The Rudolf Steiner Archive

11. On the Essence of Christianity

[ 1 ] The proponents of the theosophical worldview face an uphill battle. This worldview is accused of making impossible claims when it asserts that it can provide a deeper understanding of religion, science, philosophy, and ethics. This naturally raises the question: Does the Theosophical worldview also deepen our understanding and perception of Christianity?

[ 2 ] The Theosophical worldview is entirely and earnestly committed to discovering the essence of all religions—the crux that nourishes every heart, in which the unified truth of all religions is present. How, then, could it be possible that the religion through which a revolution in the entire cultural current has taken place—Christianity—would be diminished by theosophy? On the contrary, theosophy opens our eyes to the deeper truths of that very religion. Theosophy is accused of being Buddhism. It is true that it [theosophy] may well have first identified the essential core of this religion in particular; but the deeper researchers in comparative religion have delved, the more deeply they have also grasped the truths of Christianity. The books Esoteric Christianity by Annie Besant and Christianity as a Mystical Fact by Rudolf Steiner bear witness to this. Christianity has a hard struggle ahead. Materialism, whose floodwaters surged in the 1870s, drove people away from the Church. On the other hand, Theosophy leads back to Christianity. In a peculiar way, the scientific mind—which was dissatisfied with conventional Christianity and was consequently repelled by it—is reassured by theosophical explanations, returns to Christianity, and begins to understand it.

[ 3 ] It is helpful to first study the fundamentals of religion in the ancient Indian, Egyptian, Greek, and Jewish religions, and only then to turn to Christianity. There one will find that the symbolism has remained the same throughout the ages, and that the Spirit has always provided answers to the questions of the people living at that time. Recent theology is unable to grasp the true spirit of Christianity, since it is too deeply mired in materialism. The insights it provides are unsatisfactory for both the religious and the scientific mind. Others say: The doctrine it presents says nothing new; the very same thing has been taught throughout the ages. From another perspective, it is emphasized that in Christianity, what matters most is the person of the founder of this religion. That is correct. Let us compare the other founders of religions with Him. Take Buddha and so on—Moses, Muhammad. Their teachings were, in part, equally sublime, but they did not want their persons to be worshiped: they regarded themselves merely as messengers called to proclaim supernatural truths to the world. Christ should be viewed somewhat differently. It is not what he taught that matters. He himself wrote down none of his teachings, and the teachings handed down to us by his disciples contain nothing truly new—and yet something entirely different: he himself is the center of religious creeds.

[ 4 ] The scientific justification for the distinction between Christianity and the other major religions is only possible through theosophical-scientific studies. In early Christian times, there were Christian mystery schools where the deeper mysteries of the Kingdom of God were taught. These esoteric schools complemented the exoteric proclamation of Christianity, which was intended for the uninitiated. The writings of the early Church teachers and Fathers attest to the fact that there were men at that time who possessed higher knowledge.

[ 5 ] Today, it is often emphasized that Jesus of Nazareth was a simple man who knew how to speak to the crowds in a down-to-earth way. Theologians also emphasize, with regard to Paul, that he spoke from a primal, elemental force. But there are two kinds of simplicity. One speaks simply because he himself is a simple person who has nothing more to offer. Another kind of simplicity is that of a wise person who has regained it after delving into all the depths of wisdom while preserving his simplicity. In the end, at the goal, all wisdom is transformed into simplicity; ultimately, one speaks simply. This second way of speaking possesses a magical power. See for yourself. Read Clement of Alexandria or Origen—only those who know things that are not of this world speak in this way. And they owe this to the higher knowledge they acquired in the mystery schools; there, one learns to speak simply. Now the person is filled with the magical power that fills the mind and heart with spiritual life, with the fire of the Spirit.

[ 6 ] And these enlightened ones, known to us by various names—especially as Gnostics—applied all the wisdom they had attained, all their knowledge, to answering a single question: to solve the mystery of Christianity. In these secret schools, all sciences were taught—the natural sciences as well as mathematics and so on. And at the pinnacle of their studies, their entire arsenal was devoted to answering the question: What is the significance of the appearance of Jesus Christ?—Everything was brought to bear to explain this. And today, nothing is considered too simple or too plain to explain this. Back then, when people were still so much closer to the source, nothing was considered too lofty to fathom the depths of the mystery. And the mystery to be solved culminates in the question: Who, then, was this Jesus Christ? — Back then, people felt one had to be mature to understand; one had to wait before rendering a final, conclusive judgment, so as not to pass it without wisdom. First, one must possess the wisdom in mind and heart that enlightens reason and enables it to attain a clear understanding.

