마이스터 에크하르트의 부정신학적인 하나님 이해: 독일어설교 2번을 중심으로

Abstract

This article presents the merits and demerits of Meister Eckhart's negative theological approach to God. Furthermore, it critically examines Eckhart's expressions of the Godhead of God in comparison to other theological thoughts and in dialog with Buddhism. To this end, the thesis of the paper is developed through analyzing the contents of German sermon No. 2, which shows a unique understanding of God's divinity. The content structure of this sermon is summarized as a detached virgin (Martha), a detached virgin and a wife (Martha) with abundant productivity, the ground of the soul where the birth of God's son occurs, and God who breaks through the ground of the soul. Next, we review Eckhart's other terms, which are used to have the same meaning as the negative theological expressions presented in German sermon No. 2. When referring to these concepts, it is the simple One as non-distinguishing, the unnamed One as pure nothingness, and God as Being Itself who is not the existence of creatures. The advantages of Eckhart's attempt reveal the nobility of natural reason latent in the human soul created after the image of God as intellect, points out the epistemological limitations of positive theology, and brings the abundance of theological statements. This has the disadvantage that it may bring about a narrowing of God's rich names and vast ministry unfolding toward the world. However, if Eckhart's negative theological concepts are again illuminated through the method of the negation of negation, in other words, if Eckhart's partiality toward the inside of human beings is overcome, it helps to make a better statement emphasizing the salvation of the Trinity God ruling throughout the world.