What Steiner Saw

In a Catholic weblog, it might be asked why I devote so much space to the thought of one so contrary to the Church as Rudolf Steiner.

In response, I might say that, over 80 years ago Rudolf Steiner was a singular Christian Hermeticist, who I believe recognised far, far ahead of his time, several things that are relevant to the concerns of this weblog.

He recognised that materialism – philosophical and practical - would continue to increase.

In contrast to so many New Age teachings of an imminent civilisation of light and love, he warned that materialism could be ascending for centuries.

He was deeply concerned about the likely triumph of Western capitalism, leading to an ever more soulless and **mechanical** civilisation.

But I believe he recognised that there would also be a growing minority of people searching for the Spirit, in a way that the Church was not well equipped to address …

Yes, in highly Hermetic and technical terms regarding the development of the Etheric Body in human evolution, he spoke of a time **soon** approaching, where many people would both begin to recognise and be ever more drawn to the mysteries …

I believe that this time that Steiner predicted is mirrored in the burgeoning New Age movement. And that alas, the Church is indeed not well-equipped to meet this.

And that this is particularly true of the Protestant churches, which dominate the English-speaking countries (Ireland, excepted).

Catholicism and Orthodoxy are not so crippled in this way – and have vast, vast treasures to offer. Though the so-often banal liturgy that has recently emerged in the Catholic Church does not help.

But to return to Steiner, this intense lover of humanity also predicted many efforts to **deflect** the spiritual search away from the Mystery enacted on Golgotha, on Calvary …

This deflection would not necessarily be materialistic – whether capitalist, communist or a materialistic ‘Christianity’ matters not – for there were also other spiritual currents seeking to BURY awareness of the Mystery of the Redemption.

After many years of painfully wrestling with Steiner’s claims in these regards, I have come to the difficult conclusion that these latter currents DO exist – and cannot be separated from many aspects of the New Age movement.

This is not however to deny that many truly Christian tendencies are also at work in the New Age. Christ is present wherever love is present.

And although the New Age tendency to nonchalance, as I have called it, **is** lacking love – there are also many shining examples of love, within holistic circles to be found as well.

Nonetheless, it seems to me, that the New Age flattening of the Christian Mystery – with a concomitant flattening of the senses of tragedy and evil, alongside joy, gratitude and devotion in the wake of the Redemption – works against love, rather for it.

‘Works against love, rather than for it …’ I do not say these words lightly.

Though I have not sufficiently studied Rudolf Steiner’s enormous literary corpus to say with certainty – all of this I imagine was immanent within his call to preserve the Christian Mystery …

Now the purpose of this weblog is not to extol Doctor Steiner’s problematic Anthroposophy. It contains many elements incompatible with the Church. And I am definitely not seeking to challenge the Church, but to love and to support her.

For alongside Anonymous d’Outre Tombe, I believe that the disciple that Jesus loved holds the mission of esoteric Christianity and that:

‘La Mission de Jean est de garder ***la vie et l’ame*** de l’eglise …’

The Mission of John is to guard ***the life and the soul*** of the Church.
(Emphasis in original).

Nonetheless, I do not see many of Rudolf Steiner’s Hermetic insights into the world-process as contrary to the teaching of the Church. And there are many aspects of his Christian Hermeticism, which it seems to me, can be brought to the aid, the loving aid of the Church, without challenging her …

I plan to return briefly next week before taking another hiatus.