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Editorial

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the Easter issue of New View, spring in the North, autumn to the South of the Earth’s globe. It is the tilt of the Earth’s axis as it spins around itself and orbits the sun that affords the ever changing seasons across its surface as it leans in to then away from the sun during the course of the year.

Rudolf Steiner saw Easter, with the death and resurrection of Christ, as a turning point for the whole of humanity. When coming anew to Steiner’s work one can be overwhelmed by the breadth and depth of his understanding of this event. His profound thoughts on Christ may even be something of a surprise when you come across them, for many folk initially come into contact with Steiner through his myriad practical initiatives, not least in education, agriculture, medicine, the arts and so on, the list is long. To find at the heart of his work the recognition of Christ and what was brought into direct connection with humanity’s journey more than 2,000 years ago leads eventually to pondering on one’s self and what we each make of our own incarnation in the light of this deep interest, leading to love, from a mighty spiritual being who became incarnate, like each of us in our lived lives.

What trials and tribulations this Being undertook to join with humanity and place a power – for love – in its midst, accessible to each soul, but, and here is the riddle, in complete freedom. One does not have to connect and follow the path Christ opened out, but it remains constantly available to everyone. Steiner’s work springs from his understanding of Christ as the heartbeat of humanity.

I have always enjoyed the art of the English artist, J. W. Turner. His paintings and etchings connected to the life of Christ on earth are not numerous and, perhaps, not so well known as are many of his other works. I recently came across a painting he made of one of Christ’s trials, in the time he spent in the wilderness after the Baptism in the river Jordan. Here he was assailed with three profound temptations from two spiritual beings, Lucifer and Ahriman (the Devil and Satan), themselves deeply interwoven with the affairs of souls on Earth. Three temptations in all, one from Lucifer, one from them both together and one from Ahriman.

Turner depicts this first temptation when Lucifer takes Christ Jesus to a high mountain top and offers him power and ownership over all he can see if only he bows down to him. This painting shows one of the trials we are all assailed by, a desire to own and have power over what we see and meet in life. Pride and egotism play their part here. Turner depicts Christ standing erect over the devil overcoming and rejecting this temptation whilst the motif of the snake to the left of the painting reminds us of the story of paradise and that we are now here on Earth, facing trials on our soul’s journey to becoming more truly human. How our soul deals with its own axis of leaning towards and away from this path of light is a dance of experience, with its trials and joys in life.

We begin this journey in the Easter issue of New View with a look to the East with Benjamin Cherry sharing personal experiences in Faces of Modern China.

From Switzerland, the medical doctor Daphné von Boch explores The Four Forces of Nature: The living, the non-living, soul and spirit. Part I: What is Life?

With Christian Zionism, Part 2 Terry Boardman brings a deeper understanding of this labyrinthine phenomenon. Writing from the Republic of Ireland, Eddie O’Brien then discusses the use and abuse of the term ‘Holocaust’ in Never Again.

Peter Taylor brings a weather perspective with Climate in Context, which is followed by an interview with him made by Richard House, entitled Climate, Covid and Conspiracy.

Writing from America, Charles Duquette looks at thinking, intelligence and consciousness in Breaking the Chains of Common Knowledge. This is complemented by Michael Warden, writing from Spain, with AI – The Refreshing Truth: Can Machines Think, or is AI Itself the Ultimate ‘deep fake’?

Mark McGivern, writing from Canada, questions moves to alter aspects of the Waldorf School curriculum in The ‘Decolonization’ Project in Waldorf Schools.

As well as monitoring climate issues, Peter Taylor keeps an eye on the nuclear industry and its drive to expand in Nuclear Watch: Nuclear Power, risks and context.
We then touch more directly on the life and work of Rudolf Steiner, who died 100 years ago this year on March 30th, beginning with architect David Tasker who gives us A Glimpse into Rudolf Steiner’s Architectural Impulse.

Wolf Forsthofer from Scotland brings us An Initiate of the 20th Century – In memoriam Rudolf Steiner, followed by his edited translation of an article written by Adelheid Petersen, Reminiscences of Rudolf Steiner.

This gentle tribute to Steiner is concluded with The Last Twelve Hours of Rudolf Steiner’s Life, 29th and 30th March 1925 by Richard Ramsbotham.

The book review section is prefaced by Welcome to the Literacy Wars, where Richard House reviews a book dealing with the controversy in the USA as how best to teach children to read.

Please keep any financial support that might be possible coming towards the New View initiative, as it is sorely needed. And thank you for help already received.

Finally, I warmly wish you the reader well, wherever you may be,

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