IS ANTHROPOSOPHY A RELIGION?

Anthroposophists and Waldorf faculties deny a lot. Crucially, they often deny that Anthroposophy is a religion. For instance, at the Waldorf Answers Web site, the denial is absolute: “No, anthroposophy is not a religion, nor is it meant to be a substitute for religion.” [1] Yet there is persuasive evidence to the contrary. Here are the words of Christopher Bamford, editor-in-chief of SteinerBooks: “[S]teiner felt ... he had to infuse Theosophy, which had an anti-Christian bias, with the real meaning of Christ....” [2] Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, the author of several books on occult and esoteric subjects, puts the matter this way: “Rudolf Steiner ... a pivotal figure of twentieth-century esotericism ... blended modern Theosophy with a Gnostic form of Christianity, Rosicrucianism, and German Naturphilosophie.” [3] To cite one more authoritative source, the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RELIGION says “Anthroposophy is continuous with the Rosicrucian stream of the Christian esoteric tradition.” [4] Summarizing, then, we can say that Anthroposophy combines Theosophy, certain gnostic or esoteric forms of Christianity, and perhaps another spiritualistic thread or two.

There can be no doubt that Christianity, in whatever form, is a religion. If Anthroposophy is Christianity blended with other spiritualistic traditions, we are justified in at least suspecting that Anthroposophy is indeed a religion. But let’s delve deeper. Bamford and Goodrick-Clarke agree that Steiner “infused” or “blended” Theosophy with Christianity. Steiner himself made no secret of the importance of Theosophy in his life and thought [5], and he was outspoken in his admiration for one of the founders of Theosophy: “One thing can be said of the writings of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky. Only one who does not understand them can underestimate them. Anyone who finds the key to what is great in these works will come to admire her more and more.” [6] Is Theosophy a religion? Here is Madame Blavatsky’s own answer: “It is perhaps necessary, first of all, to say, that the assertion that ‘Theosophy is not a Religion,’ by no means excludes the fact that ‘Theosophy is Religion’ itself. A Religion in the true and only correct sense, is a bond uniting men together — not a particular set of dogmas and beliefs. Now Religion, per se, in its widest meaning is that which binds not only all MEN, but also all BEINGS and all things in the entire Universe into one grand whole ... Thus Theosophy is not a Religion, we say, but RELIGION itself ... ” [7]

So the two major sources from which Steiner drew, Christianity and Theosophy, are religions. The result, the blending of these sources, must necessarily be a religion as well. Of course, to find the most compelling evidence of the religious nature of Anthroposophy, we need to examine Steiner’s work and words. Note, for example, that Steiner wrote many prayers for others to use — a compilation of his prayers is titled PRAYERS FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN. [8] Writing prayers for use by others is the activity of a religious leader, while reciting prayers written or prescribed by a religious leader is the activity of faithful adherents. In this context, it is important to note that Steiner wrote prayers to be recited by students in Waldorf schools. Here is one:

The Sun with loving light
Makes bright for me each day;
The soul with spirit power
Gives strength unto my limbs;
In sunlight shining clear
I reverence, O God,
The strength of humankind,
That Thou so graciously
Hast planted in my soul,
That I with all my might
May love to work and learn.
From Thee come light and strength,
To Thee rise love and thanks. [9]

Having established that Anthroposophy may fairly be termed a religion, let’s shift focus slightly and ask how often this religion shows up in Waldorf classrooms. Steiner, as we have seen, claimed that Waldorf schools are not meant to teach Anthroposophy to the students. Here’s another denial: “We are not interested in imposing our ‘dogmas,’ our principles, or the content of our world-view on young people ... We are striving to include in our instructional methods a way of dealing with individual souls that can originate in a living spiritual science.” [17] Steiner was propounding a distinction without a difference. If Waldorf pedagogy arises from “a living spiritual science” (i.e., Anthroposophy actively employed), then the “individual souls” of the students are continually being worked upon by Anthroposophy.

Steiner came close to saying as much when he explained “[W]e believe that spiritual science differs from any other science in filling the entire person ....” [18] A little set of logical deductions: a) If children are to be worked upon by living spiritual science, and if spiritual science fills the whole person, then the children will be filled by spiritual science. b) If students will be filled with spiritual science (Anthroposophy), then a clear function of Waldorf education is to spread Anthroposophy. The spreading can occur by pouring spiritual science into the students (usually without divulging the dogmas), or by arousing adult interest in the schools (perhaps divulging a few dogmas, a little at a time), or both. As Steiner said: “One of the most important facts about the background of the Waldorf School is that we were in a position to make the anthroposophical movement a relatively large one [i.e., one of the most important functions of the schools is to spread Anthroposophy]. The anthroposophical movement has become a large one.” [19]

