Christian initiation and Freedom

[AshvinP]

I was reading the lecture "Two paintings by Raphael". We know the first painting, the School of Athens, from a previous thread, and I thought the second one, The Disputation of the Holy Sacrament, fits well in this discussion.

The two paintings have to be studied together one after the other. They are an expression of what happened from the pre-Christian age down to the later part of the Middle Ages, and they express it in artistic form. Just imagine how great and mighty must have been the impression made upon a really sensitive soul who saw these pictures, first one and then the other, and said to himself: “I am myself inter woven into this onward path of Wisdom, which mankind follows in the course of evolution; I am part of it, I belong to the march of events as it is shown in these pictures.” For the man who understood the sense of evolution in those days really felt this.

That is a great little lecture, Federica, thanks for sharing.

As he said, there is so much depth of moral feeling and Wisdom revealed through Raphael's paintings. Perhaps the following from Tomberg will also provide some helpful feeling context for the 'Disputa'. It is taken from the letter in MoT on the Arcanum of The Judgment.

The last judgement will be the last crisis. The Greek word for judgement is krisis (κρίσις), i.e. crisis. Friedrich Schiller said rightly that “the history of the world is the judgement of the world”, i.e. it is a continual crisis, the stages of which are “historical epochs”. The last judgement will therefore be the culminating point of history. It will be simultaneously the aim, the meaning and the summary of history—history condensed, i.e. the crisis that is in question in all the particular crises of history. For this reason Jesus Christ, who is the moral and spiritual centre of gravity of history, will be present there. The second coming will be the objective manifestation of the stake of history. In this sense Jesus Christ will be the “judge” at the last judgement. His presence alone will set in relief all that which is not like him, all that which is incompatible with him for the awakened conscience.

But he will not restrict himself to being present; he will participate in the last judgement and will take an active part, namely that of judge. But he will judge in his own way: he will not accuse, he will not condemn, and he will not impose punishments—rather, he will give forces to souls undergoing the trial that the awakening of conscience and complete memory entails. Christ’s judgement is the comforting of those who judge themselves and his eternal commandment addressed to those who judge others is: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone…” (John via, 7). It is thus that Jesus Christ judged during his life, thus that he judges now, and thus that he will judge at the last judgement.

[Federica]

I was reading the lecture "Two paintings by Raphael". We know the first painting, the School of Athens, from a previous thread, and I thought the second one, The Disputation of the Holy Sacrament, fits well in this discussion.

The two paintings have to be studied together one after the other. They are an expression of what happened from the pre-Christian age down to the later part of the Middle Ages, and they express it in artistic form. Just imagine how great and mighty must have been the impression made upon a really sensitive soul who saw these pictures, first one and then the other, and said to himself: “I am myself inter woven into this onward path of Wisdom, which mankind follows in the course of evolution; I am part of it, I belong to the march of events as it is shown in these pictures.” For the man who understood the sense of evolution in those days really felt this.

That is a great little lecture, Federica, thanks for sharing.

As he said, there is so much depth of moral feeling and Wisdom revealed through Raphael's paintings. Perhaps the following from Tomberg will also provide some helpful feeling context for the 'Disputa'. It is taken from the letter in MoT on the Arcanum of The Judgment.

The last judgement will be the last crisis. The Greek word for judgement is krisis (κρίσις), i.e. crisis. Friedrich Schiller said rightly that “the history of the world is the judgement of the world”, i.e. it is a continual crisis, the stages of which are “historical epochs”. The last judgement will therefore be the culminating point of history. It will be simultaneously the aim, the meaning and the summary of history—history condensed, i.e. the crisis that is in question in all the particular crises of history. For this reason Jesus Christ, who is the moral and spiritual centre of gravity of history, will be present there. The second coming will be the objective manifestation of the stake of history. In this sense Jesus Christ will be the “judge” at the last judgement. His presence alone will set in relief all that which is not like him, all that which is incompatible with him for the awakened conscience.

