Mystical Union in the Teachings of Ibn Arabi and Meister Eckhart

Although direct links between Muh. yiddin Ibn 'Arabi (1165-1240) and Eckhart von Hochheim (1260-1328) are lacking, a number of intriguing similarities of expression appear in the teachings of the Arab Muslim and the German Christian, both of whom are recognized today as outstanding representatives of the mystical traditions of their respective Faiths. Nevertheless, both of these spiritual masters also faced opposition and persecution from their religious authorities of their own times and often thereafter. Among the preeminent and most controversial of their teachings is that of the radical unity of the soul with God, ultimately the linchpin of their mystical theologies. Striking similarities between their treatments of the immanence and transcendence of God, the existential 'nothingness' of creatures, and the appeal to direct and immediate experience of God also invite comparative analysis. Such congruence, although imperfect, and despite real and significant differences between the doctrines of the two mystical theologians, argues that the comparative study of their teachings can serve as an effective interfaith bridge (or isthmus) between diverse systems of belief.