Steiner was reasonably candid about the importance of Anthroposophy to Waldorf schools. “The anthroposophical movement is the basis of the Waldorf School movement.” [20] Still, he continued to maintain that Waldorfs don’t teach Anthroposophy. “[W]e had to create our curricula and educational goals on the basis of a true understanding of the human being, which can only grow out of the fertile ground of anthroposophy. Then we would have a universally human school, not a school based on a particular philosophy or denomination ....” [21] It is impossible to know whether Steiner believed his own statements, but we can usually understand his meaning. In this case, his position was that Anthroposophy is not a philosophy or denomination. It is “spiritual science.” It is objective truth. It represents “true understanding.” Thus, Steiner could argue that a Waldorf is “not a school based on a particular philosophy or denomination,” because he had waved his wand (metaphorically speaking) and defined Anthroposophy as being neither of these things. Switching metaphors, this was verbal sleight of hand.

Steiner himself sometimes undercut his claim that Anthroposophical dogma is not taught at Waldorf schools. For example, he said: “For the seventh, eighth, and ninth grade independent religious instruction we could move into a freer form and give a theoretical explanation about such things as life before birth and after death. We could give them examples. We could show them how to look at the major cultural connections and about the mission of the human being on Earth. You need only look at Goethe and Jean Paul [i.e., Johann Paul Friedrich Richter, a German author] to see it. You can show everywhere that their capacities come from a life before birth.” [22] Teaching students about reincarnation, in a school which has its “basis” in “[t]he anthroposophical movement,” would clearly be teaching them Anthroposophical dogma. Karma and reincarnation are central tenets of that faith.

Steiner’s most important, inadvertent admission came in the following statement, which he made in private during a meeting with Waldorf faculty members: “You need to make the children aware that they are receiving the objective truth, and if this occasionally appears anthroposophical, it is not anthroposophy that is at fault. Things are that way because anthroposophy has something to say about objective truth ... Anthroposophy will be in the school when it is objectively justified, that is, when it is called for by the material itself.” [23] Since Steiner promoted Anthroposophy as the one system that provides true explanations of virtually all phenomena, physical and spiritual, he was here effectively acknowledging that it will pervade virtually every subject in the Waldorf curriculum. When will Anthroposophy be “called for by the material”? Almost always. Waldorf teachers have little choice in the matter. Anthroposophy is, for them, the truth. To omit Anthroposophical perspectives from academic classes would be to omit the truth, in which case the teachers would be knowingly telling the students falsehoods. The good intentions and professionalism of the teachers would prevent them from doing so.

When will Anthroposophy be present in the school? Almost always. [24]

◊◊◊



AFTERWORD

Two years after writing the essay, above, I wrote the following in response to a message posted at groups.yahoo.com/group/waldorf-critics/. The message included these statements by Steiner: “Now anthroposophy will never make the claim that it somehow wants to become a religion. However....” And “The discovery of the spiritual world in a wholly new form is necessary.” [25] My reply returns to the ground I covered, above, but it also adds some additional thoughts.

Rudolf Steiner declared that Anthroposophy is not a religion but a science, employing the tool of “cognition” (which for Steiner meant clairvoyance) to probe metaphysical mysteries. “Spiritual science” thus approaches spiritual matters without, Steiner claimed, sacrificing its objectivity. But the truth is that Anthroposophy assuredly is a religion, albeit an odd one.

According to Steiner, Anthroposophy shows humanity’s “true” relation to the “gods,” and it directs its adherents toward salvation (which in Steiner’s terms is an evolutionary progression toward spiritualization and ultimate deification). To attain the glories Steiner promised, we must follow his teachings; otherwise, we will not evolve properly, and the result will be dreadful. “Those who use the life in the body for anything more than an opportunity to gain ego-consciousness [26] will descend into the abyss and form the evil race. They have [sic] turned away from the impulse of Christ Jesus, [27] and out of the ugliness of their souls they will again develop the animal form man possessed in former ages. The evil race, with its savage impulses, will dwell in animal form in the abyss." [28] Such talk amounts to an updated rendition of the old fire-and-brimstone threat that preachers sometimes employ: Attend to me, or you will go to Hell. In this case, the preacher is Steiner.

Anthroposophy sprang from Theosophy. Helena Blavatsky, a founder of Theosophy, said that Theosophy is not a religion — it is religion: “[T]he assertion that ‘Theosophy is not a Religion,’ by no means excludes the fact that ‘Theosophy is Religion’ itself. A Religion in the true and only correct sense, is a bond uniting men together — not a particular set of dogmas and beliefs. Now Religion, per se, in its widest meaning is that which binds not only all MEN, but also all BEINGS and all things in the entire Universe into one grand whole ... Thus Theosophy is not a Religion, we say, but RELIGION itself ... ” [29]

