Library New Books April 2025

9781912992553

The Social Archetype: Realizing Society's Threefold Unity, A New Goetheanism 

2024

by Nigel Hoffmann (Author)

We live in a time of multiple challenges to our rights and freedoms - not only in authoritarian regimes but also in liberal democracies around the globe. As the storm clouds of crisis gather, Rudolf Steiners social vision - now a century old - offers a clear way forward. Radical in his time and still so today, Steiners social threefolding is not conceived as a logical system. Rather, his picture of society as a living threefold unity, as a social organism, is an artistic insight that needs to be grasped imaginatively. To understand its three dimensions - the economic, the political-legal and cultural-spiritual spheres - and how they relate to each other, is to experience them inwardly. This requires a living, creative thinking that is able to enter the archetypal forces behind the concepts: a modern-day, truly Goethean approach to the social sciences. In an illuminating study, Hoffmanns dynamic presentation enables us to develop precisely such an artistic-imaginative understanding of the threefold social organism. He achieves this through clear descriptions of its principles and practical governance, whilst offering wise advice regarding the adaptation of education - at school and tertiary levels - for a threefold society.

 

9781912992492

Searching for the Spirit of the West: Social Utopias and World Wars: A Hidden History of the USA in the Twentieth Century 

2023

by Luigi Morelli (Author)

How can the West rediscover its authentic spirit? Exploring the period from 1899 to 1945―from the end of the US frontier and the writing of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to the conclusion of World War II and the dropping of the atom bomb―Luigi Morelli traces the events that has led the United States to become the world’s dominating imperial force. America, he demonstrates, is deeply connected to Britain, Germany, and Eastern Europe, and particularly to Russia. Yet despite the tragic collective histories of these countries, there is hope for the future, but only if America can claim its true task.

Searching for the Spirit of the West challenges many of the falsehoods that pass for mainstream history. Utilizing a wealth of documented evidence from the research of overlooked historians, economists, social, and spiritual thinkers, the author takes a symptomatic view of the past, revealing hidden, long-term trends. This approach offers a new understanding of events, such as the rise of Nazism, the Great Depression, the new Deal, and even the roles of banking and clandestine “brotherhoods” in world history.

Morelli also appraises The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in parallel with America’s cultural achievements. Through imagination, L. Frank Baum’s contemporary fairytale enables us to intuit the true mission of the West and its potential contribution to world culture, both now and in the future.

 

9781915776211

Kaspar Hauser: And the Destiny of Middle Europe in the Nineteenth Century 

2025

by Karl Heyer (Author)

Who was Kaspar Hauser and where did he come from? Why was his childhood spent in a prison cell? Was he related to nobility, royalty or even Napoleon, as some have suggested?

From his initial appearance on the streets of Nuremberg in 1828 to his disturbing murder only five years later, the enigmatic story of Kaspar Hauser has stirred feelings of love and admiration in countless people. He has been celebrated as the subject of films and plays, popular books and academic studies, yet even today―nearly two hundred years after his death―he continues to arouse opposition and hatred from his detractors, who dismiss him as an opportunist and a fraud.

In this first English-language edition of the classic text―the original, comprehensive attempt to illumine the mysterious life of Kaspar Hauser from a spiritual-scientific, anthroposophic perspective―historian Karl Heyer gathers the basic facts of the life and death of the “Child of Europe” and explores his remarkable abilities and character. With admirable clarity, he studies Hauser’s fate in connection with the mission and destiny of Central Europe, focusing mainly on the roles of the House of Baden and key political actors such as Napoleon and Otto von Bismarck. His original research leads to shocking conclusions that have significant consequences for Europe’s future.

Karl Heyer was initially drawn to the subject of Kaspar Hauser through a private conversation with Rudolf Steiner. That seed matured forty years later as intensive research and the first publication of this book in German in 1958. “For me,” says Heyer, “it represented the high point of my writing and a kind of crowning of my life’s work.”

