Turning Points in History

In our long human journey, individual and collective, the journey that science calls evolution, many indeed are the turning points. But they are not so much turning points in outer, material manifestation in the fossils of paleontology, for those fossils are only the shed garments worn by humans in an earlier age, vestments designed by providence to meet the need of a changing human consciousness moving through time. Where the real evolution occurs, for which the necessary outer garments are tailored over time, is in the realm of consciousness as it transitions from spirit to matter and back to spirit. -EDWARD REAUGH SMITH, from the Introduction RUDOLF STEINER gave the six lectures in Turning Points in Spiritual History during the year of January 1911 to January 1912. Realizing their importance for understanding the evolution of consciousness and the central role of the Christ event within it, Marie Steiner collected them under the present title soon after Steiner's death in March 1925, as a signal and enduring element of his spiritual legacy. Since the crucible of cosmic evolution for Steiner is the Earth, and the evolution of the Earth is accomplished through humanity, each of the five turning points-or critical, transformative moments-leading up to the climax of the Incarnation of Christ through the Mystery of Golgotha is exemplified by an individuality: namely, in chronological order, Zarathustra, Hermes, Moses, Elijah and Buddha. In these lectures, each of which deals in turn with one of these great individualities, Rudolf Steiner provides us with astonishing insights into esoteric history and demonstrates the remarkable ways in which the spiritual world guided and nurtured spiritual evolution in preparation for the coming of the Christ.