Publisher's Foreword
This volume
contains material which for many years was circulated in manuscript
form among priests and doctors. The audience to whom the lectures
were given was restricted to priests and doctors as they really were
intended to serve the esoteric needs of these two professions. In
this respect it gives insights into how Steiner went about laying the
foundations for an esoteric path connected with a particular
vocation. It is reasonable to assume that had he lived longer he
would have delivered similar courses to other professional groups. Of
particular significance is the giving of a mantric verse for the
support of the vocational activity (see last lecture), a verse
specific to the vocation. The receiving and working with such a verse
would presumably be connected with the task and responsibilities an
individual would assume when he or she worked out of one of the
Sections of the School for Spiritual Science in the realm of a
particular vocation.
Needless to
say, the material assumes a certain maturity in anthroposophy which
at a minimum means a familiarity with the basic books. Anyone
attempting this cycle without such a background is advised to do the
necessary studies before trying to read this volume.
|