Monday, October 18, 2021

 


Steiner and the Theosophical Current

Egil Asprem
2016, Schriften – Rudolf Steiner Kritische Ausgabe: Band 6: Schriften zur Anthropologie – Theosophie – Anthroposophie. Ein Fragment
1516 ViewsPaperRank: 6.212 Pages
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Rudolf Steiner,
Western Esotericism (History),
Theosophy
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Foreword to Volume 6 of the series Schriften – Rudolf Steiner Kritische Aufgabe (frommann-holzboog Verlag, 2016), edited by Christian Clement. This volume contains Steiner's two texts, Theosophie and Anthroposophie. The foreword discusses Steiner's relationship to the Theosophical and post-Theosophical currents.



‘Rudolf Steiner’s engagement with contemporary artists’ groups: art-theoretical discourse in the anthroposophical milieu in Germany in the early 20th century’

Spyros Petritakis
2018, Journal of Art Historiography 19
1405 ViewsPaperRank: 5.433 Pages
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Anthroposophy,
Rudolf Steiner,
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,
Colour Theory,
Wassily Kandinsky
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It is a topos that the manifold heterodox religious movements that have been spreading throughout Europe in the late 19th century paved the way for the abandonment of representational painting by virtue of providing a reconsideration of traditional thought systems as well as a reorientation of established values. The leading proponents of these subversive ideas often sought to direct and regulate artistic production through various ways. In this context, Rudolf Steiner’s dynamic interaction with young artists who came to attend his lectures offers an interesting paradigm that stands in sharp contrast to other practices followed by more traditional scholarly simulated lectures. After 1907, by weaving together esoteric Christianity with Goethe’s colour theory and projecting them into an art historical narrative, Steiner denounced the mainstream theosophical doctrine, spread by Annie Besant, and was ready to express contemporary preoccupations regarding the importance of colour in the reinvention of artistic practice. Both a transmitter of ideas and an eclectic recipient of contemporary artistic discourses, Steiner urged young artists to engage with specific art-theory discourses and interfered in the artistic production by commissioning art works or by providing instructions for them.





‘And the Building Becomes Man’: Meaning and Aesthetics in Rudolf Steiner’s Goetheanum

Carole Cusack
3590 Views14 Pages
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Aesthetics,
Architecture,
Anthroposophy,
Rudolf Steiner,
Culture Production
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"Rudolf Steiner, founder of the Anthroposophical Society, is renowned for his work in widely varied fields. However, his accomplishments as an architect are less well understood. His two greatest achievements in this field – two buildings known as ‘Geotheanum I’ and ‘Goetheanum II’ (built after the destruction of the 1st) – have been described as ‘sculptural architecture’, of a kind similar Expressionist form to Gaudi, Obrist, and Finsterlin. The focus of this chapter, Goetheanum II, is a giant sculptured form, four stories high, with sweeping lines that give the effect of a giant monolithic mass. It is home to the Anthroposophical movement, and holds a 1,000 seat performance hall in which spiritual performances take place. Contributors to an issue of the Swiss architectural magazine Werk, in 1960, on the building, agreed that the building’s design must have required “a uniform worldview and lifestyle.” Indeed, to understand the Goetheanum requires an understanding of Anthroposophy and of Steiner himself. This chapter looks at the meaning in the aesthetic choices of Steiner in the design and construction of the Goetheanum II. Steiner’s belief that the people of Western Europe needed to re-orientate their weltanschauung is understood as a spiritual need. Interestingly, it was a view shared by many Expressionist artists. Steiner could not have been unaware of a number of significant Expressionistic philosophies and forms present in Europe during his formative period. As a lecturer he travelled extensively, and came into contact with many artists and writers who shared similar ideas. His vision for the Goetheanum was grandiose, like those of many other Expressionists, though unlike many others he had the opportunity to build his vision himself. The Goetheanum has also been referred to as a gesamtkunstwerk, also a theme common in the German art scene at the time. Yet Steiner wanted something ‘new’ for his nascent spiritual group; “Not to build in a style born out of our spiritual world view, would mean to deny Anthroposphy in her own house.” As a result the Geotheanum expresses Anthroposophical ideals, a movement which itself professed to inhabit the entire cultural life of its adherents. For Steiner this was came in the form of spiritual realisation, which could best be achieved in the sculptural shapes and organic forms of the Goetheanum"



