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This unique narrative retelling of the story of Saint Paul is both
an engaging day-to-day account of life in the first century as well
as a remarkable chronicle of the key events that ultimately laid
the foundations for Christianity. It covers his childhood, when he
was known as Saul, in his father's tent-making workshop, his
momentous encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus and his
transformation into Paul the apostle, one of Christianity's most
significant figures. Siegwart Knijpenga draws on extensive
experience of sharing religious lessons with young people to retell
the story of Saint Paul in a lively and accessible way, ideal for
readers aged 10 and up.
The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz is one of the most
important writings of esoteric Christianity, first published
anonymously in German in 1616. It is an allegorical story divided
into seven journeys about how Christian Rosenkreutz was invited to
a castle to assist the 'chymical wedding' of the king and queen.
'Chymical' is an old form of the word chemical and refers to
alchemy, whose aim is the uniting of opposites -- hence, the sacred
wedding. It is a book concerned with the inner transformation of
the soul. Bastiaan Baan's interpretation and commentary makes this
work accessible to readers of today, and shows the special language
Andreae used to express the meditative content of his text. He
delves deep to uncover the original significance, combining images
and concepts from alchemy with insights from Rudolf Steiner's
teachings. He concludes that the content is as valuable today as it
was hundreds of years ago. The book contains the complete text of
the Chymical Wedding.
In the popular imagination, the Holy Grail - part of the legendary
romance of King Arthur - belongs to the realm of myth. The Knights
Templar also have a legendary, enigmatic aspect. Despite the
immense volume of historical research available, plausible
explanations to the 'mystery' at the core of their practices have
yet to be revealed. By studying these two themes side-by-side and
showing their inner relationship, Veltman reveals valuable new
perspectives. On the one hand he demonstrates that the 'poetic
imagination' of the Grail mystery has its origin in concrete
historical events; and on the other hand, that the true history of
the Knights Templar is, essentially, esoteric. Combining historical
research with insights gained from the work of Rudolf Steiner,
Veltman presents an impressive survey of the subject, beginning
with the pre-Christian Mysteries and ending with a vision of
Michaelic Christianity. He analyses the significance of the holy
city of Jerusalem, the Temple of Solomon, the Temple Legend, the
Grail Temple, the Rosicrucians, the Templars' gold, and the fraught
question of evil. In addition, he sketches the continuation or
metamorphosis of the Grail and Temple impulses into the future,
including the critical 'balancing' role of Europe between East and
West. To become effective, this important European task - which, he
says, is continually being thwarted - must be properly understood
within the realm of human consciousness.
Meditation has long been a path to self-awareness, as well as a way
of consciously building a bridge into the spiritual world. Many of
the most popular techniques originated in eastern traditions, but
this book describes a decades-old approach that comes from western
Christianity. The author starts by describing the steps necessary
to make meditation possible, drawing on some of the ideas of Rudolf
Steiner. He goes on to discuss different forms of meditation, such
as 'review of the day', meditations on specific words and images,
and meditations for the deceased. Finally he describes a
specifically Christian approach, with a few words and sentences
from the Gospel of St John leading to several fruitful subjects for
meditation. This is a deep, insightful book from an experienced
priest.
Different forms of religious worship and ritual are present
throughout the development of human beings, from early stone-age
ritual, nature religion and ancestor worship, to faiths from which
Christianity and the Eucharist emerge. In this book, Bastiaan Baan
traces the origins and metamorphosis of human religion in
historical, theological and humanistic terms, examining its
significance for human life on earth and in the spiritual world.
Dante Alighieri (1265 -- 1321) was an Italian poet, moral
philosopher and political thinker best known for his poem the
Divine Comedy. Even after seven centuries of historical
development, the core of Dante's work is arguably more relevant
today than ever. With his Divine Comedy, the great poet wanted to
open the eyes of his contemporaries to the realities of the
spiritual world and to the consequences of how we choose to live
our lives. He also fought for moral and social healing of society
and culture and pointed to the source of all healing -- the living
spirit. In this insightful work Willem Frederik Veltman offers a
concise overview of the Divine Comedy, followed by an exploration
of the relevance of Dante today, an outline of the historical
background of Dante's life and work, and consideration of Dante's
prophecy of the coming of a redeemer. An enlightening book which
reveals how Dante's masterwork enables us to recognise and better
understand our own lives and culture today.
Is it our brain that produces consciousness? Many people, including
most scientists, hold such a belief, founded on a conception of the
world that is purely materialistic. This worldview sees the brain
as some kind of biological computer. However, modern research shows
that our experiences -- especially in childhood and youth -- shape
the circuits of our brain, and even stimulate the brain to grow. So
to an extent, we shape our own brain just through being alive. And
it is by means of our brain that we develop as a person and form
our 'self', with all its associated significance and values. In
this revealing study of brain, body and consciousness, Arie Bos
examines the limitations of the materialist view to explain our
human experience. He points to examples where consciousness is not
supported by the physical brain, or where consciousness appears to
survive beyond death. Exploring the ideas of free will and
responsibility, he rejects the view that only physical matter
determines our thoughts and actions. In doing so, he opens a door
to a wider spiritual reality.
The twelve holy nights between Christmas and Epiphany, the 6th of
January, are a wonderful time of year for spiritual meditation and
deepening. In ancient Norwegian folk legend, in the darkness of
winter, Olaf Asteson experienced an initiation into the great
secrets of existence. His experience helped him to shoulder
responsibility for his task here on earth, and gave him renewed
vision and decisiveness. Frans Lutters has led many workshops on
this theme, and his insights are collected in the commentary and
meditations in this book, alongside the text of the Dream Song.
Working with the sacred nights provides an inspiring opportunity to
start the new year with revitalised consciousness and enthusiasm.
