LECTURE ONE
In the course
of these lectures I shall be obliged to draw your attention
again and again to a characteristic of our inquiry that must
pervade every aspect of Spiritual Science today. We must
endeavour to ensure that the concepts, ideas and
representations that we form and with which we live, are not
only firmly grounded in logic, but also in reality. We must
strive for ideas that are steeped in reality. In the matter
of our inquiries which have a specific end in view — I
will indicate this presently — it will not be
superfluous to remind you that an idea may be true in a
certain sense and yet fail to reach down to reality. Of
course what we really mean by ideas steeped in reality will
only emerge gradually, but one may arrive at an understanding
of such ideas by means of simple analogies. I propose
therefore by way of introduction to use an analogy to
illustrate my meaning.
What I am
about to say seems unrelated to, or apparently unrelated to
our subsequent inquiry; it is simply an introductory
exposition. From the sixteenth century until 1839 all the
Roman Cardinals were obliged to swear a solemn oath. During
the pontificate of Pope Sixtus V (1585–90) a sum of
five million scudi had been deposited in the Castel
Sant’ Angelo to be used only in times of need. And
since the Church attached great importance to this, the
Cardinals were obliged to swear a solemn oath to preserve the
fund intact. In 1839, under the pontificate of Pope Gregory
XVI, Cardinal Acton
(note 1)
[original note 1]
refused to take the oath; he wanted the
Cardinals to be released from their oath to preserve the
fund.
If nothing
more had been heard of the story, all kinds of plausible
theories might have been advanced to explain why this
remarkable prince of the Church sought to prevent the
Cardinals from swearing an oath, still required of them at
that time, to preserve the fund which was so important to the
Holy See. And all these plausible theories might have been
perfectly logical, but they broke down in the face of certain
pertinent facts that were known only to Cardinal Acton,
namely, that since 1797 the fund no longer existed, for it
was already exhausted. The Cardinals therefore had been
permitted to swear an oath to preserve a treasure that no
longer existed. Acton refused to be a witness to the
deception. Thus all the ingenious arguments that might have
been advanced by those who were unaware that the fund was
already exhausted would have collapsed.
If we
meditate upon such an example as this — it often seems
superfluous to reflect upon such obvious cases, but we must
think about them and compare them with other situations in
life — if we meditate upon such an example as this, we
can grasp the difference between concepts rooted in reality
and those which are not. Now I must draw your attention to
the unreality of ideas today because, as you will see later,
this is closely connected with the subject of these lectures,
a subject that I must touch upon once again from the point of
view of Spiritual Science. I will endeavour to relate the
investigations which we have already undertaken to the study
of a certain aspect of the Mystery of Christ. My last
contribution to this subject will serve as a framework for
that aspect of the Christ Mystery which I now propose to
examine. But first of all I should like to put before you
certain things which are seemingly unrelated to our main
theme because they will provide an invaluable background to
our studies.
In my book
Christianity As Mystical Fact,
which appeared some
years ago, I ventured to indicate a certain way in which one
could approach the Mystery of Christ. This book (which in its
new edition was one of the last books to be confiscated by
the old régime in Russia) was a first attempt to
interpret Christianity from a spiritual standpoint, a
standpoint which in the course of centuries has been more or
less lost to Christianity during its development in the West.
Now I should like to emphasize one thing in particular, for
this will determine whether the arguments advanced in my book
are valid or not. In this book I have adopted a definite
attitude towards the Gospels. I do not wish to enter into
further details at the moment, for my point of view is
explicitly stated in the book. But if I am justified in my
point of view we shall have to assume that the origin of the
Gospels is not nearly so late as contemporary Christian
theology often assumes, but that an early date must probably
be assigned to them. You know that from the standpoint of
Spiritual Science the origins of the Gospel teaching are to
be found in the ancient Mystery teachings. We must see the
Mystery of Golgotha as a fulfilment of these ancient
teachings. Now such a spiritual conception will run counter
to the exegeses of modern historians and theologians who will
regard it no doubt as historically unsound. Now it is fairly
evident that the Gospels did not exercise any significant
influence during the first century, or at least during the
first two-thirds of this century. There are indeed Christian
theologians today who doubt whether any evidence can be
adduced that in the first century of the Christian era people
of consequence thought of, or even believed in, the person of
Jesus Christ.
