“Dear Children!”
RUDOLF STEINER
SPEAKS TO THE CHILDREN OF THE FIRST WALDORF SCHOOL ABOUT CHRIST
Editors'
Introduction: The following are three addresses given to the
children of the first Waldorf school at school assemblies in 1919
and 1920. In the Christmas assembly address Steiner also spoke to
the parents who were in attendance. Steiner had previously assisted
the industrialist Emil Molt in establishing the school for the
children of the factory workers of the Waldorf Astoria cigarette
factory in Stuttgart, Germany. He made frequent visits,
traveling from Switzerland, to work with the faculty of the school
and to view the students' progress. (A chapter from Molt's
autobiography describing the opening of the school appeared in
Issue No. 2 of The Threefold Review.)
What is most revealing in these addresses is
how open and straightforward Steiner was concerning the Christian
basis of the school. Even though Christ is central to
Anthroposophy, the world view based on spiritual-scientific
research and inaugurated by Steiner, Anthroposophy is open to
everyone regardless of religious background. Waldorf schools, which
are based on Anthroposophy, are also open to families of any
religious background.
A universal approach to Christianity is elaborated by Steiner
in the following passages:
“Would a Buddhist be justified in saying that
he may not acknowledge Christ because nothing is said to this
effect in his scriptures? Is anything essential at stake when a
truth is not found in particular writings or scriptures? Would it
be right for a Buddhist to say that it is against the principles of
Buddhism to believe in the truth of the Copernican theory of the
universe, for no mention of it is made in his books? What applies
to the Copernican theory applies equally to the findings of modern
spiritual-scientific research concerning the Christ-being, namely,
that because He has nothing to do with any particular
denomination, the Christ can be accepted by a Hindu or an
adherent of any other religion. Those who reject what spiritual
science has to say about the Christ impulse in relation to the
religious denominations simply do not understand what the
true attitude to religion should be.
“Perhaps some day the time will come when it
will be realized that what we have to say about the nature of the
Christ impulse and its relation to all religious denominations and
world-conceptions speaks directly to the heart and soul, as well as
[endeavors] to deal consistently with particular phases of the
subject. It is not easy for everyone to realize what efforts are
made to bring together things that can lead to the true
understanding of the Christ impulse needed by man in the present
cycle of existence. Avowal of the belief in Christ has nothing
fundamentally to do with any particular religion or religious
system. A true Christian is simply one who is accustomed to regard
every human being as bearing the Christ principle in himself, who
looks for the Christ in a Chinese, a Hindu, or whoever he may be.
In a man who avows his belief in Christ is founded the realization
that the Christ impulse is not confined to one part of the earth.
To imagine it as confined would be a complete fallacy. The reality
is that since the mystery of Golgotha, Paul's proclamation to the
region with which he was connected has been true — Christ
died also for the heathen. Humanity must learn to understand that
Christ did not come for one particular people, one particular
epoch, but for all the peoples of the earth, for all of them!
Christ has sown His spirit-seed in every human soul, and progress
consists in the souls of men becoming conscious of this.”
[Life Between Death and Rebirth
(Anthroposophic Press, Hudson, N.Y.,1968), pp. 50–51.]
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