Turning Points in History

In our long human journey, individual and collective, the journey that sciencecalls evolution, many indeed are the turning points. But they are not so muchturning 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 humanconsciousness moving through time. Where the real evolution occurs, forwhich the necessary outer garments are tailored over time, is in the realm ofconsciousness as it transitions from spirit to matter and back to spirit.-EDWARD REAUGH SMITH, from the IntroductionRUDOLF STEINER gave the six lectures in Turning Points in Spiritual Historyduring the year of January 1911 to January 1912. Realizing their importancefor understanding the evolution of consciousness and the central role of theChrist event within it, Marie Steiner collected them under the present titlesoon after Steiner's death in March 1925, as a signal and enduring element ofhis spiritual legacy.Since the crucible of cosmic evolution for Steiner is the Earth, and theevolution of the Earth is accomplished through humanity, each of the fiveturning points-or critical, transformative moments-leading up to theclimax of the Incarnation of Christ through the Mystery of Golgotha isexemplified 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 greatindividualities, Rudolf Steiner provides us with astonishing insights intoesoteric history and demonstrates the remarkable ways in which the spiritualworld guided and nurtured spiritual evolution in preparation for the comingof the Christ.