But he will not restrict himself to being present; he will participate in the last judgement and will take an active part, namely that of judge. But he will judge in his own way: he will not accuse, he will not condemn, and he will not impose punishments—rather, he will give forces to souls undergoing the trial that the awakening of conscience and complete memory entails. Christ’s judgement is the comforting of those who judge themselves and his eternal commandment addressed to those who judge others is: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone…” (John via, 7). It is thus that Jesus Christ judged during his life, thus that he judges now, and thus that he will judge at the last judgement.

Thanks, Ashvin. This view surely provide helpful context and comforting.
I have a question: speaking of the second coming, why does Tomberg say "Jesus Christ" and not "Christ"?

[AshvinP]

I was reading the lecture "Two paintings by Raphael". We know the first painting, the School of Athens, from a previous thread, and I thought the second one, The Disputation of the Holy Sacrament, fits well in this discussion.

That is a great little lecture, Federica, thanks for sharing.

As he said, there is so much depth of moral feeling and Wisdom revealed through Raphael's paintings. Perhaps the following from Tomberg will also provide some helpful feeling context for the 'Disputa'. It is taken from the letter in MoT on the Arcanum of The Judgment.

The last judgement will be the last crisis. The Greek word for judgement is krisis (κρίσις), i.e. crisis. Friedrich Schiller said rightly that “the history of the world is the judgement of the world”, i.e. it is a continual crisis, the stages of which are “historical epochs”. The last judgement will therefore be the culminating point of history. It will be simultaneously the aim, the meaning and the summary of history—history condensed, i.e. the crisis that is in question in all the particular crises of history. For this reason Jesus Christ, who is the moral and spiritual centre of gravity of history, will be present there. The second coming will be the objective manifestation of the stake of history. In this sense Jesus Christ will be the “judge” at the last judgement. His presence alone will set in relief all that which is not like him, all that which is incompatible with him for the awakened conscience.

But he will not restrict himself to being present; he will participate in the last judgement and will take an active part, namely that of judge. But he will judge in his own way: he will not accuse, he will not condemn, and he will not impose punishments—rather, he will give forces to souls undergoing the trial that the awakening of conscience and complete memory entails. Christ’s judgement is the comforting of those who judge themselves and his eternal commandment addressed to those who judge others is: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone…” (John via, 7). It is thus that Jesus Christ judged during his life, thus that he judges now, and thus that he will judge at the last judgement.

Thanks, Ashvin. This view surely provide helpful context and comforting.
I have a question: speaking of the second coming, why does Tomberg say "Jesus Christ" and not "Christ"?

Federica,

The Divine Christ bring was eternally united with the Earthly-human personality of Jesus through the MoG. It is interesting to note the name Jesus was not given by the parents out of their own will, but through God himself. Esoterically, the "name" always denotes a personality's spiritual mission. In a sense, the Name of Christ Jesus denotes the whole ecology of missions to be taken up by human souls.

"She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

Christ is not only united with the immortalized sheaths of the Earth and of Jesus, but continues to also work through the invidualities of the Master Jesus and his apostles from age to age. As you know, what happened through the Christ events is also a prefigurement of what becomes progressively possible for all human personalities-individuals over the stages of spiritual evolution, led through the new impulses transmitted by these lofty individualities. Our Earthly personalities become more and more the perfect image of our Divine individuality, and the Earth itself a more perfect image of the whole Cosmos.

We could say all the prophetic events of Christianity - the second coming, the last judgment, the final Resurrection, etc. - are both progressively unfolding stages of our Solar evolution and one-off events at the culmination of that evolution. That even fits with the understanding of spiritual science, in so far as every new incarnation, epoch, age, aeon, etc. recapitulates all the past stages of the evolution before the truly new unfolds. At the very end of our Solar evolution, we could say there will come a single moment when the truly new unfolds, when the realm of time passes into that of eternity.

Does that generally address the question?