Now it will
become increasingly evident that if the careful research of
the present day broadens its scope and shows itself to be
catholic as well as conscientious, then there will be an end
to its many scruples. Of course it is possible to draw all
kinds of conclusions from certain discrepancies between the
Christian and Jewish records. But the fact that the
Apocryphal Gospels, i.e. those not officially recognized by
the Christian church, are very little known today and are
virtually ignored, especially by Christian theologians,
militates against these conclusions. The reason for this lack
of recognition is that, to a large extent, Christianity, and
especially the Mystery of Golgotha, are not apprehended with
sufficient spirituality. There was no real understanding of
the Pauline distinction between the psychic and the spiritual
man.
(Corinthians I, chap. XV, 44, 45.)
Consider for a moment
our division of man into body, soul and spirit, one of the
fundamental conceptions of Anthroposophy. In reality, Paul
who was familiar with the atavistic character of the truths
of the ancient Mysteries implied the same as we imply today
when we speak of soul and spirit as two members of human
nature. This distinction between soul and spirit has
virtually been lost in the West. But we cannot understand the
real nature of the Mystery of Golgotha unless we have a clear
understanding of the distinction between psychic man and
spiritual man.
Now first of
all I should like to cite an example (which I also referred
to some years ago), in order to show you that the facts of
external history are often falsely interpreted, especially in
relation to the recent investigations into the life of Jesus.
I refer to the generally accepted view that the Gospels are
of late provenance
(note 2).
Now many objections can be raised against this view on purely
historical grounds. It can be shown, for example, that in the year
A.D. 70
Rabbi Gamaliel II was involved in a lawsuit with
his sister over an inheritance. Rabbi Gamaliel II was the son
of Rabbi Simeon who was the son of that Gamaliel of whom Paul
was a pupil. The case came before a judge and it was
difficult to determine whether the judge was a Roman with
leanings towards Christianity, or perhaps a Jew with leanings
towards Christianity. Now Gamaliel pleaded that he was the
sole heir because, according to the Mosaic law, daughters
could not inherit. The judge demurred: “Since you Jews
have lost your country the Thora is no longer valid; only the
Gospel is valid, and according to the Gospel a sister can
also inherit.” There was no straightforward solution.
What happened? Gamaliel II was not only covetous, but also
cunning. He requested an adjournment of the proceedings. This
was granted and in the interval he bribed the judge. At the
second trial he appeared before the same judge who reversed
the verdict. The judge confessed that at the first trial he
had erred, that the Gospel could indeed apply to such cases,
but did not annul the Mosaic law. And to confirm this he quoted
Matthew V, 17,
in the version which we have today, but
with the textual variations arising from the Greek text and
the Aramaic text of the Gospel which existed at the time when
this judgement was pronounced in the year
A.D. 70.
In his ruling the judge quoted the Matthew Gospel, whilst the
Talmud which recounts the story takes the Matthew Gospel for
granted.
It would be
possible to adduce considerable evidence to show that there
is no reliable historical evidence for not assigning an early
date to the Gospels. Historical research will one day
vindicate completely the evidence from purely spiritual
sources which forms the basis of my book
Christianity As Mystical Fact.
Now
everything relating to the Mystery of Golgotha conceals the
most profound mysteries for the present age. These mysteries
will be resolved with the progressive advance of Spiritual
Science. There are many pointers which indicate that these
questions are not so simple as people fondly imagine today.
For example, the relationship between Judaism and primitive
Christianity in the first century of our era is virtually
ignored. There are theologians who study certain Jewish
writings in order to find evidence for their various
theories. But one can easily demonstrate that these Jewish
writings on which they rely did not exist in the first
century. One thing appears to be demonstrable historically,
namely, that in the second third of the first century a
relatively harmonious relationship existed between Judaism
and Christianity — in so far as one can speak of
Christianity at that period. Generally speaking, when
enlightened Jews discussed certain questions with the
followers of Jesus Christ they easily arrived at an
understanding. One need only recall the case of the
celebrated Rabbi Elieser who made the acquaintance of a
certain Jacob (as he calls him) towards the middle of the
first century. The latter admitted to being a disciple of
Jesus and had healed in His name. Rabbi Elieser conferred
with the aforesaid Jacob and declared in the course of the
conversation that what Jacob had said, and especially the
fact that he had healed the sick in the name of Jesus, was in
no way contrary to the spirit of Judaism.
