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.
Paul Marshall Allen (1913 1998) was an authority on the life and work of Rudolf Steiner and, as the first American-born anthroposophic lecturer, was a leading pioneer of Rudolf Steiner s spiritual science across North America. He edited and wrote introductions for numerous books on Anthroposophy and spiritual wisdom, including his classic work, "A Christian Rosenkreutz Anthology" (1968), and wrote "Vladimir Soloviev: Russian Mystic" (1968). With his wife Joan deRis Allen, Paul coauthored "Francis of Assisi s Canticle of the Creatures" (1996); "Fingal s Cave, the Poems of Ossian, and Celtic Christianity" (1999); and "The Time Is at Hand!" (1995).