Meister Eckhart and the essence/energy distinction

[Scott Pierson]

Just this morning I was reading a few of Meister Eckharts sermons and one section really caught my attention.

In this way all creatures speak about "God". And why don't they speak about the Godhead? Everything within the Godhead is unity, and we cannot speak about it. God accomplishes, but the Godheead does not do so and there is no deed within the Godhead. The Godhead never goes searching for a deed. God and the Godhead are distinguished through deeds and a lack of deeds.

I must say that I'm totally lacking in any sort of formal philosophical or theological education so I may be totally off base here but it seems that Meister Eckhart may be touching on the issue of the Divine Essence and the Divine Energies that St Gregory Palamas really shed light on?

I've noticed that many have opposed the teachings of Eckhart regarding "God" and "Godhead" because they believe that in positing the Godhead as the absolute rather then "God" he is trying to depersonalize the aboslute. Maybe that isn't the case though? Isn't it possible that in his vocabulary the Godhead is God as He is in Himself (the divine essence) and the term "God" signifies what we as Orthodox might call the Divine Energies?

I should say that I just thought of this a few minutes ago so I haven't been able to think out all the implications and there could be some faults in this theory. Just putting it out for discussion.

[Dr Owen]

For all his being ensconced in the gloom of Western heresy, Meister Eckhart comes about as close to the thought of St. Gregory Palamas as a Westerner can get. I think he had the right idea, but lacked the language and theological background to express it properly.