 

9781621483731

The Confirmation of Kaspar Hauser 

2024

by Peter Selg (Author), Anne Sproll (Translator)

During the 2018 Kaspar Hauser Festival in Ansbach, Germany, Peter Selg assumed the task of understanding the individuals in Kaspar Hauser’s life and comprehending their significance for his destiny. He begins by unfolding the sociopolitical and philosophical milieu during Hauser’s life, starting with Friedrich Hölderlin and other significant luminaries of the time. A fellow student and friend of Hölderlin said of Kaspar Hauser, “His fine facial features, his gentle expression, his beautiful bearing, his carefully tended attire, and the unmistakable loftiness expressed in his being have always remained with me,” saying further, “Whoever saw him loved him, and whoever became acquainted with him remained his friend.”

Selg compares the biographies of Kaspar Hauser and Rudolf Steiner, who stated, “If Kaspar Hauser had not lived and died as he did, the contact between the earth and the spiritual world would have been completely broken.” And Selg points out, “Through his path of suffering, Hauser prepared something that would allow new life and a new ‘teaching’ to enter the earthly realm.”

“It was not only fame that Kaspar Hauser and Rudolf Steiner shared, but also the common fate of suffering under the methodical campaign of their opponents. From the very beginning, the aim was to divert Hauser from his task―indeed, from his very individuality―through subjecting him to long years of confinement, through the assassination attempt in Nuremberg, and finally the fatal stabbing in the Hofgarten in Ansbach.” ―Peter Selg

We are also able witness Kaspar Hauser’s confirmation ceremony of May 20, 1833, in the Swan Knight Chapel of the Gumbertus Church in Ansbach. Eckart Böhmer, director of the Kaspar Hauser Festival, wrote, “Kaspar Hauser’s confirmation, probably in his 21st year, is possibly the brightest event of his short life.”

This book is a translation from German of the book Schicksals-Weihe. Die Konfirmation Kaspar Hausers (Verlag des Ita Wegman Instituts, Stuttgart, 2018) and chapters 1 & 2 from Das andere Deutschland. Über Friedrich Hölderlin, Kaspar Hauser und Rudolf Steiner (Verlag des Ita Wegman Instituts, Stuttgart, 2016).

 

9781912230976

The Riddle of Dmitri: Considered from historical, psychological and spiritual-scientific viewpoints 

2022

by Sergei O. Prokofieff (Author), Simon Blaxland-de Lange (Translator)

 

9781621483632

The Anthroposophical World Society: and Its School for Spiritual Science 

 2024

by Peter Selg (Author), Douglas E. Miller (Translator)

“When thousands are in the initial vanguard of a movement, these thousands have a higher, more potentized obligation...they have the obligation to practice, in every detail, greater courage, greater energy, greater patience, greater tolerance, and above all greater truthfulness in all things.” ―Rudolf Steiner (Dornach, June 16, 1923)

In light of the centenary of the Christmas Conference 1923/24, Peter Selg has written the four essays published here, which deal, each in its own way, with the past, present, and future of the Anthroposophical Society and its School for Spiritual Science. Selg outlines important historical background to the Christmas Conference, shedding light on the origins of the re-founding of the Society, what necessitated it, and what Rudolf Steiner was hoping to achieve.

Though much good work has been done over the past hundred years, many of the issues that hindered the Society and movement in Steiner’s time still persist today. This book is intended as a call to self-knowledge for members of the Anthroposophical Society, a call to actively take up the work of “furthering the development of the task-centered worldwide Society that Steiner made so clearly visible in 1923.”

Rudolf Steiner’s words, spoken one hundred years ago, retain their power and urgency today: “Try to grow together with the world! That will be the best, the most significant ‘program.’ That cannot be put in our statutes―but we should be able to take it as a flame into our hearts.”

