Rudolf Steiner's Core Mission: The Birth and Development of Spiritual-Scientific Karma ResearchTemple Lodge Publishing, 2010 - 207 pagina's Rudolf Steiner's core mission--repeatedly delayed owing to the a lack of capacity in his colleagues--was to pursue contemporary spiritual-scientific research into the phenomena of reincarnation and karma. This stimulating book describes the winding biographical path of that mission. It focuses in particular on the mystery of Steiner's connection with the influential medieval philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas. Using numerous archival sources and publications, Thomas Meyer reveals many facts related to the core of Steiner's mission, showing the critical roles played by Wilhelm Anton Neumann and Karl Julius Schröer in its genesis and development. Meyer examines how Rudolf Steiner's students responded to his understanding of karma, placing this "most intrinsic mission" in the context of current divisions in the anthroposophic movement. He highlights especially the place of spiritual science in culture and history and shows how Steiner further developed the great scientific ideas of evolution propounded by Darwin by raising them to the plane of individual soul and spiritual development. As Steiner stated in 1903, "Scientific researchers explain the skull forms of higher animals as a transformation of a lower type of skull. In the same way one should explain a soul's biography through the soul biography which the former evolved from." |
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Introduction | 1 |
Rudolf Steiners Path to Karma Knowledge | 11 |
The Aquinas Motif in Rudolf Steiners Last Days on Earth | 13 |
A Biography as Spiritual Midwife | 19 |
An Event of Extraordinary Importance | 24 |
Encounter with the Master | 31 |
Battle of Words at Griensteidl Café | 34 |
Amidst Admirers of Thomas Aquinas | 39 |
Friedrich Rittelmeyer Adds to Schurés Testimony | 111 |
A Visit to Monte Cassino | 114 |
At the Sarcophagus of Albertus Magnus | 119 |
How Ita Wegmans Karma Vision Awoke | 123 |
Thomas Aquinas and Reginald of Piperno | 127 |
The Demons Must Fall Silent | 129 |
The Karma Revelation Impulse of 192324 | 131 |
The Demons Must Fall Silent | 134 |
Fercher von Steinwand and Dionysius the Areopagite | 42 |
Wilhelm Neumann and 9 November 1888 | 46 |
Take Careful Note | 51 |
November and the World of the Dead | 54 |
The Starting Point for Steiners Karma Research | 57 |
Karma Knowledge and the Experience of Freedom | 63 |
The SevenYear Rhythm of Aquinas Insights | 69 |
The Three Whitsun Lectures of 1920 | 78 |
Driven by Certain Reasons | 82 |
Spirit Remembering Amongst Steiners Pupils | 91 |
Marie Steiners Aquinas Insight | 93 |
Edouard Schuré and Rudolf Steiners Master | 100 |
The Breach of Trust and Schurés Lapse | 105 |
K J Schröer and the Suicide of Crown Prince Rudolf | 136 |
Wilhelm Neumann and Steiners Chartres Research | 141 |
What Else Could One Have Done? | 145 |
Rudolf Steiners Karma Research Today | 151 |
The Demons Silent No Longer | 153 |
Spiritual Species Research | 165 |
Is Steiners Karma Research Still Relevant Today? | 176 |
Epilogue | 185 |
Appendix | 189 |
Sources and Notes | 195 |
Picture Credits | 208 |