Dangerous Anthroposophy
cover art by Victoria Hull Temple
once was
Outlaw (rebel) Anthroposophy"Assent, and you are sane; Demure; - you're straightway dangerous
And handled with a chain" - Emily Dickenson
The book Dangerous Anthroposophy (a collection of many of the essays below) is currently being revised. In the meantime another book is on the front burner...because of the underconstruction nature of my anthroposophical works, the page below is somewhat messy, for which I apologize.
This upcoming book American Anthroposophy is both about something, and a demonstration of the same. If you click on the link just above you can go to a constantly updated current version of this work in progress. Or, you can go below and read individual essays. The link will always be the most up to date version of this material, while the collection of individual essays will always lag behind a bit, due to time constraints.
Warning!: Anthroposophists with sectarian or dogmatic tendencies will not like the following material. Nevertheless, even if this rubs some people the wrong way, I am very open to receiving comments and engaging in dialog on the matters of content related below. e-mail
The order of the essays presented here was for years the earliest first and the latest second. I have now reversed that order (with some exceptions - see attached dates of writing). In addition, I have several times put in front of the name of an essay an asterisk, so as to identify those essays which at any given moment I expect to be published in the upcoming book: American Anthroposophy. If the asterisk is followed by a question mark, that means I am considering its inclusion, but yet remain uncertain. By the way, the order of the essays just below has been carefully constructed. Since what is immediately below intends to be part of a book, I have given the sequence of essays a certain conscious structure.
The Challenge
American Anthroposophy begins to come to maturity in the situation of a given place and a given time.
The dominant characteristic of this time, outwardly, is the Incarnation of Ahriman
"And just as there was an incarnation of Lucifer in the flesh, and as there was an incarnation of Christ in the flesh, so will there be, before even a part of the third post-Christian millennium will have passed, an actual incarnation of Ahriman in the West: Ahriman in the flesh." R.S. lecture 1 November, 1919. [emphasis added]
"The thing that will matter. though, will be for people in the age of Ahriman to know that John William Smith(1) is only what appears before them outwardly, and that inwardly Ahriman is there; they must know what is happening and not succumb to any deception in the drowsiness of their illusions." R.S. 28 December 1919. [emphasis added] [(1) a name Steiner made up merely to make the point]
*Outrageous Genius - Discovering the in-the-Present Incarnation of Ahriman in America through the Signs of the Times [under construction]
Orientation
The dominant characteristic of this time, inwardly, is the Second Coming of Christ.
"...one can say that we in Europe develop Anthroposophy in a spiritual way; the American develops it in a natural way..." R.S. lecture to the Workman at the Goetheanum, March 3, 1923 GA-349
*The Meaning of Earth Existence in the Age of the Consciousness Soul (winter - spring 2006) - from the final chapter of my book the Way of the Fool, this essay contains the essential core of the full depths of my research into the social: a hidden aspect (or consequence) of the Second Coming (see Ben-Aharon's book: The Spiritual Event of the 20th Century) is unveiled, for there not only was/is a Second Coming, there is also (as would be expectable) a Second Eucharist.
*In Joyous Celebration of the Soul Art and Music of Discipleship (late summer 2006) - an essay concerning the path of Discipleship - the path of following Christ's Teachings. It was written in partial response to Dennis Klocek's wonderful lecture published in a 2005 News for Members, on the Alchemical underpinnings of Steiner's work. It was also written for, and given away for free, at the Ben Franklin Conference in Fair Oaks, California, August 18th and 19th, 2006 - a conference which evoked (albeit not very consciously) the Spirit of the Christ Impulse as that exists in the Present, yet in relationship to America's Founders.
*The Methodology Necessary for a New Social Science (written for this book during the Season of Michaelmas, 2007) - this essay concerns the nature of the disciplines of thinking that need to be pursued in order to find a living understanding of social existence.
*The Natural Transformation of the Anthroposophical Society in America (Michaelmas 2007) - here I am concerned with what might be characterized as disagreements as to the direction of the Society between progressives and traditionalists. There is more here than meets the eye, and it is also a place were considerable development can arise, once we with good will learn to understand there are reasonably different approaches as to what is the best way to travel into the future.
