Journal for Anthroposophy 1966 no. 3 Spring

              Journal for Anthroposophy
Published twice a year by the Anthroposophical Society in America for its members and friends Henry Barnes, Editor
All communications should be addressed to the editor, 211 Madison Avenue, New York, N. Y. 10016. Copyrights
and all other rights are reserved by the Council of the Anthroposophical Society in America. Responsibility for the contents of the articles contained herein attaches only to the writers.
Number 3
Spring, 1966
CONTENTS
RUDOLF STEINER’S THEOSOPHY AND THE
THEOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT ...............Henry B. Monges
STEINER’S GOETHEANUM .....................Ilse Meissner Reese
STATE FUNERAL ....................................................Albert Steffen
THE SIX EXERCISES ................................................Hans Pusch
CRYSTAL ........................................................................Swain Pratt
THE FUTURE MISSION
OF THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE.................Sonia Tomara Clark
NEW TASKS ARISE
FOR BIO-DYNAMIC RESEARCH ..............Herbert Koepf
THE SO-CALLED EVIL:
AGGRESSION IN NATURE ..................Andreas Suchantke
LIFE OF SRI AUROBINDO GHOSE............Ruth Hofrichter
TELEVISION:
A TEACHER SPEAKS OUT .......................Barbara Francis
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
RUDOLF STEINER’S THEOSOPHY AND THE THEOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT
Henry B. Monges
From the forties of the last century to the beginning of this one, there occurred the greatest period of materialism that ever swept over the civilized earth. During that time the desperate struggle took place between orthodox Christianity and the new materialistic natural science, for the first time conscious of its power — the so-called war between the
Church and Science, with an overwhelming victory for the latter.
To meet and offset this materializing of human existence, strong spiritual movements arose, directed by unseen powers. All manner of cults sprang up, each claiming guidance by supersensible intelligences.
In spite of the ridicule cast upon all seekers for the spirit in these new movements, the spiritual world spoke to man with ever increasing power. The most significant and genuine of these movements, especially for the Western peoples -- English and American —- was the one culminating in the Theosophical Society, which had come into being through the activities of Madame H. P. Blavatsky, and had extended its influence into all the countries of the civilized world. “Theosophy" was indeed a strange word in those early days, and against it and all that it represented anathema was pro­nounced by both Church and Science, for once united against a common foe — Madame Blavatsky — who in turn blasted them both with ridicule and scorn in her two large volumes, Isis Unveiled. Although Madame Blavatsky was skilled in invective and did not hesitate to use it effectively when at­tacked, she also had at her disposal an enormous supply of useful material to support her contention: that the ma­terialism of science had invaded the churches and effaced to a large degree whatever spirituality they still possessed in their decadent state at the end of the nineteenth century. She declared that both Church and Science were leading mankind on false paths which could only end in the failure of civilization. One must admit that much that she foresaw and forecast has actually come to pass.