mystics, but because of his depth he can be challenging to read. Jon M. Sweeney and Mark S. Burrows unlock the poetry in his words to allow his light to shine. What Coleman Barks has done for Rumi, they have done for Eckhart—making his insight accessible and his wisdom sing.” —Carl McColman, author of The New Big Book of Christian Mysticism and Eternal Heart “Jon M. Sweeney, an independent scholar and Spirituality & Practice’s Contributing Editor for Books and New Media, and Mark S. Burrows, a poet, translator, and professor of religion and literature at the Protestant University of Applied Sciences in Bochum, Germany, have taken up the challenge of bringing Eckhart’s thought to contemporary audiences. They don’t simplify it (as some seekers might want them to do); instead they identify key themes and present them through inspiring and encouraging poetry. Eckhart was not a poet, but his ideas are very suited to the genre. “Sweeney and Burrows call these poems ‘re-voicings of Eckhart’s thought drawing on key images, phrases, and ideas found in his writings.’ At the end of the book, they provide extensive notes identifying the specific sources behind each poem. This is an invaluable addition for both scholars and intrigued seekers. “We can only give you a taste of Eckhart in a review. And you may find, as we did, that the best way to approach it is to simply open to a page at random and spend some time with it.”—Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, SpiritualityAndPractice.com

Meister Eckhart (1260–1328) was a priest, a mystic, and nearly a heretic (he died before the Church court’s verdict). In recent centuries, the Roman Catholic establishment has rehabilitated him, and the late John Paul II spoke of his work with fondness.

Jon M. Sweeney is an independent scholar, critic, and writer. Several of his books have become History Book Club, BOMC, and QPB selections. His book, The Pope Who Quit, was optioned by HBO. He served as an editor at Jewish Lights and Paraclete Press and is currently editor-at-large at Orbis Books. He lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Mark S. Burrows is a poet, translator, and professor of religion and literature at the Protestant University of Applied Sciences in Bochum, Germany. His poetry has appeared in Poetry, The Cortland Review, Southern Quarterly, Weavings, and a number of other periodicals.