*The Mystery of Macro and Micro Evil: the relationship of the Shadow (the double-complex) to the American Soul (Michaelmas 2007) [under construction]
*Basic Impulses
What distinguishes the now emerging natural Anthroposophy of the American Soul,
from the anthroposophical work of the Twentieth Century.
*American Culture - four archetypal personalities (November, 2007)
*What is American Anthroposophy? (Michaelmas 2005) - an essay that was originally written specifically for the European magazine Info3. [the correspondent who was to introduce this work to Info3 was unable to complete his mission] Since this never happened, it has been expanded and adapted for a wider audience. The impulse for this was that Rudolf Steiner had said that Americans had an original form of Anthroposophy, and that we should look to Emerson to appreciate it. This essay considers not only what social phenomena reveal the nature of this "natural" Anthroposphy, but also many of its heretofore unsuspected dimensions. [It is currently under construction.]
*American Culture - a first look. A examination of the relationship between Western Civilization (which is dying), the emerging new civilization (which is American), and the understanding of human evolution within Spiritual Science.
*Waldorf Charter Schools in America: some social observations - an essay about some characteristics of the American Soul that explain why Waldorf Charter Schools are a sound anthroposophical impulse.
* The Social -Spiritual Organism of a Waldorf School Community: - (spring 1999) an essay asked for by a Waldorf Parent after I mentioned some ideas of mine in conversation. This essay explores the role of a vital parent body in the Waldorf social organism.
*The Law and the Spirit - (fall 2004) some remarks in support of our considerations of the issues of the amicus brief, the problem of opposing defamation, and the constitutional question - an essay concerning the Summer 2004 Newsletter of the Anthroposophical Society in America about legal matters before the Society.
* Listening to the World Song: (the original, summer-fall 1999) a report on the Experience of an Idea: the general social realities of modern humanity.
"...America, where the place is at which the races or civilizations die..." R.S. lecture 6, Mission of the Folk Souls
*Waking the Sleeping Giant: the Mission of Anthroposophy in America : The above essay considers the general social conditions of modern times, and the relationship of the Mystery of America to these conditions.
*The Future of Anthroposophy in the 21st Century (the week before Christmas 2006) - Concerns missing, but significantly needed, elements of the spiritual background of America, that anthroposophists very much need to practice and to understand - matters embedded deeply in the reality of the spiritual/social present.
*The New, and profoundly human, Mysteries of the Earth (written in the remaining Holy Nights just after Christmas 2006) - What the American Soul has to give, to itself, to America, to Anthroposophy and to the World.
*Anthroposophy and the Russian Soul - a view from the true West (written over Christmas Eve and Day 2006) - how the Russian Soul's instinctive connection to the 6th Epoch leads to a dangerous excess, that must be countered and balanced by the America Soul's natural instinct for the Consciousness Soul.
*"The least read, most important book, Steiner ever wrote*" (spring 2005) An essay about the significance of the book A Theory of Knowledge Implicit in Goethe's World Conception.
*Rudolf Steiner's Own Path - The Philosophy of Freedom or Spiritual Activity - a re-imagination (written for this book in the season of Michaelmas, 2007) [under construction]
*Concerning the Renewal of Anthroposophy - rediscovering the true meaning of the New Mysterys: an essay on the significance of the Philosophy of Freedom and the Reverse Cultus, as a means for bring alive the New Mysteries in the Group and Branch work. This essay, and the one next below on the Law, were given away free at the Annual General Meeting of the Anthroposophical Society, in Detroit in 2004.
*a letter to a young anthroposophist - prompted by an e-mail from a young correspondent, this essay is an effort to speak across that gap that separates me (at age 63) from the younger generation.
*The Redemption of Eros: - Seeking Comfort and Companionship in a time of increasing Social Chaos: or, Sex and the Single Anthroposophist (Michaelmas 2007) - its well past time for anthroposophical circles to stop being so lofty that they forget how human and ordinary we really are. If we are to be socially awake and alive, we need to pay attention to the whole human being in our circles, not just its highest potentials. The vertical (spiritual) dimension of life should not overwhelm the horizontal (social). The whole essay concludes with a careful examination of what is in Steiner's The Philosophy of Spiritual Activity, that could be considered of significance to the Redemption of Fallen Eros. The main point is that it is time for us to wake up in the real world of ordinary social life as that effects our members. [under construction]
*Dangerous Anthroposophy (spring 2005) - Why, in the social context in which it is applied (including the Anthroposophical Society and Movement), true Anthroposophy is dangerous and subversive.
the following essays are not to be included in the book, American Anthroposophy, for the reason that such a work would be too large and thereby ask too much of the reader, both as to cost and size.
pragmatic moral psychology: an early look at my own practice, from 1997
The Three Wishes: written out of and somewhat about the Ann Arbor Conference of 2005.(winter-spring 1998) an essay on moral inner development submitted to the Journal for Anthroposophy in May of 1997 (along with a bit of verse - Speech ); no reply was been received.