[Federica]

That is a great little lecture, Federica, thanks for sharing.

As he said, there is so much depth of moral feeling and Wisdom revealed through Raphael's paintings. Perhaps the following from Tomberg will also provide some helpful feeling context for the 'Disputa'. It is taken from the letter in MoT on the Arcanum of The Judgment.

Thanks, Ashvin. This view surely provide helpful context and comforting.
I have a question: speaking of the second coming, why does Tomberg say "Jesus Christ" and not "Christ"?

Federica,

The Divine Christ bring was eternally united with the Earthly-human personality of Jesus through the MoG. It is interesting to note the name Jesus was not given by the parents out of their own will, but through God himself. Esoterically, the "name" always denotes a personality's spiritual mission. In a sense, the Name of Christ Jesus denotes the whole ecology of missions to be taken up by human souls.

"She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

Christ is not only united with the immortalized sheaths of the Earth and of Jesus, but continues to also work through the invidualities of the Master Jesus and his apostles from age to age. As you know, what happened through the Christ events is also a prefigurement of what becomes progressively possible for all human personalities-individuals over the stages of spiritual evolution, led through the new impulses transmitted by these lofty individualities. Our Earthly personalities become more and more the perfect image of our Divine individuality, and the Earth itself a more perfect image of the whole Cosmos.

We could say all the prophetic events of Christianity - the second coming, the last judgment, the final Resurrection, etc. - are both progressively unfolding stages of our Solar evolution and one-off events at the culmination of that evolution. That even fits with the understanding of spiritual science, in so far as every new incarnation, epoch, age, aeon, etc. recapitulates all the past stages of the evolution before the truly new unfolds. At the very end of our Solar evolution, we could say there will come a single moment when the truly new unfolds, when the realm of time passes into that of eternity.

Does that generally address the question?

Yes, Ashvin, it does, thank you. I am reminded in a concrete way that I haven't even scratched the surface of a real understanding of the Christ events.

It's interesting what you say on the name always denoting a personality's spiritual mission. After posting my question, I have gone on reading von Halle's "Rudolf Steiner - Master of the White Lodge". It's reported how not only RS's date of birth, but also all his three given names where mistakenly recorded in the birth register at the municipality of birth, and what this disturbance has meant, for the individuality of Rudolf Steiner, and at a much larger scale as well.

[AshvinP]

Thanks, Ashvin. This view surely provide helpful context and comforting.
I have a question: speaking of the second coming, why does Tomberg say "Jesus Christ" and not "Christ"?

Federica,

The Divine Christ bring was eternally united with the Earthly-human personality of Jesus through the MoG. It is interesting to note the name Jesus was not given by the parents out of their own will, but through God himself. Esoterically, the "name" always denotes a personality's spiritual mission. In a sense, the Name of Christ Jesus denotes the whole ecology of missions to be taken up by human souls.

"She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

Christ is not only united with the immortalized sheaths of the Earth and of Jesus, but continues to also work through the invidualities of the Master Jesus and his apostles from age to age. As you know, what happened through the Christ events is also a prefigurement of what becomes progressively possible for all human personalities-individuals over the stages of spiritual evolution, led through the new impulses transmitted by these lofty individualities. Our Earthly personalities become more and more the perfect image of our Divine individuality, and the Earth itself a more perfect image of the whole Cosmos.

We could say all the prophetic events of Christianity - the second coming, the last judgment, the final Resurrection, etc. - are both progressively unfolding stages of our Solar evolution and one-off events at the culmination of that evolution. That even fits with the understanding of spiritual science, in so far as every new incarnation, epoch, age, aeon, etc. recapitulates all the past stages of the evolution before the truly new unfolds. At the very end of our Solar evolution, we could say there will come a single moment when the truly new unfolds, when the realm of time passes into that of eternity.

Does that generally address the question?

Yes, Ashvin, it does, thank you. I am reminded in a concrete way that I haven't even scratched the surface of a real understanding of the Christ events.

