Sermons

Johannes Tauler's sermons represent one of the finest expressions of fourteenth-century Rhineland mysticism, delivered to Dominican communities and devout laypeople during a period of intense spiritual hunger and ecclesiastical upheaval. Preached primarily in Strasbourg between 1330 and 1361, these vernacular German sermons emerged from the fertile ground of Meister Eckhart's theological legacy, though Tauler navigated more cautiously through the controversies that had surrounded his predecessor. The Black Death, papal schism, and broader social disruption of the era created congregations desperate for authentic spiritual direction and practical guidance toward union with God.

Tauler's sermonic theology centers on the soul's fundamental capacity for divine transformation through what he terms "Gelassenheit" — a radical abandonment or letting-go that opens the deepest ground of the soul to God's immediate presence. Unlike purely speculative mystical theology, Tauler consistently grounds his teaching in concrete pastoral wisdom, addressing the spiritual struggles of ordinary Christians while articulating a sophisticated understanding of contemplative prayer and mystical union. His sermons trace a careful path between the heights of mystical experience and the demands of active Christian living, insisting that true spiritual progress requires both inner detachment and outward service. The preacher develops a distinctive theology of suffering as the primary means by which the soul is stripped of false attachments and prepared for divine indwelling, while maintaining that this mystical path remains accessible to dedicated Christians regardless of their ecclesiastical status.

These sermons profoundly influenced later Protestant and Catholic mystical traditions, shaping figures as diverse as the English Puritans and John of the Cross through their practical integration of high mystical theology with pastoral care. Tauler's vernacular accessibility and psychological sophistication established a template for mystical preaching that emphasized experience over speculation. Contemporary readers seeking a mature, psychologically astute guide to contemplative spirituality will find in Tauler a voice that honors both the radical demands of mystical transformation and the practical challenges of Christian discipleship, though those uncomfortable with medieval theological language or unfamiliar with contemplative prayer may find the material initially challenging.