Steiner modified Theosophy, largely by emphasizing Christ. In other words, he took the religion of Theosophy and semi-Christianized it. The result is hardly consistent with real Christianity — Anthroposophy is heretical, for instance in its polytheism — but a heretical religion is still a religion. Essentially, Steiner’s adaptation seeks to meet Blavatsky’s criterion, that true religion is a spiritualistic system binding together all elements of the universe. That is the type of religion Anthroposophy is meant to be. Steiner placed a version of the triune God at the top of a series of spiritual hierarchies, but he populated those hierarchies with numerous other gods. Central to Steiner’s enterprise is his claim that few humans aside from himself grasp the real significance of Christ Jesus. Theosophy fails to give Christ the importance He deserves, yet Christian churches also go astray. Indeed, all conventional denominations are erroneous: “I want you to understand what is religious in an anthroposophical sense ... [R]eligion connected with a specific church is not actually religious....” [30] What is religious, “in an anthroposophical sense,” is Anthroposophy, which Steiner taught possesses esoteric or mystery wisdom.

Steiner usually employed cool, detached, “scientific” language, which is a great relief compared to Blavatsky’s bombast. His self-possessed tone convinces some people that Steiner was an objective, “scientific” observer, as he claimed. This is one way that the real nature of Anthroposophy is disguised. There are others. Anthroposophy dispenses with many of the trappings of ordinary religions. It has no steepled churches, for instance, and no grandly robed clergy. But such things are just trappings. An offshoot of Anthroposophy called the Christian Community is overtly religious, which is suggestive, but it does not prove that Anthroposophy as a whole is a religion. [31] If we want to understand Anthroposophy’s spiritualistic purposes and how they show up in Waldorf schools, we need to look elsewhere.

To get at the truth, consider Anthroposophy’s prayers, many of them written by you-know-who. Steiner filled a traditional role for religious leaders by writing prayers to be used by his followers. See, e.g., PRAYERS FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN. [32] At least one of Steiner’s prayers — usually disguised as a “morning verse” — is recited in unison by students and teachers in the lower grades at many Waldorf schools. The prayer includes the words “I reverence, O God,/ The strength of humankind,/ That Thou so graciously/ Hast planted in my soul/ ... From Thee come light and strength,/ To Thee rise love and thanks.” [33] Speaking directly to God, the children and their teachers praise and thank Him. This is worship. The inevitable conclusion is that Anthroposophy actually does have churches, in the form of those Waldorf schools that truly abide by Steiner’s intentions; and Anthroposophy does have clergy, in the form of devout Anthroposophical Waldorf teachers. (Other Anthro churches can be found in other Anthro structures, the foremost of which is the Goetheanum, the cathedral of Anthroposophy, located in Switzerland. [34] Other Anthro clergy can be found among the scribes who pore over Steiner’s utterances, cataloging, annotating, and repackaging them in Anthro publications, and among those modern-day Anthroposophists who present themselves as clairvoyant seers and sages.)

The practices and observances of Anthroposophy largely consist of following Steiner’s spiritual instructions. He told his followers how to find Christ, how to know higher worlds, how to stay in touch with dead loved ones, how to connect with guardians angels, and so forth. [35] Much of this is solitary work, undertaken by the devout within the privacy of their minds and souls. But — as we’ve seen with group prayers — some Anthroposophical religious activities involve gatherings of various sorts. The observance of Christian and seasonal festivals is important among Steiner’s followers, and consequently it can be found at many Waldorf schools. [36] The arts, too, play an important occult role in Steiner’s teachings. Steiner taught that creating, performing, and receiving the spiritualistic effects of art works can plug us into transcendent realms. He didn’t mean this in a metaphorical sense, but quite literally. Concerning an odd form of dance called eurythmy, for example, he said “Eurythmy shapes and moves the human organism in a way that furnishes direct external proof of our participation in the supersensible world [i.e., the invisible spirit world]. In having people do eurythmy, we link them directly to the supersensible world.” [37] The arts as displayed in Waldorf schools often have such esoteric purposes — see my essay “Magical Arts,” on this Web site. Performances or readings of Steiner’s mystery plays allows Anthroposophists to manifest some of their beliefs in particularly dramatic form. [38] All in all, committed Anthroposophists have many ways to observe religion Steiner-style.

Steiner’s followers usually hold their occult secrets closely, as Steiner encouraged, but occasionally they openly attest to their faith. Eugene Schwartz, an American Anthroposophist and Waldorf educator, once said on the record that he sent his daughter to a Waldorf school for religious reasons. "I'm glad my daughter gets to speak about God every morning: that's why I send her to a Waldorf school ... She can have a religious experience. A religious experience. I'll say it again: I send my daughter to a Waldorf school so that she can have a religious experience." [39] Obviously, children can shared, repeated religious experiences in a Waldorf school only if religion is consistently present there. [40] What form of religion prevails inside Waldorfs? Steiner told the teachers at the first Waldorf school, “As Waldorf teachers, we must be true Anthroposophists in the deepest sense of the word in our innermost feeling.” [41] In its tone, this is a somewhat unusual Steiner statement. It doesn’t sound like the language of science, does it? “We must be astrophysicists in the deepest sense of the word in our innermost feeling.” Scientists don’t talk that way, but people of faith do. The religion underlying the morning prayers at Waldorf schools is Anthroposophy, espoused by deeply committed followers of that religion — teachers who are supposed to feel their unusual faith to the very core of their being.