Just as no person is the same as another, each death is individual.
This special book does not promote methodologies or theories, but
rather offers insights, information and contemplations on the end
of life. It supports the companions of those on their dying
journey, whether volunteers, medical professionals, pastors or
loved ones. Renee Zeylmans taught courses on accompanying dying and
bereavement for many years. She described the journey towards death
as a reciprocal process, asking not only how do we travel with
those who are dying and what can we give them, but what do they
give us? This book is the fruit of a lifetime's work, and her
intention was for it to enrich the reader, throw a new light on
difficult situations, evoke recognition, console and offer choices.
As well as host of practical information about dying and death --
including questions around the physiology of death, fear, fasting,
funerals, music, language, and human senses -- the book contains
contemplations and meditations from different world views and
cultures.
The three apostles Peter, Paul and John are the most important
starting point for understanding the beginnings of Christianity.
Each brings a different background and language: Peter's Old
Testament imagery, Paul's connection with Greek culture, and John's
independent lyricism. This fascinating book paints a vivid picture
of the three, exploring what they had in common as well as their
significant differences, and demonstrating their continuing
relevance today. The authors start by discussing the pre-Christian
context, and finish by tracing the esoteric streams of Petrine,
Pauline and Johannine Christianity in the first few centuries after
Christ. They show above all that all three are needed to truly
approach the reality of Jesus Christ.
How can we create a connection with loved ones who have died?
Rudolf Steiner frequently spoke on death and what happens after we
die, offering helpful insights into an area which is often left
unexplored, yet which affects everyone. In this insightful book,
Arie Boogert explores the connections which exist between the
living and the dead through consideration of Rudolf Steiner's
meditative verses and prayers, which provide support for family and
friends who have lost a loved one. Offering thoughtful, considered
guidance on how to come to terms with the prospect of our own
death, this book also helps readers to prepare for what happens
next. A supportive, clear and helpful companion for readers who
have lost a loved one and who are looking to understand their own
journey towards the end of life.
The question of what happens to us before we are born is one which
is little explored, yet the route between life and death is a
journey that everyone takes. Drawing on the prayers and meditations
of Rudolf Steiner, Arie Boogert offers a detailed description of
the journey we take from the moment of death, and beyond.
Considering how experiences and actions in our lives impact on our
future, this profound book offers a guide to the path which awaits
after death. A supportive and insightful companion for readers keen
to explore the journey from death to birth and beyond.
The idea for the Harry Potter books came to Joanne Rowling while
she was travelling on a train in 1990. She says that she was not
looking for magic and sorcery, but that magic and sorcery sought
her out. This prompted Frans Lutters, an experienced Waldorf
teacher, to ask: who really is Harry Potter, and where did he come
from? Lutters explores the archetypes of the seven books, including
Harry and Dumbledore. He draws on his deep knowledge of esoteric
and classical thinking to find comparable characters, and draws
parallels to Parsifal, Mani, Michael and Ahriman. This
thought-provoking little book looks beyond the glitter of the
movies and the hype and revisits the storytelling power of these
popular books.
The seven liberal arts -- of grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic,
geometry, music and astronomy -- formed the basis of an education
in classical antiquity, such as Ancient Greece. The objective was
not so much the acquisition of knowledge, but the development of
virtues. In the Middle Ages, Charlemagne established schools
throughout his European courts based on the same principles.
Teachers at those schools included noteworthy Knights of the Grail,
as well as monks from Britain and Ireland. This fascinating book
explores the structure of this unique educational approach, one
which modern Waldorf schools are working to transform for the
modern age. A comprehensive work of research, richly illustrated,
the book offers ideas and insight for both teachers and parents,
alongside an inspiring vision of future educational work.
The word Islam means surrender to God. In our secular Western
culture, it is difficult to imagine what that means. Among other
things, it indicates dependence and predestination. But is this
really the case? Isn't this a superficial presumption? Allah calls
on human beings to surrender in freedom to their God (Sura 96).
Allah is merciful and forgiving. At the same time, however, Allah
is the all-seeing one and the one who humbles. In Islam, free will
and predestination have an uneasy relationship with each other-but
isn't this true for every religion? In this collection of essays,
three authors discuss various aspects of the tension between
freedom and predestination in Islam from the perspective of Rudolf
Steiner's works. This background enables them to throw sometimes
surprising light on the freedom impulse of Islam. It is the
authors' hope that this book may contribute to a more balanced view
of Islam today. This timely book offers interested non-Muslims a
rare opportunity to examine a frequently misunderstood aspect of
one of the world's fastest growing religions.
This surprising book originated from a reported comment by Rudolf
Steiner to the founder of the first Waldorf School. Emil Molt, in
which Steiner indicated that Emil Molt had a karmic connection with
Emperor Charlemagne, who founded the Holy Roman Empire in the ninth
century. Charlemagne also had the remarkable initiative of founding
schools in his empire in which teaching took place in the local
vernacular -- public schools, in many ways. He did this at a time
when schools existed only in monasteries and all teaching was in
Latin. It was unheard of to teach the common people. Secular
people, even kings and princes, usually could not read or write.
The author spent over twenty-five years researching the biographies
of the principal individuals who implemented Charlemagne's school
movement, including the leader of the school at his court, Alcuin.
He then perceives fascinating parallels between the biographies of
these people and those of the key individuals around Rudolf Steiner
and Emil Molt, who made the first Waldorf School possible. In the
process he evokes in the reader intriguing questions as to the
working of karma in the Waldorf School movement, not only on an
individual basis but also in world culture. In addition, throughout
the book he explores Charlemagne's connection with the Grail
mysteries, especially because of the family relationship of
Charlemagne's wife, Berta, with Titurel, the builder of the Grail
Castle. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the
spiritual/historical background of Waldorf Education.
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