Rudolf Steiner’s Theories and Their Translation into Architecture
by
Fiona Gray
B.A. Arts (Arch.); B. ARCH. (Deakin).
Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy 

On Rudolf Steiner's Conception of Consciousness Soul (by Johannes Kiersch)

Christian Clement
2021, STEINER STUDIES

81 Pages
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Psychology,
Cognitive Psychology,
German Literature,
Philosophy,
Education
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The concept of 'consciousness soul' (Bewusstseinsseele) is part of the terminological core of Rudolf Steiner's anthroposophy. It has been discussed to a certain extent within the isolated discourse among anthroposophically oriented researchers, but has so far hardly been acknowledged in academic studies on Steiner. The present article undertakes a first systematic mapping of the research area in which this term can be meaningfully located, discussing three frameworks that have appeared so far as promising and hermeneutically appropriate approaches to the difficult subject.

https://www.academia.edu/53157242/On_Rudolf_Steiners_Conception_of_Consciousness_Soul_by_Johannes_Kiersch_


Anthroposophy and its Defenders

(co-written with Peter Zegers)

Reply to Peter Normann Waage, “Humanism and Polemical Populism”

“Anthroposophy and Ecofascism” has sparked a debate within Scandinavian humanist circles, with some authors like Peter Normann Waage lining up to defend anthroposophy as a harmless variant of humanism. 1 While we are encouraged by this long overdue debate, we are troubled by the degree of historical naiveté it has revealed. Waage’s perspective seems to represent a view that is fairly widespread among educated and well-intentioned people. We hope that we can contribute to a more accurate view of the political ihttps://social-ecology.org/wp/2009/01/anthroposophy-and-its-defenders-2/mplications of anthroposophy by correcting several of the misconceptions exemplified by Waage’s reply. Although Waage has nothing to say about the article’s main topic, the systematic collusion between organized anthroposophy and the so-called “green wing” of German fascism, he does raise several issues that lie at the core of that collusion. Waage would have us believe that Rudolf Steiner was a principled anti-racist, that he opposed private property, rejected militarism and nationalism, and was a staunch adversary of Nazism.  These claims are not simply untrue; they betray a surprising unfamiliarity with Steiner’s published work and a profound misunderstanding of anthroposophy’s political history.

https://social-ecology.org/wp/2009/01/anthroposophy-and-its-defenders-2/

Neo-Nazi elements sold as Anthroposophy

Floris Schreve

60 Pages
1 File ▾
Anthroposophy
On racism and Holocaust negationism in the anthroposophical scene in the Netjherlands and Belgium. Original published on Egoisten.de (Germany). Also on http://fhs1973.com/2009/08/24/



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Theosophical Appropriations: Esotericism, Kabbalah, and the Transformation of Traditions, edited by Julie Chajes and Boaz Huss

Boaz Huss
Julie Chajes
2016, Theosophical Appropriations: Esotericism, Kabbalah, and the Transformation of Traditions, edited by Julie Chajes and Boaz Huss
PaperRank: 4.5410 Pages

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Western Esotericism (History),
Kabbalah,
Theosophy,
Theosphical Society
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Theosophical Appropriations Esotericism, Kabbalah and the Transformation of Traditions Editors: Julie Chajes, Boaz Huss The thirteen chapters of this volume examine intersections between theosophical thought and areas as diverse as the arts, literature, scholarship, politics, and, especially, modern interpretations of Judaism and kabbalah. Each chapter offers a case study in theosophical appropriations of a different type and in different context. The chapters join together to reveal congruencies between theosophical ideas and a wide range of contemporaneous intellectual, cultural, religious, and political currents. They demonstrate the far-reaching influence of the theosophical movement worldwide from the late-nineteenth century to the present day. Contributors: Karl baier, Julie Chajes, John Patrick Deveney, Victoria Ferentinou, Olav Hammer, Boaz Huss, Massimo Introvigne, Andreas Kilcher, Eugene Kuzmin, Shimon Lev, Isaac Luberlsky, Tomer Persico, Helmut Zander.




