Niht Enwil Und Niht Enweiz Und Niht Enhât: Eckhart’s Triple Negation and Its History

Abstract

ABSTRACT German Sermon 52 (Pr. 52) is one of Meister Eckhart's most famous. Preached on the first beatitude, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven' (Mt. 5:3), the homily analysis the de-creation of the self by three negations, ‘not willing, not knowing, not having.’ Pr. 52 has often been commented on; what has not been studied is the use the triple formula by a number of later mystics down to 1700. This, part two of two-part essay, will study the reception of the triple formula.