Johannes Eckhart, commonly known as Meister Eckhart, was born near Gotha in eastern Germany around 1260. He had an illustrious career in the Dominican Order, teaching all over Europe including Saxony, Bohemia and Paris. He is one of the great speculative mystics of Western Europe, who sougth to reconcile traditional Christian belief with transcendental metaphysics. He was accused of heretical teaching in his lifetime, but is seen today as a foremost exponent of Christian philosophical theology. He died in 1327/8.Oliver Davies is senior lecturer in theology at the University of Wales, Lampeter.