Abstract
German sermon 86 is one of the most important sermons of Meister Eckhart. This sermon refers to Luke 10: 38-42. In this scene, Martha devotes herself to serve Christ while her younger sister Mary just sits down on the floor and listens to him. The traditional interpretation of this Biblical passge in Western Europe maintains that Martha and Mary represent "vita active" (active life) and "vita contemplative" (contemplative life) respectively. It also argues that contemplative life is superior to active life, and consequently Mary's way of life is better than Martha's. Eckhart, however, interprets vice versa. Most of the Eckhart researchers point out that his interpretation of Luke 10: 38-42 shows his originality. Inevitably, studies of Eckhart have been concentrated on Martha's perfection which Eckhart explains in his sermon, while sufficient attention is not given to Mary. However, Eckhart also argues Mary's perfection, which breaks through the traditional understanding of the Bible. In this research, I would like to clarify the image of Mary in one of Eckhart's most important sermons. From the results of this consideration, I would like to explore the ideal of religious life in German mysticism.