It's interesting what you say on the name always denoting a personality's spiritual mission. After posting my question, I have gone on reading von Halle's "Rudolf Steiner - Master of the White Lodge". It's reported how not only RS's date of birth, but also all his three given names where mistakenly recorded in the birth register at the municipality of birth, and what this disturbance has meant, for the individuality of Rudolf Steiner, and at a much larger scale as well.

I was also reminded of that when I attended the Divine Liturgy at a Greek Orthodox church yesterday. There is such deep symbolism in all the rites, prayers, gestures, etc. that are mostly lost on me, although I could form dim intuitions about some of it.

That's interesting about Steiner's names - I had not come across that before. Do you know if that text is available anywhere online or only in print?

[Federica]

Federica,

The Divine Christ bring was eternally united with the Earthly-human personality of Jesus through the MoG. It is interesting to note the name Jesus was not given by the parents out of their own will, but through God himself. Esoterically, the "name" always denotes a personality's spiritual mission. In a sense, the Name of Christ Jesus denotes the whole ecology of missions to be taken up by human souls.

"She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

Christ is not only united with the immortalized sheaths of the Earth and of Jesus, but continues to also work through the invidualities of the Master Jesus and his apostles from age to age. As you know, what happened through the Christ events is also a prefigurement of what becomes progressively possible for all human personalities-individuals over the stages of spiritual evolution, led through the new impulses transmitted by these lofty individualities. Our Earthly personalities become more and more the perfect image of our Divine individuality, and the Earth itself a more perfect image of the whole Cosmos.

We could say all the prophetic events of Christianity - the second coming, the last judgment, the final Resurrection, etc. - are both progressively unfolding stages of our Solar evolution and one-off events at the culmination of that evolution. That even fits with the understanding of spiritual science, in so far as every new incarnation, epoch, age, aeon, etc. recapitulates all the past stages of the evolution before the truly new unfolds. At the very end of our Solar evolution, we could say there will come a single moment when the truly new unfolds, when the realm of time passes into that of eternity.

Does that generally address the question?

Yes, Ashvin, it does, thank you. I am reminded in a concrete way that I haven't even scratched the surface of a real understanding of the Christ events.

It's interesting what you say on the name always denoting a personality's spiritual mission. After posting my question, I have gone on reading von Halle's "Rudolf Steiner - Master of the White Lodge". It's reported how not only RS's date of birth, but also all his three given names where mistakenly recorded in the birth register at the municipality of birth, and what this disturbance has meant, for the individuality of Rudolf Steiner, and at a much larger scale as well.

I was also reminded of that when I attended the Divine Liturgy at a Greek Orthodox church yesterday. There is such deep symbolism in all the rites, prayers, gestures, etc. that are mostly lost on me, although I could form dim intuitions about some of it.

That's interesting about Steiner's names - I had not come across that before. Do you know if that text is available anywhere online or only in print?

Oh, I can imagine that attending a physical event with others, within a suitable community, can bring a wealth of new insights to the question.

Regarding von Halles book, as far as I know it's only available in print, German edition. In that passage, it says that adversarial forces were powerfully unleashed, in an attempt to thwart the birth and development of Anthroposophy by directly attacking the person of RS and the unfolding of his karma as per his life plan. So the true date of February 25 was recorded as 27, and the given names - Rudolf Josef Lorenz - were falsified in the birth register as Adolphus Josephus Laurentius. This led to various direct and less direct issues during RS's whole life, and also offered his detractors a chance to easily discredit his legacy by pointing to the supposed inconsistencies in his statements about this ambiguous date of birth, in short allowing them to suggest that his life had started with a lie.

At a much bigger level, the partly successful attempts to interfere with the plans of the good spiritual intents led to very serious consequences, that JVH links to the fact that the threefold social order was not implemented in the world, which the author connects to the subsequent ascent of National Socialism in Germany, and related well-known tragic world events.