Anthroposophy

Anthroposophy, a philosophy founded by Rudolf Steiner. wiki

"The Austrian-born Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) was the head of the German Theosophical Society from 1902 until 1912, at which time he broke away and formed his Anthroposophical Society. He may have abandoned the divine wisdom for human wisdom, but one of his main motives for leaving the theosophists was that they did not treat Jesus or Christianity as special. Steiner had no problem, however, in accepting such Hindu notions as karma and reincarnation. By 1922 Steiner had established what he called the Christian Community, with its own liturgy and rituals for Anthroposophists. Both the Anthroposophical Society and the Christian Community still exist, though they are separate entities."

Critical Resources

 * Holger Kirchmann, "Biological Dynamic Farming – An Occult Form of Alternative Agriculture?," Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 7 (1994), 173-87.
 * Pernille Kaltoft, "Values about Nature in Organic Farming Practice and Knowledge," Sociologia Ruralis, 39 (1999), 39-53.
 * Lynne Carpenter-Boggs, John Reganold, and Ann Kennedy, "Biodynamic preparations: Short-term effects on crops, soils, and weed populations," American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, 15 (2000), 110-18.
 * Thoughtful article from New Zealand on biodynamics: http://jury.co.nz/tag/organic-gardening/

Examples

 * Angelic Organics - US
 * Biodynamic Agricultural Association
 * Biodynamic Agricultural Association of Southern Africa
 * Biodynamic Land Fund
 * Biointensive Agriculture
 * Hawthorne Valley Association - US
 * Roxbury Farm
 * Stroud Community Agriculture - UK
 * Tablehurst Farm - UK
 * Zinniker Family Farm

Related Organizations

 * Asha Centre
 * Biography and Social Development Trust - UK
 * Blackthorn Medical Centre - UK
 * Camphill Communities
 * Center for Anthroposophy
 * City of Lakes Waldorf School - US
 * Demeter Association - US
 * General Anthroposophical Society
 * Global Network for Social Threefolding
 * Heartbeet
 * Nature Institute - US
 * Nose to Nose - France
 * RSF Social Finance - US
 * Rudolf Steiner Emerson College, Sussex, UK
 * Rudolf Steiner Institute - US
 * Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship - UK
 * South Devon Steiner School - UK
 * Triodos Bank
 * Waldorf Education
 * Weleda

Biographies

 * Peter Selg, Rudolf Steiner: 1861 – 1925 (Verlag des Ita Wegman Instituts, 2012). (reviewed by Ramon Brüll; also criticisms from the News Network Anthroposophy "=1303&cHash=909b882b2a1a53cd770315829c030e69 The new biography of Steiner: real portrait or hagiography?]")
 * Christoph Lindenberg, Rudolf Steiner: a biography (SteinerBooks, 2012). (Peter Staudenmaier refer to this book as "by far the best of the anthroposophist accounts")

Critical Resources

 * Heiner Ullrich, "Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925)", Prospects: the quarterly review of comparative education (Paris, UNESCO: International Bureau of Education), vol.XXIV, no. 3/4, 1994, p. 555-572.
 * Janet Biehl and Peter Staudenmaier, Ecofascism Revisited: Lessons from the German experience (New Compass, 2011). review
 * Heiner Ullrich, Rudolf Steiner (London: Continuum, 2008).
 * Peter Staudenmaier, Between Occultism and Fascism: Anthroposophy and the Politics of Race and Nation in Germany and Italy, 1900-1945, Ph.D. Thesis, Cornell University, August 2010. (see here for critique of his writings)
 * Helmut Zander, Anthroposophy in Germany: Theosophical Worldview and Social Practice 1884-1945 (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht 2007). Reviewed by Peter Staudenmaier.
 * Grégoire Perra, "THE ANTHROPOSOPHICAL INDOCTRINATION OF STUDENTS IN STEINER-WALDORF SCHOOLS", June, 2011.
 * Michael Barker, "Fascism and Anthroposophy", Swans Commentary, October 8, 2012.
 * Peter Staudenmaier, “…out of the frying pan and into the fire”: Rassismus und Geschichtsmetaphysik – Book review by Peter Staudenmaier", Waldorfblog.wordpress, December 22, 2012.
 * Schools of pseudoscience, University of aberdeen and anthroposophical medicine, dr hauschka (article
 * Julian Strube, Vril: Eine okkulte Urkraft in Theosophie und esoterischem Neonazismus (Munich: Fink, 2013).
 * Asbjørn Dyrendal, "Hidden Knowledge, Hidden Powers: Esotericism and Conspiracy Culture" in Egil Asprem and Kennet Granholm, eds., Contemporary Esotericism (Equinox, 2013), pp.200-25.

Anthroposophist elaborations on Conspiracy Theories

 * Rudolf Steiner, Secret Brotherhoods and the Mystery of the Human Double (London: Rudolf Steiner Press, 2004).
 * Rudolf Steiner, The Karma of Untruthfulness: Secret Societies, the Media, and Preparations for the Great War (London: Rudolf Steiner Press, 2005).
 * Rudolf Steiner, What Is Necessary in These Urgent Times (London: Rudolf Steiner Press, 2010).
 * Amnon Reuveni, In the Name of the 'New World Order': Manifestations of Decadent Powers in World Politics (Temple Lodge, 1996).
 * Terry Boardman, Mapping the Millennium, Behind the Plans of the New World Order (Temple Lodge, 1998).
 * Terry Boardman, "Anthroposophy and the Question of Conspiracy in Modern History", New View, March 2000, 42-45
 * Sevak Gulbekian, "Brothers of the Shadows: A Perspective on Conspiracies," New Dawn, September 2004, 7-13.
 * Thomas Meyer, Reality, Truth and Evil: Facts, Questions and Perspectives on September 11, 2001 (Temple Lodge, 2005).

Related Sourcewatch

 * Anthroposophic Medicine
 * Theosophy
 * Franklin G. Cain
 * Maria Thun