Now this
relatively easy harmony between Christian and Jew peculiar to
earlier times came to an end towards the close of the first
century. From that time even enlightened Jews became
implacable enemies of everything Christian. The Jewish texts
which are held to be of importance today date from the second
century and testify to a growing discord between Christian
and Jew. As we follow the deterioration of this relationship
we see how a hatred of Christianity first emerged in Judaism
and was associated with a progressive transformation within
Judaism itself. Although the modern Hebrew scholars are
versed in the Old Testament from their own standpoint, they
are unaware of other forces that were still active in Judaism
at the time of the Mystery of Golgotha and so frequently
failed to grasp the major issues with which a serious
historical investigation of this period is concerned. We must
realize that in the first century the learned Jewish Rabbis
gave a totally different interpretation of the Old Testament
from that which is given today. Since the nineteenth century
the capacity to interpret ancient texts has largely been
lost. Certain things which still existed even in the
eighteenth century as a sacred tradition in the form of
truths derived from the old atavistic clairvoyance, no longer
had any meaning to nineteenth-century man. Those who speak of
such matters today, even when they refer to a much earlier
epoch, are regarded as addlepated!
In my last
lecture I drew your attention to an important book
Des Erreurs et de la Vérité
by Saint-Martin
(note 3).
This book is undoubtedly a late
product of its kind since it is inspired by ancient
traditions which are now outmoded. None the less it still
speaks from out of these traditional insights. I have
recently quoted to you several extracts from this book which
modern man is at a loss to understand. But if we accept the
point of view of Saint-Martin we shall find that his book
presents certain ideas which seem absurd to modern man,
unless we are prepared to regard them as pure fantasy —
and today almost everything of this nature is regarded as
fantasy. Saint-Martin suggests that the human race has fallen
from spiritual heights to the world of terrestrial existence.
Today, many who are not confirmed materialists are still
willing to tolerate theoretically the idea that the present
human race can be traced back to a far-distant time when,
with a certain part of its being, it stood at a far higher
level than at the present time. Despite the materialistic
character of Darwinism which assumes that man is descended
from animal ancestry, there are others however who believe in
his divine origin where he was originally in touch with
divine traditions. But when we pass from these abstract
notions to the concrete statements of Saint-Martin,
statements which are found in Saint-Martin only because they
are associated with primeval traditions from the ancient
epoch of clairvoyance, we discover that modern man is at a
loss to understand them. What can the man of today who has a
thorough knowledge of chemistry, geology, biology and
physiology, etc. and who has also assimilated that curious
amalgam called philosophy — what can such a man think
when he learns from Saint-Martin that our present human
condition is the consequence of the “Fall”.
Originally the human race had been differently constituted.
Man, according to Saint-Martin, was originally equipped with
a crossbow and a coat of mail. Thanks to the coat of mail he
was able to prove himself in the hard struggle which was his
lot. He has now lost the coat of mail which was originally
part of his organism. He was also armed with a lance of
bronze which could inflict wounds like fire. With this lance
he could overcome elementary beings in the spiritual battle
which faced him. And in the place where he originally dwelt
he had seven trees at his disposal and each of these trees
had 16 roots and 490 branches. He has now forsaken his former
dwelling; he has fallen from his high estate.
If one were
to claim for these views the same validity and reality as the
geologist claims for his theories about primeval ages, I
doubt if he would be considered to be in his right mind. One
need only come along with all kinds of symbols and allegories
and people are satisfied. But Saint-Martin was not speaking
symbolically; he was speaking of realities which he believed
had really existed. Of course in describing certain things
which existed when the Earth in its original state was more
spiritual than in later times, he had to appeal to
“Imaginations”.
[original note 2]
But “Imaginations” represent realities; they should
not be interpreted symbolically. Their imaginative content
must be accepted at its face value. I mention this in
passing. I cannot at the moment enter into details. I only
wish to show the radical difference between the language of
the eighteenth century in which a book such as
Des Erreurs et de la Vérité
was written and the language which alone passes current today.
The style and idiom of Saint-Martin have completely died out.