Near the end of his life, American Anthroposophist John Fentress Gardner wrote a pamphlet, TWO PATHS TO THE SPIRIT: Charismatic Christianity and Anthroposophy. [42] In it, Gardner says “Both paths acknowledge Christ Jesus as the ultimate Shepherd of human souls, finding in His life the archetype of all human experience, and seeing in His Baptism, Crucifixion, and Resurrection the pivotal events of human history.” [43] In declaring the essential equivalence of charismatic Christianity and Anthroposophy — he says both are valid spiritual paths — Gardner underscores the religious nature of Steiner’s doctrines. Full disclosure: Gardner was headmaster at the Waldorf school I attended. I knew him. I can attest that he rarely if ever attended church. Yet he was deeply religious — he believed in the immanence of spiritual beings all around, and in the upward-yearning transcendent path to salvation. He was a believer, as his pamphlet shows.

British Anthroposophist Richard Seddon published an anthology of Steiner’s work — the rather shocking quotation about the abyss, quoted above, can be found in it. [44] After many of the prose selections that Seddon offers, we also find “meditative verses” written by Steiner. Most of these “verses” can be understood only as religious ruminations and/or prayers addressed to spirit entities. E.g., “Spirit triumphant!/ Send flame through the weakness/ Of timorous souls./ ... That selflessness,/ ... May rule as the well-spring/ Of spiritual rebirth.” [45] The religious content of these lines is undeniable — spirit, soul, “spiritual rebirth.” Or consider this, again by Steiner: “May God’s grace-bringing guardian ray/ Brim-over my expanding soul/ That it may apprehend/ Strength-giving forces everywhere.” [46] The verse goes on to say that the strengthened soul “[b]eholding thus God’s power” vows to work “as God would work/ With everything it has.” [47]

Seeking to work as God would work may strike some as blasphemous — can we really compare ourselves to God? [48] But this is part of Steiner’s theology, as is the belief that we may ultimately become gods ourselves — arguably another blasphemy. Seddon describes humanity’s final triumph this way in THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY AND THE EARTH AS FORETOLD BY RUDOLF STEINER: “At the end of Vulcan [i.e., our last evolutionary phase], mankind has the form of an archetype in Higher Spiritland. [49] This is a fully purified condition of godliness or divine bliss, the highest stage accessible to humanity, into which the fruits of all planetary evolutions are gathered. [50] Then one can truly say, ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’ ....” [51] The quotation at the end of the passage repeats a statement attributed to God in the Book of Revelation: “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ declares the Lord God, ‘the one who is, who was, and who is coming, the Almighty.’” [52] Steiner would have us put God’s words in our own mouths, as if we ourselves are to become the Almighty. To many, this is rank blasphemy. But to Anthroposophists, it is an article of faith — their faith, their heretical religion.

Let’s circle back to the subject of students praying aloud, in unison, in Waldorf classrooms. Having attended a Waldorf school, I can remember reciting “morning verses.” The “verse” I quoted above was penned by Steiner for use in the first four grades. Older Waldorf students and their teachers often recite a somewhat more august Steiner prayer, which includes these words: “God’s spirit, ‘tis to Thee/ I turn myself in prayer.” [53] The students reciting these words are, indeed, reciting a prayer. The Waldorf classroom in which they do so is, then, a prayer site. The prayer the children utter comes to them from the creed known as Anthroposophy. The highest prophet of that creed is Rudolf Steiner.

◊◊◊

For a further discussion of these important topics,
see the two brief essays at the end
of my collection of Steiner quotations:
click on “quotes” at the top of this page.

ENDNOTES

[1] www.waldorfanswers.org/NotReligion1.htm [I checked this on Oct. 5, 2007.]

