Deeper Secrets of Human Evolution in Light of the Gospels

12 lectures, various cities, Oct. 11 – Dec. 26, 1909 (CW 117)

“The personality who received the Christ Being into himself in his thirtieth year is a complex entelechy. Only on the basis of the Akashic Record can an accurate view be gained as to why the life of Jesus is so diversely presented in the various Gospels...”
―Rudolf Steiner

Previously untranslated, this collection of twelve lectures represents a middle point in Rudolf Steiner’s unique exposition of the Christian gospels. His momentous courses on the Gospels of John and Luke had already been delivered, while his lectures on the Gospels of Matthew and Mark gospels were yet to come. In these lectures, he examines the varying accounts of Christ in the Gospels, explaining that they represent four different though complementary perspectives. Steiner’s unparalleled insights are based on his firsthand ability to research the spiritual “akashic record,” the universal compendium of all events, thoughts, emotions, and intentions.

Translated by Christiana Bryan, this volume features an introduction by Tom Ravetz, as well as notes and an index.

This book is a translation from German of Die tieferen Geheimnisse des Menschhietswerdens im Lichte der Evangelien(GA 117).

A previous translation of three of these lectures was published as Deeper Secrets of Human History in the Light of the Gospel of St. Matthew (1957).

Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) was born in the small village of Kraljevec, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now in Croatia), where he grew up. As a young man, he lived in Weimar and Berlin, where he became a well-published scientific, literary, and philosophical scholar, known especially for his work with Goethe's scientific writings. At the beginning of the twentieth century, he began to develop his early philosophical principles into an approach to systematic research into psychological and spiritual phenomena. Formally beginning his spiritual teaching career under the auspices of the Theosophical Society, Steiner came to use the term Anthroposophy (and spiritual science) for his philosophy, spiritual research, and findings. The influence of Steiner's multifaceted genius has led to innovative and holistic approaches in medicine, various therapies, philosophy, religious renewal, Waldorf education, education for special needs, threefold economics, biodynamic agriculture, Goethean science, architecture, and the arts of drama, speech, and eurythmy. In 1924, Rudolf Steiner founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches throughout the world. He died in Dornach, Switzerland.