Since the Old
Testament, for example, can only be understood if we are
conversant with certain things which are related to
imaginative conceptions, it is clear that in the nineteenth
century especially the possibility of understanding the Old
Testament has been lost. But the further back we go the more
we find that at the time of the Mystery of Golgotha there
existed in Judaism, in addition to the exoteric Scriptures of
the Old Testament, a genuine esoteric doctrine. It is to this
esoteric doctrine that must be attributed in large measure
the possibility of interpreting the Old Testament in the
right way. Now it is impossible to interpret the Bible in the
right way unless we evaluate its statements against a
background of spiritual facts.
At the time
of the Mystery of Golgotha it was Romanism that was most
averse to this particular aspect of the Jewish Mysteries.
There has hardly ever been perhaps in the history of the
world a more deep-seated antagonism than between the spirit
of Rome and the Mystery tradition preserved by the initiates
of Palestine. We must not, of course, regard the Mystery
tradition as it existed in Palestine at that time as
Christian, but only as a prophetic prefiguration of
Christianity. On the other hand, however, we can only
comprehend the ferment within Christianity when we see it
against the historical background of the Mystery teachings of
Palestine. This Mystery teaching was full of hidden knowledge
about the “spiritual man” and provided ample
indications of how human cognition could find a path to the
spiritual world. Ramifications of this Mystery teaching were
also to be found to some extent in the Greek Mysteries and to
a lesser extent in the Roman Mysteries. The essence of the
Palestinian Mysteries found no place in Romanism, for Rome
had evolved a special form of community or social life which
was only possible if the spiritual man was ignored. The key
to Roman history therefore is to be found in the
establishment of a community life under Rome that more or
less excluded the spirit. In such a society it would be
meaningless to speak of the threefold division of man into
body, soul and spirit. The further back we go the more we
realize that the understanding of the Mystery of Golgotha in
ancient times depended upon this tripartite division of man
into body, soul and spirit. Paul for his part spoke of the
psychic man and the spiritual man. But this was bound to
offend Roman susceptibilities and explains much that followed
later.
Now you know
that the doctrine which is outmoded today but which in the
early centuries sought to preserve the threefold division of
man and the cosmos was Gnosticism
(note 4).
In later centuries Gnosticism was proscribed and finally
suppressed so that it disappeared completely. I do not say
that it ought to have survived; I simply wish to register the
historical fact that Gnosticism held promise of a spiritual
conception of a Mystery of Golgotha and was ultimately
suppressed. Events now took a strange turn. Roman
traditionalism was increasingly influenced by Christianity
and the further this influence penetrated the less Rome
understood its relationship to the “spiritual
man”, and certain gnostic Christians gave increasing
offence by continuing to speak of body, soul and spirit. In
circles where Catholic Christianity had become the official
religion there were repeated attempts to suppress the idea of
the spirit. They felt that all reference co the spirit should
be ignored, otherwise the old ideas of the tripartite
division of man might revive again. So matters pursued their
course. When we make a careful study of the early Christian
centuries we find that many problems that are usually
accounted for in other ways are seen in their true light when
we realize that, as Christianity fell increasingly under the
influence of Rome, the avowed object of Rome was
progressively to eliminate the idea of the spirit. When we
recognize that Western Christianity had of necessity to
dethrone the spirit, innumerable questions of conscience and
of epistomology are resolved. And this development ultimately
led to the eighth Ecumenical Council of 869
(note 5).
This Council laid down a dogma according
to which it was contrary to Christianity to speak of body,
soul and spirit, but truly Christian to speak of man as
consisting of body and soul alone. The actual wording may not
have been quite so explicit, but was later interpreted in
this way. At first the Council simply stated that man
possessed an intellectual soul and a spiritual soul. This
formula was coined to avoid any reference to the spirit as a
special entity, for the avowed object of the Council was to
suppress all knowledge of the spirit.
