The Fifth Gospel

Second edition. Collectors item.

During the year 1913 and early months of 1914, Rudolf Steiner gave lectures on The Fifth Gospel in Oslo, Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Munich and Cologne, to audiences restricted at that time to members of the newly formed Anthroposophical Society, all of whom were prepared by previous studies to realize the significance of these findings of spiritual investigation and to treat them with the reverence that is their obvious due. 

In his address on 20th September 1913, when the Foundation Stone of the first Goetheanum was laid on the Dornach hill, Rudolf Steiner spoke of the Fifth Gospel as the Gospel of Knowledge of the Spirit, the Macrocosmic Gospel, which it was now possible to add to the fourfold proclamation contained in the Gospels of the New Testament. On that and on many other occasions he stressed the need for a change in the way of thinking now prevailing in humanity if new and essential tidings of the Spirit are to become comprehensible. Of the necessity for the communication of the knowledge contained in his lectures on the Fifth Gospel, he said the following.

For this must be emphasised: quite apart from the disinclination of men today to accept facts such as those of which we have been speaking, it was essential that knowledge of such facts should now flow into Earth-evolution. That is why they have communicated, although truly it is difficult to speak of such things. And although, if one followed one's own inclination, one would wish not to speak of them, they are communicated out of an inner obligation—so long as there are human souls ready to hear them. They will be needed in the evolution of humanity. The souls to whom they are now communicated will most surely need them for the work they are called upon to do for the life of soul and spirit during the further course of human evolution ...

This volume contains five lectures given by Rudolf Steiner at Christiania in October of 1913. In the collected edition of Rudolf Steiner's works, the volume containing the German texts is entitled: Aus der Akasha-forschung. Das Fuenfte Evangelium (vol. 148 in the Bibliographic Survey). Translated by C. Davy and D. S. Osmond from shorthand notes unrevised by the lecturer.

Good condition: some blemishes and wear on cover. Pages clean and intact.