11. On the Essence of Christianity

GA 68a/1905-01-23/p004 ·1905-01-23 · English High

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The Theosophical worldview is completely and utterly serious about finding the essence of all religions, the crucial point that nourishes every heart in which the unified truth of all religions is present. How could it be possible that the religion through which a revolution in the whole cultural trend has taken place – Christianity – would be diminished by Theosophy? On the contrary, Theosophy opens our insight into the deeper truths of Christianity. Theosophy is accused of being Buddhism. It is true that it was the first to find the essence of this religion, but the deeper the researchers into comparative religion have penetrated, the deeper they have also grasped the truths of Christianity. The books 'Esoteric Christianity' by Annie Besant and 'Christianity as Mystical Fact' by Rudolf Steiner bear witness to this. Christianity has a hard fight on its hands. Materialism, whose high tide was in the 1870s, drove people away from the church. On the other hand, Theosophy leads back to Christianity. In a peculiar way, the scientific spirit, which did not feel satisfied in popular Christianity and was therefore repelled, is calmed by the theosophical explanations, returns to it and begins to understand it.

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Cite: GA 68a/1905-01-23/p004 · edition English