This decree
had unforeseen consequences. Contemporary philosophers begin
their investigations by studying body and soul as if they
were independent entities. If you were to ask, for example, a
man like Wundt, on what grounds he accepted only the
dichotomy of man, he would reply in good faith that it was on
factual grounds since, from the evidence of direct
observation, there was no sense in speaking of body, soul and
spirit, but only of the body which looks outward and of the
soul which looks inward. This is self-evident, he would
reply. He had no idea that this was the consequence of the
decree of the eighth Ecumenical Council. Even today
philosophers do not mention the spirit. They follow the dogma
laid down by the eighth Ecumenical Council. Precisely why
they deny the spirit, though not openly, they do not know,
any more than the Roman Cardinals knew what they were
swearing to when they took an oath to preserve intact the
fund which no longer existed. The real creative forces of
history are all too seldom taken into consideration. Today
anyone who rejects the conclusion of “unprejudiced
science”, as it is called, which maintains that man
consists of body and soul alone, is decried as an ignoramus,
simply because the scientists themselves are unaware that
their assumptions are based on the decrees of the Council of
869. And so it is with many other things. This Council is
important because it sheds considerable light upon the
evolution of Western thought.
You know that
Western Christendom was deeply divided by the schism between
the Eastern Church and the Church of Rome on doctrinal
questions which still divide them today. The dogmatic ground
of dissension — for which, of course, there are other,
deep-seated motives — stemmed from the famous question
of filioque
(note 6).
In a later Council
(the Orthodox Church recognized only the first seven Councils)
the Latin Church recognized the double Procession,
namely, that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the
Son. This was declared to be heretical by the Eastern Church
which maintained that the Holy Ghost proceeds only from the
Father. The great confusion over this dogma could only arise
because the conception of the spirit had become blurred. All
understanding of the spirit had been gradually lost. This is
undoubtedly connected with the fact that, from the beginning
of the Fifth postAtlantean epoch onwards, man had to be
denied for a time all perception of the spirit. In face of
this truth, the events described above are only, so to speak,
the tip of the iceberg. We must probe beneath the surface if
we are to arrive at a valid point of view which is rooted in
reality.
Now the
period of evolution which played an important part in the
establishment of this dogma of the dichotomy of man has not
yet ended. The Christian theologians of the Middle Ages who
still subscribed to the existing traditions — for it
was only orthodox Church doctrine that maintained that man
consisted of body and soul, whilst the alchemists and others
who were still familiar with the old traditions knew of
course that he was a trichotomy — these theologians
knew how difficult it was to hold orthodox opinions whilst at
the same time they had to admit that the heretical doctrine
of man's trichotomy contained a kernel of truth. We see
the frantic attempts of these theologians to evade this
issue. If we do not recognize this dilemma we shall fail
altogether to understand mediaeval theology.
Now this
evolutionary period is far from concluded for it coincides
with an important impulse in the development of Western
civilization. And because, in the course of the twentieth
century, many changes will be wrought which we must be aware
of if we wish to understand our present epoch, I must refer
to this period once again. Originally (if such a word may be
used of something that has arisen in comparatively recent
times) the being of man was divided into body, soul and
spirit. The course of evolution was such that by the ninth
century it had become possible to abolish the spirit. But
matters did not rest there. These important changes are
simply overlooked today. The complete transformation of
thinking by Saint-Martin, for example, has been completely
ignored hitherto. Having abolished the spirit, matters did
not end there. There is now a growing tendency to abolish the
soul in its turn. As yet only the first steps in this
direction have been taken; but today the time is ripe for the
abolition of the soul. But man fails to recognize
contemporary tendencies which are of decisive importance.
Already powerful evolutionary impulses are at work which are
preparing to abolish the soul
(note 7).
There will be no need to summon Councils as in the ninth
century. Things are done differently today. I must repeat
that I have no wish to criticize, I merely place the facts
before you.
Considerable
progress has been made towards the abolition of the soul in
many spheres. The nineteenth century, for example, saw the
rise of dialectical materialism which is the basic tenet of
(German) social democracy today. If we look upon Engels and
Marx as the major “prophets” of dialectical
materialism — the Biblical term is perhaps out of place
in this context, but we may perhaps risk it here — they
are also the direct descendants, historically speaking, of
the Church Fathers of the eighth Ecumenical Council. We see
here an unbroken line of development. The steps taken by the
Church Fathers towards the abolition of the spirit were
carried a stage further by Marx and Engels in their
comprehensive attempt to abolish the soul. According to the
materialistic theory of history spiritual impulses are of no
account, the driving forces of history are material forces or
economic factors — the struggle for material wellbeing.