The Crack in the Foundation of the Castle of the Dragon: a story about the Community of Anthroposophists, and their relationship to the Community of the Invisibles. Copies of which were given away to those attending the Ann Arbor Conference on Being Awake, Aug. 11-14th, 2005.Listening to the World Song (part one) A brief Application of the Principles of Goetheanistic Thinking to the Problems of Human Social and Political Existence; and, Listening to the World Song (part two) Macro and micro aspects of the Mystery of Evil in Modern Times, as these play themselves out in the social-political organism of humanity (spring 2005)
The True Foundations for the New (living) Thinking and the New Mysteries (mid-summer, 2007) A discussion of such matters as the intellectualization of Michaelic Cosmic Intelligence in the Anthroposophical Society during the 20th Century.
Wendt on Usher on Prokofieff on Tomberg on Steiner: a little piece written for the News for Members in 2005. Didn't expect them to print it. [egads! they did - without telling me of course, and then they followed it up with an intensely polemical response by Usher - about which they also did not tell me - ohmygod, sandbagged by the News for Members!?! Are we surprised?]
Open Letter to the Anthroposophical Society, in America, as well as the World: about the need to change from a third epoch hierarchical social form, to a fifth epoch (modern) social form.
Guest Writer: Stephen Clarke - up close and personal. The deepest essays on the Mysteries of the Americas that I know.
Die and Become: the future of Anthroposophy in America: an essay offering some insight to the American Anthroposophical Society concerning its current concerns over leadership change processes.
Initiation, Goetheanism and the New Bogeyman: an essay on the importance of developing a goetheanistic social understanding in order for the anthroposophical impulse to be fully incarnated in the social world.
The World in the Light of the Human "I am": an essay, originally written for the Journal Trans-Intelligence Internationalle, but which was rightly rejected owing to this Journal's wish to remain outside arguments internal to the anthroposophical movement. The theme of the essay concerns an expansion of an idea in Listening to the World Song, concerning the problem of "how" anthroposophically inspired material should be presented to the wider world.
The Bodhisattva Question: an American Perspective: an essay putting forward a counter-myth to the ongoing undisciplined speculation, within the anthroposophical movement, concerning the this century identity of a bodhisattva incarnation of the future Maitreya Buddha. This essay has been retired from this website for personal reasons.
A Matter of Right Process: - an essay submitted just recently to the Newsletter of the Anthroposophical Society in America, on the recent series of comments there concerning the Prokofieff-Tomberg debate. This essay has been retired from the website for personal reasons.
Anthroposophy in the Light of America: - what the American Soul needs from the Anthroposophical Movement. Some notes and recollections of a talk I gave on the shadow side of the Anthroposophical Movement and the Mystery of America.
scenes from the eye of the heart: a meditation on: - Dan Dugan, PLANS, Waldorf Education, and the battle for the future of the soul.
Threshold Problems in Thinking the Threefold Social Order : an essay on my initial investigations on how to "think" the threefold social order - which ultimately lead to an attempt to approach social investigation in a "goethean" manner. Some results of that work - after a few years practice, are part of the next essay. The above was submitted to both the Journal for Anthroposophy and the Threefold Review, in 1992, with no reply (other than an acknowledgment of receipt from the latter).
On the Practice of Communicating the Ideal to the American Soul : an essay on the dis-harmonious relationship between the Central European Soul and the American Soul in anthroposophical work in America, and what might be done about it. Submitted to the Newsletter of the Anthroposophical Society in America, just recently. Rejected 8/5/97, for being too long, which I suppose means the Newsletter will no longer publish multi part articles.
