The Rudolf Steiner Archive

14. Question and Answer

Question: What is Christianity's stance on the doctrine of reincarnation? Why is it not officially taught? How did Christianity come to avoid addressing this issue?

[ 1 ] Rudolf Steiner: This is connected to the evolution of the human race. In ancient times, four thousand years before our era, all people knew this. The ancient Egyptian slaves, who were forced to build the pyramids under cruel overseers, found comfort in this knowledge. In Christ’s time, this awareness was still very much alive. On Mount Tabor, Christ Jesus forbade his innermost disciples from speaking of reincarnation for the next two thousand years. “On the mountain” means “in the innermost sanctuary.” The disciples wanted to “build huts” there, which signifies the second degree of chelaship, discipleship. By appearing transfigured with Elijah and Moses, Jesus revealed to them the continuity of life.

[ 2 ] Elijah—El = the Way; Moses = the Truth; Jesus = the Life! And they then saw Jesus alone, who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6), all in one person. Then he said, “Tell no one until I return.” Christ will return when humanity has advanced one step further in its development. The mystics were well aware of all this. Today’s humanity, having passed through external Christianity, has found its bliss in the person of Jesus Christ. In the sixth sub-race, this will be different. Angelus Silesius already says:

[ 3 ] And even if Christ were born a thousand times in Bethlehem, but not within you, you would still be lost for all eternity.

[ 4 ] The wooden cross cannot save you from evil unless it is also raised up within you.

[ 5 ] Only when Christ has become a living reality within us can He reappear in another form.

[ 6 ] Were it not for the sun-like eye,

[ 7 ] It could never see the sun,

[ 8 ] If God's own power were not within us,

[ 9 ] How can the divine delight us? (Goethe).

[ 10 ] Thus, a person can see Christ in the world—where He is to be seen—only when he himself has become Christ-like. Until then, the teaching should not be taught. Why should this be so? Christianity is universal; it is meant to permeate all of life. If life between earthly lives were to be sanctified, it would also have to sanctify earthly life. In order to recognize the importance of the sanctity of lower earthly life, every effort had to be made to sanctify it; therefore, the human race was once to pass through the many earthly lives without being aware of their repetition. This has now been achieved for many.

[ 11 ] It is fundamentally wrong to conclude from this that the torments of hell are eternal. By going through a single life without knowledge of reincarnation, human beings are meant to learn to take life seriously. It is assumed that reincarnation occurs for every soul after 1,500 to 2,000 years, and that during this period, all human souls have likely gone through such an earthly life without knowledge of repeated earthly lives at least once. And so the time has now come for this teaching to be proclaimed anew.

[ 12 ] Jesus fulfills his will. He said:

[ 13 ] “Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:20)

[ 14 ] He has guided His Christian people through the darkness thus far; now He is allowing the doctrine to shine forth again, just when Christianity was in danger of becoming stagnant. This doctrine, which is new to many, is meant to set old Christianity in motion again; it will bear new blossoms and fruits if it takes up the doctrine once more. This is an ideal that can likely only be realized gradually. Once the teaching is understood and accepted as a theory, it will not be long before we hear theosophical concepts and ideas proclaimed from the pulpits. Theosophy will infuse everything old with new, fresh life, and when it no longer stands out or appears as something special, then it will have rendered itself superfluous as a teaching.