What appertains to the soul is simply a superstructure on the
solid foundation of material processes. It is important to
recognize the genuine catholicity of Marx and Engels and to
note in these aspirations of the nineteenth century the true
consequence of the abolition of the spirit.
The
development of the modern scientific outlook is another
factor which has contributed to the abolition of the soul.
This outlook — I am speaking not of the positive
achievements of the scientific “Weltanschauung”,
which accepts only the reality of the corporeal and regards
everything pertaining to the soul as an epiphenomenon, a
superstructure on what is corporeal — this scientific
outlook is the direct consequence of that development which
we have just seen in the decisive impulses of the eighth
Ecumenical Council. But the majority of mankind will probably
not believe in this possibility until, originating from
certain centres of world evolution, the abolition of the soul
will receive more or less legal sanction. It will not be long
before decrees are promulgated in several States declaring
that those who take seriously the existence of the soul are
not of sound mind, and only those will be regarded of sound
mind who recognize the “truth”, namely that
thinking, feeling and willing are the necessary by-products
of certain physiological processes. Various steps have
already been taken in this direction, but so long as they are
confined to the realm of theory they can have no deep or
lasting influence or significance. It is only when they are
translated into practice in the social order that they
exercise a deep and lasting influence. The first half of the
present century will scarcely be over before those who are
clear-sighted will be faced with an alarming situation by the
abolition of the soul, akin to the abolition of the spirit
that occurred in the ninth century.
It cannot be
repeated too often that it is insight into these things which
matters, insight into the impulses which have determined
man's destiny in the course of historical evolution. It
is only too true that the materialist education of today
induces a more or less soporific condition. It inhibits clear
thinking, precludes a healthy perception of reality and
blinds man to the really important factors in historical
evolution. And so today, even those who would fain satisfy
their longing for spiritual knowledge lack the strength of
will to kindle an awareness of certain impulses inherent in
our evolution and to make serious efforts to see things as
they really are.
Now there
existed in Palestine certain Mystery teachings which were a
preparation for the Mystery of Golgotha and in respect of
which the Mystery of Golgotha was seemingly a fulfilment. I
referred to this when I said that in the Mystery of Golgotha
the greatest mystery drama of all time was enacted on the
stage of world history. In that event, we may ask, why did
Romanism develop such a strong antipathy to Christianity in
connection with the Mystery of Golgotha, and how was it that
this apathy entailed in particular the abolition of the
spirit?
These things
are more closely related than is suspected by those who only
study them superficially. Today few are prepared to admit
that Marx and Engels are the direct heirs of the Church
Fathers. That is of no great moment, but it leads to
something of far greater moment if we bear the following in
mind. At the trial before the Sanhedrin, which condemned
Jesus Christ, the Sadducees played a leading part. Who were
the Sadducees (those who have rightly been given the name of
Sadducees)
(note 8)
at the time of the
Mystery of Golgotha? They were a sect which wished to
eradicate, to suppress everything that proceeded from the
ancient Mysteries. They had a fear, a horror of every form of
Mystery cult. The courts and the administration were in their
hands. They were completely under the influence of the Roman
State; in effect they were the servile agents of Rome. There
is unmistakable evidence that they purchased preferment for
large sums of money and then recouped themselves by dunning
the Jewish population of Palestine. It was they who realized
— and thanks to their Ahrimanic, materialistic outlook
they were quick to perceive this — that Rome was
threatened if it should come to be accepted in any way that
the drama of Christ was related to the fundamental teachings
of the Mysteries. They had an instinctive feeling that
Christianity would give birth to something that would
gradually overthrow the authority of Rome. And this accounts
for those fierce wars of extermination which Rome waged
against Judaism in Palestine during the first century and in
later centuries. These wars of extermination were prosecuted
with the avowed object of exterminating not only the Jews but
all those who knew anything of the reality and traditions of
the ancient Mysteries. Everything associated in any way with
the Mystery teachings, especially in Palestine, was to be
destroyed root and branch.
