Author : Steiner Rudolf
Title : The gospel of St. John and its relation to the other gospels In relation to the other gospels especially that of St. Luke A course of fourteen lectures given at Cassel 24th june to 7th july, 1909
Year : 1909

Link download : Steiner_Rudolf_-_The_gospel_of_St_John_and_its_relation_to_the_other_gospels.zip

Lecture 1. Cassel, St. John's Day, 1909 My Dear Friends, The celebration of a particular festival on the present day of the year was a custom to which a large portion of aspiring humanity adhered, and it is a matter of importance for the friends of the anthroposophical movement assembled with us in this city that the present series of lectures should begin precisely on midsummer or St. John's Day. As long ago as in ancient Persia a festival known as the ‘Baptism of Fire and Water’ was associated with a day which would roughly correspond to a day in June at the present time. In ancient Rome the festival of Vesta fell on a similar day in June, and that again was a festival of ‘Baptism by Fire’. And if we look back upon European civilization before the spread of Christianity, we again find a June festival which coincided with the time of the year when the days begin to shorten and the nights to lengthen - when the sun begins to lose a part of the strength he lavishes upon all growth and increase on earth. To our European ancestors this June festival appeared as a gradual withdrawal and disappearing of the God Baldur - Baldur who, in their minds, was associated with the Sun. In Christian times this same festival gradually became that of St. John, the forerunner of Christ Jesus. ...