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The Collected Works of Rudolf Steiner
Series
264
Read Description
From the History and Contents of the First Section of the Esoteric School
Letters, Documents, and Lectures: 1904–1914 (CW 264)
Paperback
December 2010
9780880106405
More details
- Publisher
SteinerBooks - Published
20th December 2010 - ISBN 9780880106405
- Language English
- Pages 464 pp.
- Size 6" x 9"
$35.00
Letters, Documents, and Lectures (CW 264)
“Rudolf Steiner has become the pioneer in the very domain where, through his indications, human beings for the first time have been allowed freedom...he had to build a basis and create a spiritual attitude through which—by finding the solid moral support within—one might in this freedom avoid falling prey to temptation and aberration.” —Marie Steiner
This is an important text for anyone interested in the development of Rudolf Steiner's teaching and for those wishing to explore the advice and admonitions Steiner provided for his early esoteric students. This collection of letters, circulars, and lectures offer a glimpse of the birth of the anthroposophic movement from the German section of the Theosophical Society of the late nineteenth century. One gains a clear picture of why Steiner could no longer work within the theosophic framework, as well as the events that led to the split between the Theosophical Society under the leadership of Annie Besant and the Esoteric School under Steiner's guidance and leadership.
Primarily in the form of letters are the specific exercises and advice that Steiner gave to pupils who wished to further their spiritual capacities. Also included are his early lectures and teachings concerning the "Masters" and their relationship to human evolution.
From the History and Contents of the First Section of the Esoteric School 1904–1914 includes introductory and concluding remarks by Hella Wiesberger, the original editor of this book.
German source: Zur Geschichte und aus den Inhalten der ersten Abteilung der Esoterischen Schule, 1904–1914 (GA 264).
C O N T E N T S:
Introduction by Christopher Bamford
Translator’s Foreword
Introduction to the German Edition by Hella Wiesberger
PART I: The Founding of the First Section of the Esoteric School: 1904–1914
PART II: The History of the Separation of the Esoteric School into an Eastern and a Wester School in 1907
PART III: The Relationship between the Movement, the Esoteric School, and the Society
Appendices:
Preliminary Remarks by the German Editors of the Second Edition
A. Exegesis to “Light on the Path” by Mabel Collins
B. Rudolf Steiner’s Explanations of “The Voice of the Silence” by H. P. Blavatsky
C. Excerpt from the German translation of H. P. Blavatsky’s “The Voice of the Silence”
D. Notes from H. P. Blavatsky’s “ES Instructions No. III”
Biographical Notes
Chronological List of Letters, Documents, and Lectures
Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Steiner (b. Rudolf Joseph Lorenz 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. Steiner termed his spiritual philosophy anthroposophy, meaning “wisdom of the human being.” As an exceptionally developed seer, he based his work on direct knowledge and perception of spiritual dimensions. He initiated a modern, universal “spiritual science” that is accessible to anyone willing to exercise clear and unbiased thinking. From his spiritual investigations, Steiner provided suggestions for the renewal of numerous activities, including education (general and for special needs), agriculture, medicine, economics, architecture, science, philosophy, Christianity, and the arts. There are currently thousands of schools, clinics, farms, and initiatives in other fields that involve practical work based on the principles Steiner developed. His many published works feature his research into the spiritual nature of human beings, the evolution of the world and humanity, and methods for personal development. He wrote some thirty books and delivered more than six thousand lectures throughout much of Europe. In 1924, Steiner founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches around the world.
