Rudolf Steiner Life And Work Vol 7

In this final volume of his comprehensive biography of Rudolf Steiner, Peter Selg describes Steiner's final months on Earth. Although his health was beginning to decline, 1924 might have been his most productive and fruitful years. It saw a new beginning for the Anthroposophical Society and the beginning of the Esoteric School and the School for Spiritual Science. The year began with the "Christmas Conference," during which the Anthroposophical Society was reborn). That year also witnessed Rudolf Steiner's "Karmic Relationships" lectures, as well as the serialized "Leading Thoughts," summarized Anthroposophy in a series of aphoristic guidelines for meditation, supplemented by essays on the Michaelic nature of Anthroposophy. Also serialized in the Goetheanum newsletter were autobiographical chapters in Rudolf Steiner's life up to 1907. He also defined his important spiritual relationships with Ita Wegman, Marie Steiner, and Lili Kolisko, as well as their significant connection to the Society and his spiritual legacy. New initiatives were also planted in the world during this time, including anthroposophically extended medicine and biodynamic agriculture. From his sickbed in the Goetheanum carpentry shop, Steiner also formed plans and a model for the new Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland. Also included in this volume is a lecture by Rudolf Steiner on June 4, 1924, "The Festival of Pentecost." Book jacket.

This third volume of Peter Selg’s comprehensive presentation of Rudolf Steiner’s life and work begins with Steiner’s invitation to lecture in the Theosophical Society during the summer of 1900. From the outset of his theosophical involvement, Steiner was resolved to serve and develop the Western path to the spirit, traversed in full, conscious clarity of thought. He was therefore critical of the tendency to avoid the modern standards of a sound knowledge process in matters of spirituality and esotericism, and instead emphasized the importance of idealist philosophy as groundwork for understanding spiritual cognition. (“Whoever speaks of the coldness of the world of ideas can only think ideas, not experience them. Those who live the true life in the world of ideas feel in themselves the being of the world working in warmth that cannot be compared to anything else.” —Rudolf Steiner, Goethe's World View) Although his approach did not always harmonize with theosophical pursuits, Rudolf Steiner recognized the sincere striving at the basis of this movement and agreed to take on increasingly greater responsibility for the German Section. Marie von Sivers, who would later become his wife, was his most supportive colleague during this time. At a decisive juncture, Steiner broke from the Theosophical Society to found the Anthroposophical Society, through which he would continue the development of modern spiritual science more freely in accord with his original intentions. This volume covers the period during which Steiner wrote some of his foundational works: Christianity as Mystical Fact, Theosophy, Knowledge of the Higher Worlds, and An Outline of Esoteric Science. Peter Selg also describes the building of the first Goetheanum in Dornach as an artistic embodiment of esoteric wisdom, giving rise to an international working community, as well as the performance of the mystery dramas and Rudolf Steiner’s profound Christological lectures known as the Fifth Gospel.

The first chapter of this volume looks at Rudolf Steiner's years in Weimar, beginning with his work at the Goethe Archives editing Goethe’s scientific works. It was in this capacity that Steiner was able to comprehend the great spiritual depth of Goethe’s life and work, which became the foundation for his own lifework. This chapter also looks at his social circles and the writing and publication of his works Truth and Knowledge (CW 3) and The Philosophy of Freedom (CW 4). It also highlights his encounter with the work of Friedrich Nietzsche, his visits to the Nietzsche Archives in Naumburg, and the writing of his book Friedrich Nietzsche: Fighter for Freedom (CW 5). Rudolf Steiner's time in Weimar comes to a close with the creation of his second book on Goethe: Goethe's World View (CW 6), a fruit of his work at the Archives. The second chapter focuses on Rudolf Steiner's time in Berlin, where he worked as editor of a cultural periodical, Magazin für Litteratur, and accepted a position as lecturer at the Workers' School. There he was able to grow into his capacity as a teacher and where, although he encountered many ideological challenges, his insight into historical development found wide appreciation among students. The third chapter covers the turn of the century and Rudolf Steiner's inner transition to speaking and writing more openly of his esoteric observations on the evolution of consciousness, the "I," and the training of cognition. His decisive 1899 essay, Individualism in Philosophy, marked this impulse, followed by invitations to lecture freely before the Theosophical Society, where Rudolf Steiner presented the esoteric nature of Goethe's fairy tale and the content of what later became his own books Mystics after Modernism (CW 7) and Christianity as Mystical Fact and the Mysteries of Antiquity (CW 8).

To acknowledge and understand Rudolf Steiner’s unique achievement and life’s work, one must be able to accept that the founder and spiritual researcher of Anthroposophy was “a citizen of two worlds”: the spiritual and the physical. Anthroposophy teaches that this duality, rather than being a quality reserved for special individualities, is inherent to human nature. According to Rudolf Steiner, it is a central aspect of being human, even in times when the suprasensory aspect of humanity is eclipsed (for ordinary day consciousness) and almost eliminated by certain civilizations. The interest in Rudolf Steiner’s person and essence, in his attitude toward life and work, will continue to grow in the decades and centuries that lie ahead, both within and outside the anthroposophical movement. It will take hold of entirely different groups of people, including those who come with spiritual questions or discover them in times of need. Rudolf Steiner’s work grew to be “one unique effort of bringing courage to human beings” (Michael Bauer). This is the first of seven comprehensive volumes on Rudolf Steiner’s “being, intentions, and journey.” It presents Rudolf Steiner from childhood and youth through his doctorate degree and up to the time of his work for the Goethe Archives as editor of Goethe’s scientific writings. By considering his formative years in depth, we come to understand better the roots and development of Rudolf Steiner’s later spiritual research and teachings. This volume is a translation from German of the first three chapters of Rudolf Steiner. 1861 - 1925: Lebens- und Werkgeschichte. Band 1: 1861 - 1914 (Ita Wegman Institut, 2012).

A concise, illustrated introduction of Steiner's life and work.

This is the first of seven volumes that offer the most comprehensive biography to date of Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), founder of Anthroposophy (or Spiritual Science) and the Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches around the world. His unique genius gave rise to new impulses in education, medicine, agriculture, the arts, economics, and religion. Volume 1 presents Rudolf Steiner's life from birth and youth, through his doctorate degree and work as editor of Goethe's scientific works for the Goethe Archives.

"Rudolf Steiner himself did not just comment critically about the out-of-hand 'fear of bacilli' or the "obsession with hygiene" as "modern superstition," but also warned about the dangerous reality of 'pathogens of the worst kind' that could become 'destroyers of human life' and bring with 'dreadful epidemics.'" --Peter Selg This volume --written by Peter Selg between Easter and Pentecost 2020 --gathers a collection of essays on the medical, sociopolitical, and spiritual dimensions of the Covid crisis. He offers these essays as a means of orientation and "explorations" (in Paul Celan's meaning). The author emphasizes in his preface, however, that representatives of Anthroposophy nevertheless have an obligation to speak out on the subject: "If they silence or censor themselves because they do not want to seem in any way negative as a result of their critical reflections, or because even 'before corona' they quickly became the target of various accusations, they lose nothing less than the justification for their existence, their inner identity and credibility, as well as their 'historical conscience' --the crucial meaning of which Rudolf Steiner pointed to time and again and not without reason." This book was originally published in German as Mysterium der Erde. Aufsätze zur Corona-Zeit (Verlag des Ita Wegman Instituts, Arlesheim, Switzerland, 2020). An earlier English translation of the essay "A Medicalized Society?" (translated by Thomas O'Keefe and Charles Gunn) first appeared in Deepening Anthroposophy, no. 9.1 (that translation has been revised for this volume).