Jacob Böhme: Historisch-kritische Gesamtausgabe / Band I,18: Gespräch des Meisters und Jüngers von dem Uber=Sinlichen leben (1622)

In this short dialogue, written by Böhme in 1622, a disciple asks a master about life in accordance with God and access to God beyond sensual perception. The master’s concise answers provide explanations as well as behavioural and practical suggestions, referring in particular to the words of Christ urging silence, repentance and resignation (Gelassenheit). Such instructive dialogues between a wise master and an inquisitive disciple have been common in moral philosophy since antiquity, especially in a religious-mystical context. In Böhme’s case, however, this form is an exception and should be seen in the context of his edifying rather than theoretical writings. Accordingly, this short dialogue was included as an appendix in the first printing of The Way to Christ in 1624 and later was also distributed as a single printing as, in the words of Hermann Hesse, »one of the smaller (and most beautiful) works of the Görlitz sage«. This new edition of the Dialogue is being published to mark the 400th anniversary of its first printing and the year of Böhme’s death.