Steiner called Anthroposophy “spiritual science.” He claimed that all of his teachings are objective reports of spiritual facts that he discovered through clairvoyance. He further said that anyone can confirm his teachings by developing similar clairvoyant powers. But, clairvoyance is almost surely a sham (we have very little evidence that anyone has ever had clairvoyant abilities, and Steiner’s own use of such claimed abilities led him to make many absurd statements, such as that the earth does not orbit the sun). Result: No one can confirm Steiner’s teachings; the only way to follow Steiner is to accept his unsubstantiated word. This boils down to having faith. For example, Steiner defender Richard Ramsbotham has written “I could not myself have carried out Steiner’s research” because it requires clairvoyant capacities Ramsbotham has not attained. Instead, Ramsbotham accepts Steiner’s word: “[M]any people have become able to place a certain trust in Steiner’s research.” Steiner’s followers develop their trust by “living with the results of this research” so that “over many years even [sic], they find this [i.e., their trust] not to have been disappointed by Steiner.” Eventually, their trust leads them to be “certain of what Steiner is saying.” Ramsbotham places himself firmly among those who trust Steiner. Note that “living with” Steiner’s teachings is not the same as confirming them — Ramsbotham has admitted that he cannot confirm them. So Ramsbotham must trust Steiner. But trust is faith — the words are synonymous — and faith is a requirement of religion, not science or reason. [Richard Ramsbotham, WHO WROTE BACON? (Temple Lodge Publishing, 2004), pp. 4-7.]

[2] Rudolf Steiner, WHAT IS ANTHROPOSOPHY: THREE SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVES ON SELF-KNOWLEDGE (Great Barrington, MA: Anthroposophic Press, 2002), p. 19, introduction by Christopher Bamford.

Steiner’s gnostic Christianity veers so far from orthodox Christian doctrines that it may be considered actually antithetical to the essential teachings of Christ. [See my essay, “Was He Christian?” on this Web site.] Nonetheless, this variant of Christianity is clearly a form of religion, as the next two references show. Anthroposophy is aligned with gnostic Christianity and/or Rosicrucianism.

[3] Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, RUDOLF STEINER (WESTERN ESOTERIC MASTERS SERIES), anthology edited by Richard Seddon (Berkley: North Atlantic Books, 2004, general editor's preface by Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke), p. 7. Rosicrucianism is a secretive, semi-Christian order claiming to possess esoteric knowledge handed down from the ancients. The order’s symbol combines a rose and a cross (hence the name). German Naturphilosophie may be loosely described as a pantheistic view of nature associated with Transcendentalism.

[4] ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RELIGION (Detroit: MacMillan Reference, 2005), pp. 392-394.

[5] Rudolf Steiner, THEOSOPHY: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SPIRITUAL PROCESSES IN HUMAN LIFE AND IN THE COSMOS (Great Barrington, MA: Anthroposophic Press, 1994), and Rudolf Steiner, SPIRITUALISM, MADAME BLAVATSKY, AND THEOSOPHY: AN EYEWITNESS VIEW OF OCCULT HISTORY (Great Barrington, MA: Anthroposophic Press, 2001).

[6] SPIRITUALISM, MADAME BLAVATSKY, AND THEOSOPHY: AN EYEWITNESS VIEW OF OCCULT HISTORY, p. 107.

[7] H. P. Blavatsky, Is Theosophy a Religion? www.blavatsky.net/blavatsky/arts/IsTheosophyAReligion.htm [I checked this on Oct. 5, 2007.]

[8] Rudolf Steiner, PRAYERS FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN (London: Rudolf Steiner Press, 1995).

[9] Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Hudson, NY: Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 38.

[10] According to the Association of Waldorf Schools in North America, “Waldorf schools are non-sectarian and non-denominational.” [www.awsna.org, Frequently Asked Questions, Are Waldorf Schools Religious? I last checked this on Oct. 5, 2007.]

[11] FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER, p. 20.

Steiner told the teachers at the first Waldorf school “It would be nice to begin instruction with the Lord’s Prayer and then go on to the verses I will give you.” [Ibid., p. 38] Steiner is said to have recited the Lord’s Prayer each day, so loudly that his neighbors could hear him through his apartment’s walls. [Rudolf Steiner, START NOW! A Book of Soul and Spiritual Exercises (SteinerBooks, 2004).] However, the versions of the prayer he used are not those found in the Bible. (Matthew 6:9-13 gives the version usually recited in churches; Luke 11:2-4 is essentially the same, but shorter, omitting the final line “For Thine is....”) Steiner used one non-Biblical version before 1913, and a different one afterward. Let’s look first at the earlier version. Instead of beginning with “Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name,” before 1913 Steiner recited “Father, you who were, are, and will be in our innermost being! May your being be glorified and praised in us in all things.” And instead of ending with the words recorded in Matthew, “For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever,” Steiner recited “May your power and glory work with us in all the cycles of time.” [START NOW! p. 218] After 1913, Steiner used the following words: “Father, you who were, are, and will be in our innermost being, your name in us is glorified and praised. May your kingdom increase in our deeds and our conduct. May we perform your will, as you, O Father, have laid it down in our innermost being ... May your power and glory work through us in all cycles of time.” [Ibid., p. 219] From an Anthroposophical perspective, these reworked versions of the Prayer are preferable both because they partially shift emphasis from God to us (“our innermost being,” “in us,” “with us,” “through us”) and because they allude to esoteric concepts (e.g., “cycles of time,” which is a shorthand for Steiner’s convoluted description of human evolution — see steiner-predicts.com).