Qabbalah, The Theos-Sophia of the Jews

Boaz Huss
2410 ViewsPaperRank: 9.930 Pages
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Jewish Mysticism,
Western Esotericism (History),
Kabbalah,
Theosophy,
Modern Jewish History
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The article offers a preliminary study of Jewish theosophists and their interpretations of Kabbalah and analyzes the contexts and significance of Jewish-theosophical appropriations of Kabbala. The article argues that the Jewish theosophists’ interpretations of Kabbalah were part of a wider current of modern-Jewish interest in Kabbalah, and that some of their basic assumptions about the nature and significance of Kabbalah resemble and interconnect with the perceptions of modern scholars of Kabbalah.
https://www.academia.edu/28239752/Qabbalah_The_Theos_Sophia_of_the_Jews







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Was There Life beyond the Life Beyond? 

Byzantine Ideas on Reincarnation and Final Restoration

Reincarnation: The Politics of the Psychonoetic Body in Western Esotericism

Lee Irwin
463 Views23 Pages
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Afterlife studies,
Christian Theology,
Reincarnation
This paper explores the origins of reincarnation theory in the classical Greco-Roman world, the Christian response to that theory, and offers some insights into why that theory is resisted in western religions. The paper was published as: “Reincarnation: The Politics of the Psychonoetic Body in Western Esotericism.” Esotericism, Politics, and Religion, ASE series Vol. 3. North American Academic Press, 2012: 293-316.

Reincarnation in Abrahamic Religions

Shahin Azad
1254 Views82 Pages
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Reincarnation
The first part of this thesis attempts to demonstrate the historical traces of the belief in reincarnation among Jews, Christian and Muslims. The second part is dedicated to a hermeneutical analysis of the Bible and the Quran regarding the indications to reincarnation in general, and reincarnation of the Messiah in particular.

Perspectives on Reincarnation: Hindu, Christian, and Scientific (January 2019, MDPI)

Jeffery Long
2019, Religions, MDPI
2317 ViewsPaperRank: 5.6202 Pages
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Christianity,
Hinduism,
Paranormal,
Afterlife studies,
Eschatology
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A volume of essays on the topic of rebirth, or reincarnation, which explore this topic from theological, philosophical, historical, and literary perspectives, with a primary focus on Hindu, Christian, and scientific claims about this topic.

Reincarnation in America: A Brief History

Lee Irwin
1135 ViewsPaperRank: 6.026 Pages
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Reincarnation,
Rebirth,
Metempsychosis
American theories of reincarnation have a long and complex history, dating from 1680s to the present. It is the purpose of this paper to highlight the main currents of reincarnation theory in the American context, giving a brief historical survey. Sources surveyed begin with Native American traditions, and then move to immigrant traditions based in Western Esotericism, Christianity, Judaism, missionary Hinduism and Buddhism, Spiritualism, Theosophy, Rosicrucianism, and concludes with more current theoretical influences, based in paranormal science research. The paper demonstrates that current theories of reincarnation are increasingly less dependent upon religious support and increasingly based in direct personal experience, paranormal research, and new therapeutic models. The paper concludes with some reflections on the complexity of reincarnation theory and raises questions concerning the future development of such theory.

