Though Steiner was born with clairvoyant capacities, it was not until his fortieth year that he could link his inner experiences with the principal figure of Western spirituality, Jesus Christ. After that "solemn festival of knowledge", as he describes it in his autobiography, Steiner received ceaseless revelations about the significance and detailed course of the Christ's incarnation. In lecture cycles spanning two decades, he spoke of the hidden background to all four gospels, the Book of Revelations, and even the "Fifth Gospel" of events that he read directly from the spiritual worlds.
This lecture cycle presents the most accessible and illuminating of Steiner's revelations with regard to Christ, and his significance for humanity's spiritual development. He discusses the link between Buddha and the life of Christ, a description that unites Buddhism and Christianity, not in theory but in perceived spiritual deeds of these two figures. Here, too, Steiner describes the relationship of the Greek Mystery traditions to the event at Golgotha:
"A 'sign' was to be placed before them as well, a sign now to be enacted before the eyes of all mankind. The 'mystical death' that had been a ceremonial act in the Mystery Temples for hundreds and thousands of years was now to be presented on the great arena of world-history. Everything that had taken place in the secrecy of the Temples of Initiation was brought into the open as a single event on Golgotha".
Utilizing a historical overview, revealing the relationship between the great religious traditions, and how they have conspired together for the good of humanity, Steiner never loses sight of the Gospel's great inner meaning, as echoed in theGospel of St. Luke: "The revelation of the spiritual worlds from the Heights and its answering reflection from the hearts of men brings peace to all whose purpose upon the evolving Earth is to unfold good will".
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black & white illustrations
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Height: 218 mm
Width: 142 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
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ISBN-13
978-0-88010-488-3 (9780880104883)
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Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) was born in the small village of Kraljevec, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now in Croatia), where he grew up. As a young man, he lived in Weimar and Berlin, where he became a well-published scientific, literary, and philosophical scholar, known especially for his work with Goethe's scientific writings. At the beginning of the twentieth century, he began to develop his early philosophical principles into an approach to systematic research into psychological and spiritual phenomena. Formally beginning his spiritual teaching career under the auspices of the Theosophical Society, Steiner came to use the term Anthroposophy (and spiritual science) for his philosophy, spiritual research, and findings. The influence of Steiner's multifaceted genius has led to innovative and holistic approaches in medicine, various therapies, philosophy, religious renewal, Waldorf education, education for special needs, threefold economics, biodynamic agriculture, Goethean science, architecture, and the arts of drama, speech, and eurythmy. In 1924, Rudolf Steiner founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches throughout the world. He died in Dornach, Switzerland.