[12] Ibid., pp. 85-86. On other occasions, Steiner claimed that Sunday services were arranged for students of various religious backgrounds: Catholic, Lutheran, etc. But here, he clearly refers to “children receiving religious instruction from an anthroposophical basis.”

[13] See my essay, “Unenlightened,” on this Web site.

[14] “Waldorf Education--For Our Times Or Against Them?” Transcript of talk by Eugene Schwartz, Sunbridge College: November 13, 1999. Edited by Michael Kopp. www.waldorfcritics.org/active/articles/schwartz.html

At the time he made the remarks I have quoted, Eugene Schwartz was in charge of Anthroposophical teacher training at Sunbridge. Reportedly, he was subsequently fired. Here’s the story as related by Dan Dugan, secretary of People for Legal and Nonsectarian Schools:

“I asked Eugene Schwartz about the rumors, and he kindly told me his story.

“In March, 2000, Schwartz was dismissed as Director of Teacher Training at Sunbridge College. This was a consequence of his November, 1999, ‘Schools in Transformation’ conference, at which I was invited to speak, and Schwartz challenged the Waldorf movement to "come out" about its religious nature.

“After that meeting I said I hoped he would survive his next board meeting. Unfortunately, I wasn't far wrong.

“His firing in turn had the consequence of ‘a near revolt of the students,’ and ‘a serious dip in next year's enrollment.’ Schwartz feels that the resulting addition of some younger faculty and staff will have a beneficial effect on Sunbridge, though it was too late for him.” [Dan Dugan, May 30, 2000, posted at free-speech forum associated with waldorfcritics.org.]

[15] Ibid.

[16] groups.yahoo.com/group/waldorf-critics/message/1286

[17] Rudolf Steiner, RUDOLF STEINER IN THE WALDORF SCHOOL: Lectures and Addresses to Children, Parents, and Teachers (Hudson, NY: Anthroposophic Press, 1996), p.26.

[18] Ibid., p. 79.

[19] Ibid., p.156.

[20] Ibid., p.162.

[21] Ibid., p.186.

[22] FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER, p. 184.

[23] Ibid., p. 495.

[24] The final section of this essay can be found, in slightly different form, at the end of my list of Steiner quotations.

◊◊◊

[25] Rudolf Steiner, THE ANTHROPOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT (Rudolf Steiner Press): See wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/ AnthroMove/ 19230614p01. html.

[26] Gaining “ego-consciousness” is to achieve true human selfhood, evidenced by the possession of an “I” — a nonphysical body, a divine essence or sheath. The only sure path to attaining higher levels of consciousness, Steiner taught, is laid out by Anthroposophy.

By “more than” Steiner evidently means “less than” or “other than.”

[27] Note that turning away from the “impulse” of Christ is different from turning away from Christ Himself. The subtle distinction is part of Anthroposophical doctrine. The main point for us, here, is that Steiner’s understanding of Christ is quite different from what is taught in orthodox Christian churches, that is, churches that base their teachings on the Bible as the one true Word of God. Steiner’s teachings derive largely from heterodox sources.

[28] Rudolf Steiner, Richard Seddon (editor), UNDERSTANDING THE HUMAN BEING (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1993), p. 103.

[29] H. P. Blavatsky, Is Theosophy a Religion?

[30] Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998) p. 45.

[31] “The Christian Community is part of an international movement for the renewal of religion, founded in 1922 in Switzerland by the eminent Lutheran theologian and minister Friedrich Rittlemeyer, with the help of Rudolf Steiner, Austrian thinker and mystic ... [T]he teachings are rich, varied and evolving. They are inspired by traditional Christian theology, the original work of Rudolf Steiner, and by independent research and insights of priests and members. There is room in this modern Christian theology to incorporate such ideas as reincarnation and karma, a truly cosmic conception of Christ, and the role of spiritual beings at all levels of existence.” www.thechristiancommunity.org/about.htm

[32] Rudolf Steiner, PRAYERS FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1995).

[33] Ibid., p. 45.

[34] Steiner considered German author Johann Wolfgang von Goethe to have been a sort of pre-Steiner. Steiner edited Goethe’s “scientific” writings, after which he adopted some of Goethe’s teachings while “correcting” others. When Steiner established the headquarters for the Anthroposophical movement, he named it the Goetheanum, in honor of Goethe.