Guest Essay: Work on what has been spoiled: It is the fall of 1915, and some members of the anthroposophical society are expelled. The problem of "sex" is raised. In this deep and warm essay Catherine MacCoun examines these events and discovers remarkable meaning, for our time, in this unusual event. (This essay became the object of much controversy, because of its views of Rudolf Steiner. The most aggressive critic was offered an opportunity to place his criticism along side the essay on my website, but did not take up this offer. Even so, the reader should realize that some individuals find this essay to contain a very incorrect assessment of Dr. Steiner's character.)
Response to Guest Essay, received in June 2005 - this response, received 7 years after the fact, nonetheless is cogent enough to be added here. Although, nothing written in this response, by John Stirling Walker, is by my placing it here to be seen to have my approval or disapproval.
Outlaw Anthroposophy - the journal: This is the original journal passed out at the Ann Arbor conference in the summer of 1997. Two essays: The Study of Rudolf Steiners Lecture Cycles and the Problem of Cognition: musings on the epistemological swampland of the Anthroposophical Movement; and The Anthroposophical Society: is it a living social form?; as well as, a Readers Poll asking the 25 questions you have always wanted to be asked about the anthroposophical movement. These two essays were later translated into German by Lorenzo Ravagli, at his request, and published in the journal: Jahrbuck fur anthroposophische Kritick 1998.
The Lecture Cycle essay concerns a specific problem, namely whether the reading of a text is knowledge, in the senses of the epistemology (science of knowing) upon which Anthroposophy is founded. My conclusion is that, in general, reading is not "knowledge", from which certain conclusions, about whether Anthroposophy in any way "lives" in Study Groups, follow. The social form essay concerns the obvious, and in concluding that the Society is not "living", explores how that has come to be.
The Mystery of the True White Brother - an interpretation of the meaning of the Hopi Prophecy by a member of the Elder Brother People. In this essay the term "mystery" refers to a sacred rite of initiation, and the term Elder Brother People to that portion of the anthroposophical movement (Michael Movement), which remains true to its Earthly mission as a form of service to humanity. That the Saturn Mysteries in the Americas expected the arrival of the modern Sun Mysteries, of which Rudolf Steiner was but one initiate, is a matter that should raise profound questions within the Anthroposophical Movement and Society regarding its ability (or failure) to remain true to the underlying social mission to which they belong.
some very special links
Tom Last's remarkable website community for exploring The Philosophy of Freedom (Spiritual Activity).
Anything by Don Cruse, buy his book if you can - Evolution and the New Gnosis
Steve Talbot's NetFuture zine and site
Below are some essays with a "scientific" orientation, but which are directed at introducing the lay-reader to certain fundamental ideas of Anthroposophy:
The Quiet Suffering of Nature: an essay on the need for the environmental movement to begin to regain communion with the Being of Nature, so as to know, not only what environmentalists want, but what Nature wants, as well.
The Idea of Mind : in the early 1990's I undertook to come to terms with certain ideas then beginning to circulate in the field of neurophysiology concerning the relationship between mind and brain chemistry. Since my own experience as a Christian meditator contradicted the leading ideas, which attributed mind to brain physiology, and nothing more, I wrote this essay as an effort to contribute to the ongoing work in the study of consciousness.
A Matter of Death: a short essay on the question of what is death.
[as I have recently retired and am now living on social security, and even poorer than before, I have decided to ask of those that visit these pages that they consider making a small contribution to my support. There is a great deal of work offered on these pages, that has so far been available for free. This will remain the case. However, it would help the future of this work if small contributions could occasionally appear in my mail box: Joel A. Wendt P.O. Box 1105, Milton, NH 03851]
[The book, Dangerous Anthroposophy, has been withdrawn from publication. It is being extensively revised, and renamed: American Anthroposophy.]
[For those anthroposophists who might be reading these pages and want to know my "anthroposophical" background: I have been a member of the Society for over 25 years and of the Class for over 20 years. The first anthroposophist I shared my biography with in any detail said "you were born an anthroposophist". I was part of the circle of co-workers around Carl Stegmann (The Other America) and wrote for his study letter, America in the Threefold World - this was in Sacramento, California, in the early 1980's. I have continued to carry my share of the "America Work" quietly and steadfastly since that time; and, from 1988 to 2004 was an unpaid fellow at the Center for American Studies at Concord (Mass.) - Stuart B. Weeks non-profit organization, now based in New Hampshire.]