Reincarnation (Tanāsukh) According to Islam: Comparative, Historical and Contemporary Analyses

Mehmet Bulğen
518 Views36 Pages
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Religion,
Philosophy,
Philosophy Of Religion,
Kalam (Islamic Theology),
Comperative Religion
This study has three parts. In the first part I am going to make a comparison between belief in the Hereafter in Islam and belief in reincarnation in Indian religions in terms of their respective views of about God and the universe. In the second part, I am going to discuss the group associated with belief in the migration of the soul (tanāsukh) and the reaction they received from Muslim thinkers through Islamic history. In the third part, I am going to deal with the idea of reincarnation as the modern version of the idea of the migration of the soul. In this context, I am going to discuss various claims of groups or organizations defending the idea of reincarnation. Among these claims, one may include the following: reincarnation is scientifically verified, belief in reincarnation solves the problem of evil, and reincarnation is supported by sacred books including the Qurʾān. My overall purpose is to show that the religion and thought systems reveal their doctrines of immortality within the integral framework of their ontology, epistemology and universe models. In this regard, I will conclude by noting that the belief in reincarnation is not only compatible with the Islam's belief in hereafter but also Islamic teachings concerning God, the universe, and man.

Reincarnation in The Secret Doctrine

Julie Chajes
2017, Correspondences 5
1106 ViewsPaperRank: 2.229 Pages
1 File ▾
Western Esotericism (History),
Theosophy,
New Age spirituality,
Reincarnation,
H. P. Blavatsky
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Throughout her career as an occultist, H. P. Blavatsky (1831–1891), the primary theorist of the nineteenth century's most influential occultist movement, the Theosophical Society, taught two distinct theories of rebirth: metempsychosis and reincarnation. This paper provides a detailed description of the latter, as outlined in Blavatsky's magnum opus, The Secret Doctrine (1888), and contemporaneous publications. In so doing, it offers several correctives and refinements to scholarly analyses of Theosophical reincarnationism offered over the last thirty years.

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A Gateway To Europe’s Orient(s): Austria in Nineteenth- Century British Travel Writing and Vampire Fiction
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The Hunt for an Eternal Legacy: 

Putin and the Vampire Legend in Modern Russia


FOLKLORICA 201
8, Vol. X
XII25

'The Hunt for an Eternal Legacy: Putin and the Vampire Legend in Modern
Russia
Colleen Lucey
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ, USA

Melissa Miller
University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN, USA

Abstract
Today’s image of the vampire in Russia is a fascinating case study in how people both bring Slavic folklore to life in the digital age and how they make use of developing technologies to participate in political protest. For instance, online commentators and political cartoonists portray Russia’s current president, Vladimir Putin, as a modern-day vampire who feeds on the dual policies of expansionism and political repression. On the other hand, his uncanny ability to avoid the signs of aging bolsters his hold on power and further aligns Putin with the vampire and the character’s subsequent iterations in popular culture. Using the vampire t o convey political and social anxieties predates Putin’s presidency. Given the vampire’s possession of taboo knowledge and its ability to wreak havoc on communities, the figure appears as a simulacrum for a politically savvy, yet heinously unjust, ruler. 

From the tyrannical Vlad Dracula (1431-1476) who impaled his advisories, to the display of Vladimir Lenin’s (1870-1924) embalmed, seemingly “undead” body on Moscow’s Red Square, longevity of the state has paralleled the search for ultimate sovereignty, both in life and in death. 

This article examines a variety of folktales, fiction (including Stoker's Dracula and
Pelevin's Empire V ) and media (including film and memes). We argue that the supernatural in modern Russia in the form of the vampire legend performs
paradoxical functions, in that it both serves to legitimize the autocratic state, while at the same time is weaponized (by journalists, artists, Internet users) to critique the Putin regime.

“Unfortunately, he is a vampire.”
-
Liudmila Putina describing her husband Vladimir Putin  

In the summer of 2008, the Russian tabloid Tainy zvёzdSecrets of the Stars featured a youthful, smiling Vladimir Putin on its cover (Figure 1). the issue created a frenzy at kiosks


Figure 1: Image reproduced courtesy of Bauer Media Group, Russia.
around the country, setting a new sales record as the Russian public eagerly purchased available copies. What drove citizens from all parts of the country to buy this particular tabloid? 

 Certainly, it promised titillating reading material: unpublished photos of the president; provocative details on his past relations with women; and two pin-up posters of a topless Putin to share with friends and family. 


But one cover story likely caught the eye of potential buyers —an exposé from none
other than the president’s wife, Lyudmila Putina. According to the tabloid, she had shocking news to share with the public: her husband was a vampire.































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