Speaking to priests of the Christian Community (an Anthroposophical adjunct — see endnote 31). Steiner described the purpose of the Goetheanum thus: “[T]he inner spiritual impulse that is intended to flow from the Goetheanum through the anthroposophical movement always contains an aspect that goes far beyond any theoretical understanding, indeed beyond any understanding altogether ... The tasks human beings must undertake today are growing great again. They are growing great because the forces [that were] once available to turn away more or less from the impulses of the ancient Mysteries are now exhausted ... [H]uman evolution cannot proceed further unless forces from the Mysteries enter into evolution once again....” [Rudolf Steiner, THE BOOK OF REVELATION And the Work of the Priest (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1998), pp. 11-12.] The Goetheanum’s purpose — which surpasseth understanding — is to help Anthroposophy to save mankind by promoting our proper evolution, which requires a renewal of holy mysteries. This purpose is explicitly religious, albeit polytheistic: “It means that the human being is endeavoring to rise up with his forces into the divine, spiritual region; there he meets with the gods....” [Ibid., p. 30.]

The first Goetheanum, a wooden structure, was destroyed by fire — Anthroposophists blamed arsonists. By Steiner’s own account, the building was used to establish a new priesthood: “In that moment over there in the now burnt-down Goetheanum when you inaugurated a new priesthood in the movement for a Christian renewal, in that moment a new age of the mysteries began, a new age for the Act of Consecration of Man and for an understanding of apocalypse, of revelation.” [Ibid., p. 21.] Note that Christian Community priests turned to Steiner for instruction in the true meaning of a book of the Bible. Steiner’s relation to these priests is comparable to the Pope’s relation to Catholic priests.

After the fire, a second structure, built of concrete, was erected as a replacement. Resembling a gargantuan outcropping of opaque crystal, Goetheanum #2 houses an auditorium, classrooms, and offices. The building’s stained glass windows, “organic” sculptural forms, and other features are intended to convey spiritualistic meaning. A large sculpture of Christ and other spiritual beings stands in a special recessed area. The domed roof above the auditorium displays a huge mural representing occult phenomena. The auditorium, which has a large pipe organ, is used for diverse events including lectures, eurythmic performances, and presentations of Steiner’s mystery plays (see endnote 37). The stage sets often suggest portals into spirit realms. A rostrum resembling a pulpit can be set at the center front of the stage. [For photos of the building’s spiritualistic accoutrements and the ceremonial productions enacted in the auditorium, see GOETHEANUM: School of Spiritual Science (Philosophical-Anthroposophical Press, 1961).]

The present Goetheanum houses the Anthroposophical Society and the School of Spiritual Science. The Society is a “public” organization open to those who have sincere Anthroposophical inclinations. The School of Spiritual Science devotes itself to the Anthroposophical study of mankind, evolution, and esoteric initiation. Steiner laid the groundwork for both the Society and the School. To see the official, carefully worded descriptions of the Goetheanum, Society, and School, visit www.goetheanum.org.

[35] Relevant titles of Steiner books include HOW DO I FIND THE CHRIST? (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2006), HOW CAN MANKIND FIND THE CHRIST AGAIN? (Anthroposophic Press, 1984), HOW TO KNOW HOW WORLDS (Anthroposophic Press, 1994), STAYING CONNECTED: How to Continue Your Relations with Those Who Have Died (Anthroposophic Press, 1999), and GUARDIAN ANGELS: Connecting with Our Spiritual Guides and Helpers (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2001).

Bear in mind that Steiner did not actually write many of the books now attributed to him. Many consist of transcripts of lectures he delivered — the transcribers usually were devoted followers who wished to preserve every syllable he uttered.

[36] Relevant titles of Steiner books include THE FESTIVALS AND THEIR MEANING (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1998), THE EASTER FESTIVAL IN THE EVOLUTION OF THE MYSTERIES (SteinerBooks, 1988), THE CYCLE OF THE YEAR AS BREATHING PROCESS OF THE EARTH: The Four Great Festival-Seasons of the Year (Anthroposophical Publishing Company, 1956), SIGNS AND SYMBOLS OF THE CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL (Rudolf Steiner Publishing Company, 1941), and THE WHITSUN FESTIVAL: Its Place in the Study of Karma (Rudolf Steiner Publishing Company [?], 1945). I’ve included the final book because of its intriguing subtitle, but I have not yet found a copy.

[37] Rudolf Steiner, ART AS SPIRITUAL ACTIVITY (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 247. Note the title of this book. Other relevant titles include ART AS SEEN IN THE LIGHT OF MYSTERY WISDOM (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1996) and THE ARTS AND THEIR MISSION (Anthroposophic Press, 1964).

Examples of Anthroposophical painting can be found in Rudolf Steiner, THE ILLUSTRATED CALENDAR OF THE SOUL (Temple Lodge Publishing, 2004), paintings by Anne Stockton. In many, swirling water colors, sometimes creating an impression of layered veils, reflect spiritual presences, some of which hover above human forms.

