Turning Points in Spiritual History: Zarathustra, Hermes, Buddha, Moses, Elijah, Christ by Rudolf Steiner, Rudolf Steiner

From the Publisher

In our long human journey, individual and collective, the journey that science
calls evolution, many indeed are the turning points. But they are not so much
turning points in outer, material manifestation in the fossils of paleontology,
for those fossils are only the shed garments worn by humans in an earlier age,
vestments designed by providence to meet the need of a changing human
consciousness moving through time. Where the real evolution occurs, for
which the necessary outer garments are tailored over time, is in the realm of
consciousness as it transitions from spirit to matter and back to spirit.
-EDWARD REAUGH SMITH, from the Introduction

RUDOLF STEINER gave the six lectures in Turning Points in Spiritual History
during the year of January 1911 to January 1912. Realizing their importance
for understanding the evolution of consciousness and the central role of the
Christ event within it, Marie Steiner collected them under the present title
soon after Steiner's death in March 1925, as a signal and enduring element of
his spiritual legacy.

Since the crucible of cosmic evolution for Steiner is the Earth, and the
evolution of the Earth is accomplished through humanity, each of the five
turning points-or critical, transformative moments-leading up to the
climax of the Incarnation of Christ through the Mystery of Golgotha is
exemplified by an individuality: namely, in chronological order, Zarathustra,
Hermes, Moses, Elijah and Buddha.

In these lectures, each of which deals in turn with one of these great
individualities, Rudolf Steiner provides us with astonishing insights into
esoteric history and demonstrates theremarkable ways in which the spiritual
world guided and nurtured spiritual evolution in preparation for the coming
of the Christ.

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