[ 7 ] The materialistic worldview is incapable of penetrating the essence of Christianity. Through mere faith in the written word—which is subject to historical-critical scholarship—these documents of Christianity, it is impossible to penetrate to the very heart of Christ. The first three Gospels, which recount the story of Jesus of Nazareth, were written long, long after his sacrificial death. Centuries had passed since then. Nothing has been preserved from the time [in which] Jesus lived. Why not? Because the individual facts are not what matters in the first place; they are not of such outstanding importance. If we cannot resolve the question in this way—by examining the facts—how, then, can we possibly arrive at a solution to the mystery?

[ 8 ] There is yet another way to arrive at Jesus of Nazareth. There are revelations that the soul discovers as it comes to know the mysteries of nature. All mystics bear witness to this. We are told, for instance, that someone once replied mockingly to Johann Ruysbroek—a famous fourteenth-century mystic—in response to his teaching: “Hey, Master, you speak as if you had been with Adam in Paradise.” — To which Ruysbroek replied: “Indeed, I was there.” — Angelus Silesius says in his Cherubic Pilgrim:

[ 9 ] If Christ is born a thousand times in Bethlehem but not within you, you will remain lost for all eternity.

[ 10 ] The cross of Golgotha cannot redeem you from evil unless it is also raised up within you.

[ 11 ] It does not help us to provide proof of Christ’s existence in the same way that one provides proof of a cow’s existence. All mystics agree on this: You must experience Christ within yourselves.

[ 12 ] For materialism, nothing counts except what it can perceive with its five senses; therefore, what theosophy presents seems fantastical to it. We humans are too accustomed to relying solely on our senses. With these external senses, we will never be able to grasp or understand Christ. But there are powers slumbering within the human being that enable him to develop [more refined] sensory organs within himself, which in turn enable him to perceive higher things. The ancient Gnostics and the early Church Fathers possessed such an ability, such [higher] sensory organs, and they—along with the mystics of the 13th and 14th centuries—bear witness, from their very own experience of the higher human being, that they have experienced Christ within themselves as a mystical reality. That means something. The first condition for understanding what happened on Golgotha is to experience Christ within one’s own soul. And that is the significance of the Theosophical Movement: that there are people—men and women—who are instructed in the truth of Christianity through their own experience; they have had the practical experience of inner realization and can therefore speak of it in this way.

[ 13 ] The center of Christianity is the person of Jesus Christ. That is the positive core of truth. Not his teachings, but his person; not the Good News proclaimed by his disciples, but the fact that they heard his voice and were in personal communion with him—this is what enabled them to speak with such fervor. All other explanations fall short of accounting for the unique phenomenon that, through the appearance of Jesus Christ, the world was renewed. Theological doctrines do not provide sufficient insight into this. Theosophy brings us closer to understanding by deepening the theological perspective. Those who delve into its teachings will find that they have always existed, but they were not taught publicly; rather, they were taught in secret temples, where disciples were instructed and initiated by priests and sages.

[ 14 ] What was taught there? It was proclaimed how the Divinity poured itself into the world, how evolution unfolded through the mineral, plant, and animal kingdoms until humanity could emerge—in whom God lives. How this gradually comes about—that was what was taught. And to truly experience this within oneself—that was the goal, the purpose of the instruction. Whoever had experienced God within themselves was ready for the initiation; they were initiated into the profound mysteries of divine wisdom; they received a new name; they could “be sealed,” that is, they received citizenship in heaven, citizenship in the spiritual world. He received the new name, “which only the one who receives it knew.”

[ 15 ] The Apostle Paul was such an initiate; otherwise, he could not have spoken as he did. Great wisdom is needed to understand how the world came into being. And this wisdom can only be attained from the one in whom the Word, the Logos, is alive. When He speaks, His Word is light and life. To describe the creation of the world, the symbol of outflow is used. Through the outflow of the Divinity and its inflow into matter, vibrations are generated through which the world comes into being. Through the outflow of the Logos, the world has come into being; indeed, it is the Logos made manifest. The wisdom of the Logos governs and animates the world.

[ 16 ] There are three who bear witness in heaven: the Father, the

[ 17 ] the Son (the Word) and the Holy Spirit;

[ 18 ] And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit (the

[ 19 ] wisdom), the water, and the blood—and these three are in agreement. (1 John 5:7–8)

[ 20 ] The knowledge of wisdom was to flow into the human heart, into one’s very being; the preparatory schools served this purpose. In the act of initiation, the student was “immersed in wisdom.” If he had previously lived in the light of the flames, he was now immersed in the “Fire”; he received the “Word” that lives in wisdom. Whoever knows anything of this transformation is filled with a different spirit than before, before he had beheld the Mysteries. He can now proclaim the living Word that he has beheld in the Mysteries.