This book is a translation of Die anthroposophische Weltgesellschaft und ihre Hochschule, originally published in German by Verlag am Goetheanum (Dornach, 2023) in collaboration with the General Anthroposophical Section of the School for Spiritual Science.

 

9781782509196

Trust in the Future: Facing Uncertain Times With Confidence 

 2024

by Bastiaan Baan (Author), Philip Mees (Translator)

This inspiring book by esteemed thinker Bastiaan Baan explores how we can cope with an uncertain future.

In this thought-provoking book, Baan explores the many ways in which humanity has tried to predict the future through the ages, from old forms of clairvoyance to more modern methods based on technical expertise. He looks at ancient mythologies, the visionary practices of prophets and shamans, and the sublime if often terrifying images found in the Book of Revelation. Drawing on the work of Rudolf Steiner, he attempts to interpret their imaginative language and identify the impulses at work in present-day humanity.

Baan goes on to argue that while predicting the future may be impossible, how we view events can be just as important, if not more so, than the events themselves. He suggests that adopting a more positive and open attitude can be a necessary first step in taking action.

Trust in the Future will speak to all those who ask themselves 'What can I do?' to build a better future.

 

9781912230358

Alchymy: The Mystery of the Material World 

 2020

by Hermann Beckh (Author)

As a Christian priest, Hermann Beckh was profoundly aware that the mystery of substance―its transmutation in the cosmos and the human being―was a mystical fact to be approached with the greatest reverence, requiring evermore profound scholarship and meditation. He viewed chemistry as a worthy though materialistic science devoid of spirit, whereas the fullness of spiritual–physical nature could be approached by what he liked to call “chymistry” or “alchymy,”thus including a millennium of spiritual tradition.

This book is not limited to the conventional activities of Western alchemy or what can be found in the Bible, although he does unveil hidden riches in these. Nor should Beckh be considered merely as a widely recognized and learned professor with impeccable academic qualifications. Beckh writes on topics such as “Isis,” “the Golden Fleece,” traditional fairytales, and Wagner’s Parsifal in a way that enables the reader to glimpse the Mystery of Substance and to share the writer’s authentic experience of the divine substantia, theliving reality of Christ in the world.

Beckh’s Alchymy establishes a whole new standard and has become his most popular work. This is the first time that it has been translated into English, with updated footnotes, making his ideas and insights accessible to a new readership. This edition features translations of Beckh’s “The New Jerusalem,” in which theology is expressed best in verse; his exemplary essay on “Snowwhite”; observations on “Allerleirauh”; and a substantial excerpt from Gundhild Kacer-Bock’s biography of Beckh.

 

9781782508458

Redemption: Christ's Resurrection and the Future of Humanity 

 2023

by Michael Kientzler (Author)

A thoughtful collection of lectures on the incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ to help readers with their own spiritual development .

Our human consciousness and individuality – and our potential for freedom of choice – is possible because we have a physical body, separate from the spiritual realm. But for human beings to continue to develop, we need to reconnect to the divine world.

The incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ is what makes this reconnection possible. This profound book, a collection of lectures by Christian Community priest Michael Kientzler, discusses this central mystery of Christianity. He explores the nature of resurrection, and how it ultimately leads to human redemption or salvation.

 

9780952836483

Beyond Mainstream Medicine: Dialogue Towards a New Paradigm for Health 

by Thomas Hardtmuth (Author), Richard House (Author)

In Beyond Mainstream Medicine, Dr. Thomas Hardtmuth and Dr. Richard House dive deeply into the very foundations of human wellbeing, exhaustively detailing what is wrong philosophically and clinically with the current prevailing biomedical paradigm of health and disease, how these shortcomings have been highlighted during the Covid crisis, and the changes needed before a radical reestablishment of a genuinely holistic understanding of health, illness, and healing can occur.

