Genesis - Secrets of Creation
11 lectures by Rudolf Steiner
Translated by Pauline Wehrle

How was the world created? Battle lines are currently drawn between two dogmatic camps: the fundamentalist ‘creationists’ who believe that the physical creation of the earth took place in six days, and the scientific reductionists who expound the theory of  the 'big bang' origin of the universe – or similar purely mechanical models.

 From his own spiritual examinations, Rudolf Steiner presents a new perspective which transcends these bipolar arguments. He affirms that clairvoyant research accords with the biblical descriptions, but he emphasizes that the language and meaning of Genesis has to be understood in a way that is consistent with how an earlier humanity understood and experienced language. In this extraordinary document, Steiner speaks of the six days of creation as a reawakening of the previous phases of the Earth's development. He describes the work of powerful spiritual entities, the biblical Elohim, and how they co-created with other spiritual hierarchies in the creation of Earth. He also clarifies the relationship of the Elohim and the biblical Jehovah.

In addition, Steiner discusses themes of light and darkness, the meaning of Adam and Eve, the 'day of rest' on the seventh day, the stages of human development on Earth, and the special character of the Hebrew language.

Also featured in this new edition is a previously unpublished introductory lecture on the meaning of mystery drama.

Rudolf Steiner Press
178pp; paperback
ISBN: 1 85584 102 9
 

Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) called his spiritual philosophy 'anthroposophy', which he defined as 'the consciousness of one's humanity', and the disciplined methods of studying this he termed ‘spiritual science’.  As a highly developed clairvoyant and spiritual initiate, he spoke from his direct cognition of the spiritual world. However, he did not see his work as religious or sectarian, but rather sought to found a universal 'science of the spirit'.

His many published works (written books and lectures) - which include his research into the spiritual nature of the human being, the evolution of the world and humanity, and methods of personal development - invite readers to develop their own spiritual faculties.  He also provided indications for the renewal of many human activities, including education - both general and special - agriculture, medicine, economics, architecture, science, philosophy, religion and the arts. He wrote some 30 books and delivered over 6000 lectures across Europe, and in 1924 founded the General Anthroposophical Society which today has branches throughout the world.