[ 21 ] Here we must warn against a prejudice that one must guard against. In ancient times, just as in the present, one could be tested in all kinds of wisdom; the philosophical schools in Alexandria, for example, offered a wealth of wisdom, but there was no experience to be had there that filled this wisdom with life. This life could only be attained through the path of Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection. After the appearance of Jesus Christ, it became possible to attain this life outside the mysteries of antiquity.

[ 22 ] The appearance of Jesus Christ is a historical fact. In the Mysteries, “death” was enacted through a deep sleep, of a different kind than ordinary sleep. The initiate truly experienced a kind of dying and resurrection. The great tragedy then unfolded publicly as a real event through the death and resurrection of Christ. The rituals in the Mystery temples were merely a reflection of this great event. The prophets, who were initiates of the Mysteries, lived with the hope that what they had seen in the temples as prefigurations might one day be fulfilled in reality. And what they communicated to the world of their Messianic hopes was a part of what had filtered through from what they had received in the secret schools. The new thing that Jesus brings is the saying: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29)—namely, to see what was shown in the mysteries. Now those who merely believed were to be able to attain blessedness. Anyone who understands something of the essence of Christianity knows what it means to experience Christ within oneself. Before Christ’s death on the cross, this experience was possible only within the mysteries; after it, anyone who believes can experience it. An experience such as the one Paul had on the road to Damascus was not possible before the appearance of Christ in the flesh. The spiritual Christ appeared to him; now he could bear witness to that life.

[ 23 ] Buddha, Zoroaster, and so on were the founders of their religions, and anyone who professed their teachings was their follower. Christ was not the founder of his religion; he was its object. He filled humanity with himself. Paul experienced this in a special way. He is proof of the existence of the living Christ. Christianity is a mystical reality. The new thing it brings is the fact that human nature is transformed. Therefore, the Son of Man is the center of Christianity. That is the core of its message. We also find this wisdom in other religions. The story of the Buddha concludes with the Transfiguration. With Jesus Christ, the tragedy of the crucifixion and the resurrection is added. This must be linked to the life of the Buddha in order to understand the whole. Christ said of himself:

[ 24 ] I am the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6)

[ 25 ] The other great religious founders could only say of themselves: “I am the way and the truth.” — They stood on a high mountain, where they beheld the truth, and from there they proclaimed that truth to the people. Jesus descended from the mountain into life; he came down to preach.

[ 26 ] The divine Word of Creation walked upon the earth; this was something other than the mere proclamation of the descent of the Logos.

[ 27 ] [And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.] (John 1:14)

[ 28 ] He is the Word made flesh. We come to understand this by comparing it with the teachings of other religions. The deeper we delve into the understanding of all religions, the more we find the same teachings in them. But the immense difference between Christianity and all other religions is that, through Christ’s self-sacrifice, we have been granted direct communion with the Logos made flesh.

[ 29 ] If what took place in the mysteries had been applied to the life of Jesus, one would have arrived much sooner at a correct understanding of his person and, consequently, of Christianity. Now it was made possible for people to “believe without seeing” (John 20:29)—that is, without having seen what was shown in the mystery schools.

[ 30 ] Theosophy now has the task of fostering individuals within Christianity who can bear witness, from their own experience, to what they have seen and experienced. Only those who have experienced Christ within themselves can attain true knowledge. It is not easy for Christians today to come to terms with these perspectives, which are new to them. They are in the same situation as the scholars of the Middle Ages were with regard to worldly wisdom, when Aristotle was regarded as the sole authority. When Galileo, through his own observations of life, had arrived at conclusions about the nature and function of the heart and blood circulation that were entirely different from Aristotle’s, he shared these discoveries with a friend. The friend had the matter explained to him, found it plausible, but then rejected this new idea outright, arguing that it could not be true, for Aristotle had described the matter quite differently—and Aristotle alone was right. The situation is very similar with today’s literalist approach to religion, as opposed to a faith based on one’s own direct observation. Religious truths can be verified through one’s own observation just as, today, the entire field of natural science is based on its own direct research and not on a literalist belief in the written traditions of earlier researchers. Only those facts observed in nature are accepted; the facts themselves are allowed to speak. What Theosophy teaches regarding the soul is based on the direct perception of spiritual processes through one’s own direct observation. Thus, Theosophy bears witness to the essence of Christianity. Its mission is to create witnesses who can perceive through direct observation.