"With their publication, Beyond Mainstream Medicine, Thomas Hardtmuth and Richard House have presented a small masterpiece for which one can only be grateful.... Particularly inspiring is the clear description of a necessary paradigm shift in medicine, in which each and every one of us can actively participate. For at the center of this new paradigm for health is the individual human being with his or her special possibilities to strengthen his or her spiritual, emotional, and physical health, and thus his or her complex immune system." --Michaela Glöckler, MD (from her preface)

 

9781855840843

Christian Rosenkreutz: The Mystery, Teaching, and Mission of a Master

by Rudolf Steiner (Author), Andrew J. Welburn (Editor, Introduction)

Through philosophical and scientific training, Rudolf Steiner brought systematic discipline to the field of spiritual research, with fully conscious methods and comprehensive results. A natural seer, he cultivated his spiritual vision to a high degree, enabling him to speak with authority on previously veiled mysteries.

Samples of his work are contained in this book, with edited excerpts from Steiner’s numerous talks and writings on Christian Rosenkreutz.

The Mystery of Christian Rosenkreutz; The Working of Christian Rosenkreutz Today and in the Past; Christian Rosenkreutz as the Guardian of Modern Knowledge; From Ancient to Modern in Rosicrucian Teachings; Christian Rosenkreutz at the “Chymical Wedding”; The Cosmic Mission of Christian Rosenkreutz; The Question of ‘Rosicrucian’ Literature.

 

9780952836452

Corona and the Human Heart: Illuminating Riddles of Immunity, Conscience, and Common Sense 

 2021

by Michaela Glöckler MD (Author), Branko Furst MD (Foreword)

“When people follow their conscience and have the courage to speak the truth, even when it is unpopular, without the fear of stigmatization or exclusion, not only is the immune system strengthened but also people’s trust in the future.” ―Michaela Glöckler, MD

“This timely book represents a breakthrough in phenomenological research that will provide far-reaching insights not only to those who are prompted by the current pandemic to ask deeper questions related to health and medical freedom, but also to all open-minded researchers in pursuit of bridging the mind–body divide.” ―Branko Furst, MD

In Corona and the Human Heart, Dr. Glöckler offers new and inspiring perspectives on the significant role of the human heart in the development of the immune system, from early embryological growth to adulthood, as well as the importance this understanding has for the Covid crisis. The heart is intrinsically involved in the interplay between inner and outer, the dynamic boundary between self and the environment. At the same time, it is the center and lifeblood of the human organism, just as the Sun is for the living Earth.

 

9781915776143

Meeting Michael: Further Communications from Spirit Worlds 

by Are Thoresen 

 

2018

by Yeshayahu (Jesaiah) Ben-Aharon

“Could it not be that a tremendously important event is taking place in the world―taking place right now―of which our own contemporaries have no presentiment? This is indeed so. A highly important event is taking place that is perceptible, but only to spiritual vision.” ―Rudolf Steiner(Jan. 25, 1910)

What if matter is not solid, fixed, and dead, but a living and creative event? Could the concrete stuff of our existence be in the process of development and becoming? Rudolf Steiner predicted that the new Christ event would penetrate and transform all earthly and cosmic matter, life, consciousness, and evolution. Through this event, we have the opportunity to participate in the vortex of creative life. No longer detached, external spectators, we become co-creators in the drama of evolution and in the transformation of human consciousness.

In this original and challenging work, Dr Ben-Aharon describes how this momentous event is expressed in the fields of science, history, philosophy, and art. He relates some of the fresh and creative concepts that have been discovered and applied in the disciplines of physics, biology, genetics, and artificial intelligence. This event, he concludes, leads us to face the central and world historical question of our time:

“One thing is therefore quite certain: the future of the human as we know it is coming to an end. The only question is: What sort of an end is it going to be? Will the end of our purely natural evolution become a technological nightmare ruled forever by AI zombiesorwill it become the beginning of our most creative, humanly most satisfying and exhilarating cosmic adventure ever?” ―Yeshayahu Ben-Aharon