Andrew Weeks is Associate Professor of German, Illinois State University. He is the author of Boehme: An Intellectual Biography of the Seventeenth-Century Philosopher and Mystic; German Mysticism from Hildegard of Bingen to Ludwig Wittgenstein: A Literary and Intellectual History; and Paracelsus: Speculative Theory and The Crisis of the Early Reformation, all published by SUNY Press.

"This is an excellent study of Valentin Weigel, a significant figure who has been unjustly overlooked. In his own day Weigel might not have had much influence or stature, but given that many of his ideas were far ahead of his time, and that much of the historical writing on the Reformation has been confessionally-generated, this is not surprising. But due to the very fact that Weigel was so much more in line with the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries than the sixteenth, he presents us with an extremely interesting case study of a man out of joint with his own time. Weeks does a wonderful job of outlining and analyzing Weigel's life and thought, and of placing Weigel in the proper context of late medieval mystical traditions and the doctrinal disputes of the sixteenth century." — Carlos M. N. Eire, Yale University

• Preface Introduction 1. Weigel's Life Curriculum VitaeTwo Key Episodes 2. The Historical Background Power against FaithAuthority against LaityDoctrine against Doctrine 3. Weigel's Place in Tradition Pietism and MysticismThe Sources of Weigel's Synthesis 4. Weigel's Early Writings, 1570–1572 Context and Continuity of Weigel's WorkThe Path to Self-KnowledgeGnothi seautonThe Good Life as the Inner Life: De Vita Beata 5. Weigel's Defense and Pastoral Turn in 1572 The DefenseThe Manuscript Collection of SermonsOn Prayer 6. Weigel's Resumption of Speculative Writing until 1578 On the Place of the WorldThe Golden Grasp 7. Protesting Intolerance after the Formula of Concord On the Life of ChristThe Dialog on Christianity 8. The Problem of Distinguishing the Authentic Later Writings The Posthumous Compendium of SermonsThe Lazarus Sermon 9. Contemplation of the Creation "Genesis" and the Design of the World 10. Early Reaction to and Later Reception of Weigel's Work The Complexities of InfluenceConclusion: Weigel's Idea of Tolerance Notes Bibliography Index

Andrew Weeks is Associate Professor of German, Illinois State University. He is the author of Boehme: An Intellectual Biography of the Seventeenth-Century Philosopher and Mystic; German Mysticism from Hildegard of Bingen to Ludwig Wittgenstein: A Literary and Intellectual History; and Paracelsus: Speculative Theory and The Crisis of the Early Reformation, all published by SUNY Press.

"This is an excellent study of Valentin Weigel, a significant figure who has been unjustly overlooked. In his own day Weigel might not have had much influence or stature, but given that many of his ideas were far ahead of his time, and that much of the historical writing on the Reformation has been confessionally-generated, this is not surprising. But due to the very fact that Weigel was so much more in line with the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries than the sixteenth, he presents us with an extremely interesting case study of a man out of joint with his own time. Weeks does a wonderful job of outlining and analyzing Weigel's life and thought, and of placing Weigel in the proper context of late medieval mystical traditions and the doctrinal disputes of the sixteenth century." — Carlos M. N. Eire, Yale University

• Preface Introduction 1. Weigel's Life Curriculum VitaeTwo Key Episodes 2. The Historical Background Power against FaithAuthority against LaityDoctrine against Doctrine 3. Weigel's Place in Tradition Pietism and MysticismThe Sources of Weigel's Synthesis 4. Weigel's Early Writings, 1570–1572 Context and Continuity of Weigel's WorkThe Path to Self-KnowledgeGnothi seautonThe Good Life as the Inner Life: De Vita Beata 5. Weigel's Defense and Pastoral Turn in 1572 The DefenseThe Manuscript Collection of SermonsOn Prayer 6. Weigel's Resumption of Speculative Writing until 1578 On the Place of the WorldThe Golden Grasp 7. Protesting Intolerance after the Formula of Concord On the Life of ChristThe Dialog on Christianity 8. The Problem of Distinguishing the Authentic Later Writings The Posthumous Compendium of SermonsThe Lazarus Sermon 9. Contemplation of the Creation "Genesis" and the Design of the World 10. Early Reaction to and Later Reception of Weigel's Work The Complexities of InfluenceConclusion: Weigel's Idea of Tolerance Notes Bibliography Index

Andrew Weeks is Associate Professor of German, Illinois State University. He is the author of Boehme: An Intellectual Biography of the Seventeenth-Century Philosopher and Mystic; German Mysticism from Hildegard of Bingen to Ludwig Wittgenstein: A Literary and Intellectual History; and Paracelsus: Speculative Theory and The Crisis of the Early Reformation, all published by SUNY Press.

"This is an excellent study of Valentin Weigel, a significant figure who has been unjustly overlooked. In his own day Weigel might not have had much influence or stature, but given that many of his ideas were far ahead of his time, and that much of the historical writing on the Reformation has been confessionally-generated, this is not surprising. But due to the very fact that Weigel was so much more in line with the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries than the sixteenth, he presents us with an extremely interesting case study of a man out of joint with his own time. Weeks does a wonderful job of outlining and analyzing Weigel's life and thought, and of placing Weigel in the proper context of late medieval mystical traditions and the doctrinal disputes of the sixteenth century." — Carlos M. N. Eire, Yale University

• Preface Introduction 1. Weigel's Life Curriculum VitaeTwo Key Episodes 2. The Historical Background Power against FaithAuthority against LaityDoctrine against Doctrine 3. Weigel's Place in Tradition Pietism and MysticismThe Sources of Weigel's Synthesis 4. Weigel's Early Writings, 1570–1572 Context and Continuity of Weigel's WorkThe Path to Self-KnowledgeGnothi seautonThe Good Life as the Inner Life: De Vita Beata 5. Weigel's Defense and Pastoral Turn in 1572 The DefenseThe Manuscript Collection of SermonsOn Prayer 6. Weigel's Resumption of Speculative Writing until 1578 On the Place of the WorldThe Golden Grasp 7. Protesting Intolerance after the Formula of Concord On the Life of ChristThe Dialog on Christianity 8. The Problem of Distinguishing the Authentic Later Writings The Posthumous Compendium of SermonsThe Lazarus Sermon 9. Contemplation of the Creation "Genesis" and the Design of the World 10. Early Reaction to and Later Reception of Weigel's Work The Complexities of InfluenceConclusion: Weigel's Idea of Tolerance Notes Bibliography Index