Exploring possible historical parallels in relation to Rudolf Steiner's historical & political thought regarding Russia and the counter current of the Anglo-American world

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Steiner outlined a fundamental aspect of the different relationships that the Folk Souls of the world have to the spiritual world. In a 1918 lecture in Dornach he spoke to the audience about the being of Jesus Christ. In the spiritual atmosphere around different parts of the world, he ‘categorized’ that the particular character of Russia in the East brings a connection to the Spirit of Christ, he calls them the People of the Christ. In Central Europe he says live the People of the Church. In Britain in the West, he says live the People of the Lodges.

“The question is: What then is the relationship of the member of the People of the Christ to Christ? He knows that when he is really at one with himself he finds the Christ impulse - for this impulse is present in his soul and is continuously active in his soul. The member of the People of the Church speaks, perhaps, like [Saint] Augustine who, at the age of maturity, in answer to the question, how do I find the Christ? replied: 'The Church tells me who is the Christ. I can learn it from the Church, for the Church has preserved in its tradition the original teaching about the Christ.' - He who belongs to the People of the Lodges - I mean the true member of the Lodges - has a different approach to the Christ from the People of the Church and the People of the Christ. He says to himself: history speaks of a Christ who once existed. Is it reasonable to believe in such a Christ? How can the influence of Christ be justified historically before the bar of reason? This, fundamentally, is the Christology of the Aufklärung1 which demands that the Christ be vindicated by reason”. 

However Steiner points out clearly that it would be ridiculous to imagine that this is something of a fixed geographical or ethnic topography. In the physical world he says things always flow into each other. He gives the example of Adolf Harnack, a Protestant Theologian - born in what was then Russia, he became a Professor of Church history in Germany and a prominent author on Christianity. Steiner said that Harnack is representative of the People of the Lodges, “He is a much more representative example than anyone on the other side of the [English] Channel”.  

Steiner indicates that the personality of Christ is seen in the West as Teacher, in the Middle as King, and in the East as Spirit.

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