As a
consequence of this suppression of the Mystery teachings the
perception of the spiritual in man was lost, the path to the
spiritual in man was closed. It would have been dangerous for
those who later sought to abolish the spirit under the
influence of Rome, of Romanized Christianity, if many of
those who had been initiated in the ancient Mystery schools
of Palestine had still survived, if those who still preserved
a memory of the spirit and could still bear witness to the
fact that man consisted of body, soul and spirit. The policy
of Romanism was to establish a social order in which the
spirit had no place, to encourage an evolutionary trend that
would exclude all spiritual impulses. This could not have
been realized if too many people had known the interpretation
of the Mystery of Golgotha that was adumbrated in the
Mysteries. It was instinctively felt that nothing of a
spiritual nature could emerge from the Roman State. From the
union of the Church and the Roman State was born
jurisprudence. In this the spirit had no part. It is
important to bear this in mind.
It is
important to realize that we are now living in an age when we
must awaken the spirit once more, so that it can participate
in the affairs of men. You can imagine how difficult this
will be since materialism is so deeply ingrained. I believe
it will be long before it is generally recognized that
dialectical materialism is a true continuation of the eighth
Ecumenical Council, before people understand the real
implication of the term filioque which was responsible for
the schism between the Western Church and the Eastern Church,
between Rome and Byzantium. Today people are content to speak
of these matters in a superficial way, to pass surface
judgements. For the understanding of many things we shall
have to appeal to feeling, and feeling can be wisely directed
if one thing is kept clearly in mind. The feeling to which I
refer and with which I will conclude this lecture today is
the following:
When we study
the history of Europe from the rise of Christianity onwards,
we are no longer satisfied with that “fable
convenue” which passes for history and which is the
hidden cause of so much misery today. And when we have
sufficient courage to reject this parody of history, we shall
develop a feeling which will serve as a guiding principle in
our enquiries into the evolution of Christianity today. We
shall discover that nothing has met with so many hindrances,
so much incomprehension and misrepresentation as the
evolution of Christianity. And nothing has been so difficult
as its propagation. When one speaks of miracles, there is no
greater miracle than this, namely, that Christianity has
survived. Not only has it established itself, but we live in
an age when it must prevail, not only against those who would
abolish the spirit, but also against those who would abolish
the soul. And it will prove victorious, for Christianity will
develop its greatest strength in face of bitterest
opposition. By actively resisting the abolition of the soul
we shall develop the power to perceive the spirit once again.
When, under the influence of the spirit prevailing today (you
will forgive the misuse of the word in this context) laws
will be promulgated declaring those who regard the spirit as
a reality to be of unsound mind — of course these laws
will not be couched in specific terms, but under the brutal
impact of the modern scientific outlook they will find their
way on to the statute book — when this new modernized
version of the decree of the eighth Ecumenical Council
appears, then the time will have come for the spirit to be
restored to its rightful place.
We shall then
be forced to recognize that vague, nebulous concepts are of
no avail. We must become aware of the deep origin, of the
deep-seated feelings underlying these nebulous concepts, for
they often conceal the materialism to which modern man has
succumbed and which he refuses to admit to himself. And
because he refuses to admit this to himself, because he will
not acknowledge this openly, he pays the penalty; materialism
corrupts his thinking. But Saint-Martin says in the more
important passages of his book: “These things are not
to be spoken of.” Certainly, it will be a long time
before certain things can be discussed openly. None the less
many things will have to be proclaimed loud and clear in
order to awaken mankind to the true state of affairs. And in
the not too far-distant future this warning will serve to
reveal the origin of those hidden tendencies behind the
evolutionism of Darwin, the source from which the sensual,
perverse tendencies of the present materialistically
orientated Darwinism has sprung.
But I do not
wish to end on a melancholy note. I will not pursue the
matter further, but simply direct your attention to these
questions. Today I wished to prepare an outline plan which
will serve as a basis for a special study of the Mystery of
Golgotha. In my next lecture I will endeavour to fill in the
details.
Original Notes:
Note 1.
Numerals in brackets in the texts refer to Notes by the
translator at the end of each lecture.
Note 2.
In Spiritual Science the first level of higher consciousness
is given the name of “Imagination” or
“Imaginative Knowledge”. It is the result of
inwardly strengthened thinking, giving rise to a
consciousness filled with living images or pictures.
NOTES BY
TRANSLATOR
Note 1.
Cardinal Acton — Charles Januarius Acton (1803–47)
Cardinal 1842. Uncle of the famous historian, Lord Acton
(1834–1902).
Note 2.
