Aurora (Morgen Röte im Auffgang, 1612) and Ein gründlicher Bericht or A Fundamental Report (Mysterium Pansophicum, 1620)

856 Pages·2013·14.93 MB·English

by  Jacob Boehme

Jacob Boehme’s Aurora:
Translation, Introduction, and Commentary
Aries Book Series
Texts and Studies in Western Esotericism
Editor
MarcoPasi
EditorialBoard
Jean-PierreBrach
NicholasGoodrick-Clarke†
WouterHanegraaff
AdvisoryBoard
AntoineFaivre–OlavHammer
AndreasKilcher–ArthurMcCalla
MonikaNeugebauer-Wölk–MarkSedgwick
JanSnoek–GyörgySzo˝nyi
GarryTrompf
VOLUME16
Thetitlespublishedinthisseriesarelistedatbrill.com/arbs
Aurora
(Morgen Röte im auffgang, 1612)
and Ein gründlicher Bericht or A Fundamental Report
(Mysterium Pansophicum, 1620)
By
JacobBoehme
WithaTranslation,Introduction,andCommentaryby
AndrewWeeks
and GüntherBonheiminCollaborationwithMichaelSpang
asEditorof GründlicherBericht
LEIDEN•BOSTON
2013
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ISSN1871-1405
ISBN978-90-04-22493-3(hardback)
ISBN978-90-04-22568-8(e-book)
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ToAustinCrothers
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attheskieswhosefrequentvisitswerefreshbreezesonaridstretches

CONTENTS
Acknowledgments...................................................... xiii
Introduction............................................................ 1
ScopeandPurposeofThisVolume................................. 1
INTRODUCTORYCOMMENTARY
I Boehme’sLifeandTimesbefore1613 ............................... 5
A OutlineofBoehme’sLife ....................................... 5
B Görlitzaround1600 ............................................ 6
C ConflictandPolarization....................................... 7
D LutheranInsurrections......................................... 8
E PluralisminGörlitz ............................................ 9
F CalendarReformof1584 ....................................... 9
G BartholomäusScultetus........................................ 10
H AbrahamBehem ............................................... 10
I HopeoftheYear1612........................................... 11
II Boehme’sVocabularyandTerminology ............................ 13
A LutheranLiteraryCulture...................................... 13
1 TheLutheranBible ........................................ 13
1a ImageofGod(Gen1:27) ............................... 14
1b CreatorWord(John1:1)................................ 14
1c DivinePresence(Acts17:28)........................... 15
1d Wheels(Ezek1)andGuests(Mat22,25)............... 15
1e Grimmigkeit,Fierceness(Ps90)........................ 15
1f GodasAllinAll(Eph1:23)............................. 16
2 TheLanguageofLutheranDoctrine ....................... 17
2a ElectionofGrace(Gnaden-Wahl)...................... 17
2b DivineOmnipresence(Gottüberall,allenthalben)..... 18
2c RealPresence(Wesen,wesentlich) ..................... 19
2d ParadoxoftheGreatestandSmallest(Centrum) ...... 20
2e TheMaterialityofThings(Begreiflichkeit)............. 21
2f Divinity(Gottheit) ..................................... 21
3 LutheranSermonsandSongs.............................. 21
viii contents
3a LutheranHomileticSymbolism ....................... 21
3b LutheranHomileticAllegory .......................... 22
3c SolarSymbolismandNatureasLanguage ............. 22
3d TheRhetoricoftheEcstaticExperience............... 23
4 LutheranPopularCulture.................................. 23
4a DarknessandLight:AnfechtungandErleuchtung ..... 24
4b LayOppositiontoClericalQuarreling(Zankder
Theologen)............................................. 25
B NaturePhilosophy ............................................. 26
1 NaturalProcessasDivineMiracleaccordingtoLuther .... 26
2 TheAuthorityofNaturalKnowledge ...................... 26
3 Astrology................................................... 27
3a AstrologyversusAstronomy........................... 27
3b AstrologyofPlanetaryForces.......................... 28
3c PlanetaryVirtuesinPtolemyandBoehme ............ 29
3d MercuryasanExceptionalPlanet ..................... 29
3e SevenQualitiesasTastesorImpulses.................. 29
3f SolarCentralityasSymbol............................. 30
4 PhilosophyasTheologyandAlchemy ..................... 31
4a TheOrganicNaturePhilosophyofParacelsus ......... 32
4b ThePeculiarityofBoehme’sSalitter ................... 34
4c Boehme’sSalitterandduChesne’sSalNiter ........... 35
4d Boehme’sSourceSpiritsandduChesne’s“Æthereall
Spirits”................................................. 35
4e DuChesneandtheMultiplicityofVirtues,Qualities,
andTastes ............................................. 36
4f SiderischerGeistandanimalischerGeist ............... 36
5 LegalandMedicalLanguage............................... 38
C Boehme’sAmbiguitiesandNeologisms ........................ 39
1 Inficiren(toinfect)......................................... 39
2 Herb(thedryorstringent)................................. 39
3 Himmel(heavenandheavens)............................. 39
4 HeavenandHeavensinTheologicalDisputes ............. 40
D Boehme’sAdaptationsandExtensionsofWords............... 40
1 Geburt,gebären(birth)..................................... 41
2 Wallen,Wille,Welle,wollen................................. 41
3 Quelle,Qualität............................................. 41
4 qualificiren(tomanifestitself)............................. 42
5 inqualiren(toimbueorinfuse) ............................ 42
6 Schrack(thefireflashoffright) ............................ 43
contents ix
E Mystical,Esoteric,andKabbalisticSources .................... 43
III ProceduresforReproducingandTranslatingtheAutographText.. 45
IV Boehme’sGründlicherBericht(AFundamentalReport)............. 47
A TheContextoftheWork ....................................... 47
B TermsandConceptsofBoehme’sGründlicherBericht ......... 53
1 Sucht(craving)............................................. 53
2 TheEternalWille........................................... 55
3 Mysterium,MysteriumMagnum,Turba.................... 56
4 MagiaandMagus.......................................... 57
5 DerUngrund(the“unground,”orabyss) ................... 58
6 TheStrongandtheWeak .................................. 59
C ProblemsofInterpretation..................................... 59
1 ThePeculiaritiesofEingründlicherBericht ................ 59
2 SomePossibleInterpretations ............................. 60
2a TheCryptographicInterpretation ..................... 60
2b TheGnosticInterpretation ............................ 60
2c ThePhilosophicalInterpretation...................... 60
2d TheRhetoricalInterpretation ......................... 61
2e TheMaterialisticInterpretation....................... 62
D ProceduresoftheCriticalEdition(GüntherBonheim) ........ 63
SelectBibliography,WorksConsulted,andAbbreviations.............. 67
AURORA(MORGENRÖTEIMAUFFGANG)
TitlePage ............................................................... 75
Prefacetothekindreaderconcerningthisbook........................ 77
Chapter1.Onresearchingthedivinebeinginnature.Onthetwo
qualities............................................................. 117
Chapter2.[Notitle] .................................................... 127
Chapter3.Oftheexaltedlysacredtriumphantholy,holy,holytrinity.
Godthefather,son,holyspirit.AsingleGod. ...................... 145
Chapter4.Onthecreationoftheholyangels:aninstructionoropen
gateofheaven....................................................... 169
Chapter5.Onthecorporealsubstance,being,andpropertyofan
angel................................................................ 185
Chapter6.Inwhatwayanangelorhumanbeingisalikenessand
imageofGod........................................................ 201