[38] Mystery plays are, generally, pageants depicting Biblical themes and stories. The form largely died out after the Middle Ages, but some mystery plays continue to be performed. The most famous today is the Oberammergau passion play, about Christ’s crucifixion. Steiner wrote four mystery plays, which contain Christian elements alongside occult and gnostic elements: THE PORTAL OF INITIATION, THE SOUL'S PROBATION, THE GUARDIAN OF THE THRESHOLD, and THE SOULS' AWAKENING. [See, e.g., Rudolf Steiner, THE FIRST MYSTERY DRAMA (Trafford Publishing, 2006). The other three plays are also available.] Visually stunning performances have been staged at the Goetheanum (see endnote 34).

[39] “Waldorf Education — For Our Times Or Against Them?” Transcript edited by Michael Kopp.

[40] Any individual can have a religious experience at any moment, quietly, inwardly. But bear in mind that the religious experiences at a real Waldorf school include group recitations of prayers. For these experiences, the students depend on the words prescribed for them by Steiner and conveyed to them by their teachers.

[41] FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER, p. 118.

[42] John Fentress Gardner, TWO PATHS TO THE SPIRIT: Charismatic Christianity and Anthroposophy (Golden Stone Press, 1990).

[43] Ibid., p. 8.

[44] UNDERSTANDING THE HUMAN BEING — see endnote 28. The book is also available as RUDOLF STEINER, Western Esoteric Masters Series (North Atlantic Books, 2004.)

[45] Ibid., p. 173.

Numerous other verses and meditations can be found in books such as Rudolf Steiner, START NOW! A Book of Soul and Spiritual Exercises (SteinerBooks, 2004). Tellingly, there are chapters on the “Esoteric School,” the “Rosicrucian Path,” and the “Christian-Gnostic Path.” Steiner drew from all these occultist sources, and he attempted to weave them together in Anthroposophy. It might be helpful to think of Anthrosoposophy as a sort of Occultisms R Us superstore. How much to buy from the store is, of course, up to each shopper. But you can get some guidance by “Working with the Dead” (START NOW!, pp. 226-238).

[46] Ibid., p. 89.

In plainer English: The devotee asks for a beam or ray of God’s protective (“guardian”) grace to fill his/her soul to the brim, in order to see (“apprehend”) — and consequently use — the strengthening spiritual forces that are available at every hand.

[47] Ibid., p. 89.

Other books containing Steiner’s meditations and prayers include THE ILLUSTRATED CALENDAR OF THE SOUL: Meditations for the Yearly Cycle, VERSES AND MEDITATIONS, and START NOW! A Book of Soul and Spiritual Exercises.

[48] Steiner accused the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche of blasphemy (“[H]e formulates his tremendous indictment of Christianity, which of course is blasphemous”). What did Jesus say about motes and beams?

[49] For any who may not be entirely up on this stuff: Higher Spiritland is one of the “Stages of Form,” which are phases of our evolution. There are seven Stages of Form, which we might call Higher Spiritland, Lower Spiritland, Astral Stage, Physical Stage, Perfected Astral Stage, Perfected Lower Spiritland, and Archetypal Higher Spiritland. Basically, we move from Higher Spiritland downward to our present existence in the Physical Stage of Form, and then, transformed/transforming, we ascend back up to a different version of Higher Spiritland. You may say that none of this makes sense. I may answer, Don’t look at me.

An archetype is a Platonic or Goethean transcendent being or axiom, from which particular objects or conditions in the real world are derived. For humans to become archetypes is to be purified, raised to the level of the transcendent. See, e.g., UNDERSTANDING THE HUMAN BEING, p. 143. Steiner: “Goethe’s archetypal phenomena are empirical axioms ....” Seddon: “The Archetypal Stage. All that now remains is raised to Higher Spiritland, where everything is again in formless, seedlike condition. This realm comprises the creative forces and purposes of the archetypes....” THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY AND THE EARTH AS FORETOLD BY RUDOLF STEINER, pp. 98-99. (See endnote 45.)

[50] Steiner’s evolutionary scheme, which he essentially lifted from Theosophy, is preposterously convoluted. The seven largest phases of our evolution are named for planets (Saturn, Earth, etc.). Within these are nestled seven recapitulating Kingdoms (we’re now in the Mineral Kingdom). Within these are nestled seven recapitulating Stages of Form (see endnote 18). Within these are nestled seven recapitulating Epochs (we’re now in the Present, which seems to make sense). In general, each lower phase is recapitulated in each higher phase: wheels within wheels, cycles within cycles.

[51] Richard Seddon, THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY AND THE EARTH AS FORETOLD BY RUDOLF STEINER (Temple Lodge Publishing, 2005), p. 127.

During or on Vulcan, we recapitulate — in a finer form — everything that has come before, including the archetypal perfection we attained at the end of Archetypal Higher Spiritland.

Don’t look at me.

[52] THE HOLY BIBLE, Book of Revelation 1:8, International Standard Version.

Alpha and omega denote the beginning and the end.

[53] PRAYERS FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN, p. 47.