The dating of the Synoptic Gospels by Protestant theologians
is as follows:
Matthew, A.D. 70–75;
Mark, circa A.D. 65;
Luke, A.D. 50–55;
and John, post A.D. 100.
Roman Catholic theologians give the following dates:
Matthew, post A.D. 70;
Mark, A.D. 65–75;
Luke, A.D. 70–80;
John, A.D. 100.
Note 3.
Louis Claude de Saint-Martin (1743–1803). Under the
pseudonym of “The Unknown Philosopher” wrote on
occultism and mysticism. Influenced by Pasqually,
Swedenborg and Boehme. Alleged to have founded a Martinist
Rite, a modification of the Rite des Elus Coëns. Was a
firm opponent of the prevailing materialism of his day and
emphasised the need for faith and good works. In later life
withdrew from Lodge activities into mysticism.
Note 4.
Gnosticism. The word is derived from the Greek gnosis
— knowledge. The name “Gnostics” is used
to designate widely different sects which flourished in the
second and third centuries. They speculated on problems of
human destiny and professed to teach a knowledge of God and
man. Our knowledge of Gnosticism was for long confined to
criticisms by its opponents: Justin, Irenaeus, Clement of
Alexandria, Origen, Eusebius, St. Epiphenius and others.
The leading exponents of Gnosticism were the Ophites, Simon
Magnus, Carpocrates, Basildes, Marcion and Valentinus. Many
documents are lost or were destroyed as heretical. Today
our knowledge is based upon the Pistis Sophia (fourth
century), the Bruce Codex (fifth century), the Codex
Berulensis (now lost), the Manichaean writings found at
Turfan in Chinese Turkistam (early in this century), the
Dead Sea Scrolls and the Gnostic writings in Coptic
translation discovered in 1945 at NagHammadi in Egypt, the
ancient Chenoboskion. Valuable for further study are:
The Gnostics and their remains, ancient and mediaeval,
C. W. King, 1887, with descriptive plates
of talismans, gems, sigils, etc;
The Secret Book of the Egyptian Gnostics,
Jean Doresse (from the French), 1960. Very important:
The Gnostic Religion,
Hans Jonas, Paperback 1963.
In
Zeitgeschichtliche Betrachtungen,
Erster Teil, lectures VIII and IX, Dr. Steiner tells us that
Gnosis was a wisdom knowledge, a “survival of ancient wisdom
derived from the old clairvoyant insight into the spiritual
world. It was suppressed by dogmatic Christianity from
motives of hostility to Mystery wisdom, for Gnosis declared
that Christ had descended upon earth through the realms of
the spiritual Hierarchies and incarnated in the physical
body of Jesus which had been prepared for 30 years to
receive the Christ Being.”
Note 5.
The eighth Ecumenical Council or the fourth Council of
Constantinople, 869, condemned Photius who was responsible
for the Greek schism (see filioque). A note in the German
edition says that it was the abuse of the Pauline
distinction between the “psychic” man and the
“spiritual” man which decided the Church of
Rome to reject the idea of trichotomy.
Note 6.
Filioque controversy. Filioque (“and the Son”)
was an addition by the Western Church to the
Constantinopolitan Creed, namely, that the Holy Ghost
proceeds from the Father and the Son (called the double
Procession of the Holy Ghost). This was the origin of the
Greek schism and the chief ground of attack upon the Church
of Rome by the Orthodox Church, which follows the Byzantine
rite. Photius refused to accept the insertion of filioque
in the Nicene Creed and the Photian schism finally
triumphed in the Orthodox Church. The addition of filioque
was first met with at the third Council of Toledo 589, and
was defended by Patriarch Paulinus at the Synod of Friuli
796. When introduced into the monastery at Jerusalem by
Frankish monks in 847 it met with immediate opposition from
Eastern monks. It was adopted at Rome after
A.D. 1000
and declared to be a dogma of faith in the fourth Lateran
Council 1215.
Note 7.
In this context it is interesting to note that, in 1926, at an
International Psychological Conference, Pavlov declared
that we must abandon the misleading term
“soul”. “The proper study of psychology
is physiology”, he declared.
Note 8.
The Sadducees adhered to the letter of the law. They were the
dominant priestly party and were subservient to the Roman
procurators of Judaea.
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