Johannes Tauler facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Johannes Tauler
Statue of Johannes Tauler, the Strasbourg Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune Protestant Church.
Born	c. 1300
Died	16 June 1361
Nationality	German
Occupation	German mystic, a Catholic preacher and a theologian
Known for	most important Rhineland mystics
Title	Doctor Illuminatus et sublimis

Johannes Tauler (born around 1300 – died June 16, 1361) was a German mystic. He was also a Roman Catholic priest and a theologian. He belonged to the Dominican Order, which is a group of Catholic priests and brothers. Tauler was a student of Meister Eckhart and became one of the most important Rhineland mystics. He helped spread a special way of thinking about God within the Dominican Order.

Life of Johannes Tauler

Johannes Tauler was born around the year 1300 in a city called Strasbourg, which is now in France. His father was a member of the city council. When he was about 18, Tauler joined the Dominican Order. He studied at the Dominican monastery in Strasbourg.

Early Influences and Preaching

A famous teacher named Meister Eckhart was in Strasbourg when Tauler was young. Eckhart greatly influenced Tauler's ideas. It's possible Tauler heard Eckhart preach while he was studying. After Strasbourg, Tauler went to study in Cologne and then returned to Strasbourg.

Around 1330, Tauler began his work as a preacher in Strasbourg. The city had many convents where Dominican nuns lived. It also had many smaller communities of holy women called beguines. Tauler often preached to these holy women. Many of his nearly 80 sermons seem to have been given in convents.

Time in Basel and the Friends of God

In 1338 or 1339, the Dominicans were forced to leave Strasbourg. This happened because of disagreements between the Pope and a ruler named Lewis of Bavaria. Tauler spent his time away from Strasbourg (from about 1339 to 1343) in a city called Basel.

While in Basel, Tauler met a group of very religious people. They were known as the Friends of God (Gottesfreunde). Tauler often talked about the Friends of God in his sermons. He also learned about a book called Flowing Light of the Godhead by Mechthild of Magdeburg through this group.

Tauler worked with the Friends of God. He taught that a person's connection with God was more important than outward religious actions. He was very good at sharing his beliefs with others.

Return to Strasbourg and Later Life

Tauler came back to Strasbourg around 1343. The next few years were very difficult for the city. In 1346, Strasbourg had a terrible earthquake and fire. Then, from late 1347 to 1349, the Black Death (a deadly sickness) swept through the city. Many people left Strasbourg, but Tauler stayed. He helped and encouraged his fellow citizens with his sermons and personal visits.

In the last 25 years of his life, Tauler traveled quite a bit. He visited Cologne several times. Some of his sermons were clearly given there. It is also believed that he visited John of Ruusbroec in Groenendaal sometime in the 1350s.

Tauler is also believed to have written the words for the Advent song called "Es kommt ein Schiff, geladen". This song is still sung today. The oldest copy of the song's words was found in a Strasbourg Dominican convent that Tauler often visited.

Johannes Tauler died on June 16, 1361, in Strasbourg. He was buried in the Dominican church there. His gravestone can still be seen today in the Temple Neuf.

There is a well-known story about Tauler being taught by someone called "The Friend of God from the Oberland". However, this story is not considered to be true history.

Tauler's Sermons

Johannes Tauler did not write any formal books or essays. Instead, his teachings are found in his 80 sermons.

People started collecting Tauler's sermons even while he was still alive. Some of the oldest copies of his sermons are from around the time he returned to Strasbourg after his exile.

Tauler's sermons were first printed in 1498. They were reprinted many times after that. They were also translated into Latin.

Tauler was very famous for his sermons. They are considered some of the best in the German language. His sermons were not as emotional as those of Henry Suso, nor as focused on deep ideas as those of Eckhart. Instead, Tauler's sermons were very practical. They talked about the deeper problems of how to live a good and spiritual life.

See also

In Spanish: Juan Taulero para niños

• List of Latin nicknames of the Middle Ages: Doctors in theology
• Tauler

Images for kids

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  1522 title page of Tauler's sermons, by Holbein