The Christian roots of Anthroposophy
This book is written by Peter Selg, dedicated to the physician Helene von Grunelius and aimed at all professionals and carers looking after ill people. I found this book very difficult to read. I think there are several reasons for this. The book deals with very profound thoughts and ideas and these need time and attention to digest- at least for me they did. Further the book was originally written in German and I had the feeling that some of the fluency was lost in translation. Lastly the book deals with anthroposophical medicine and I am sure would be a more rewarding read for those who are familiar with Rudolf Steiner and his work.

The work looks closely at the healing stories in the Gospels and relates these to the concepts developed by Rudolf Steiner in Anthroposophy and how these relate back to the spiritual nature of Christ’s healing effectiveness. Steiner describes Christ’s healing activity as a ‘ force of overflowing Love. ‘ We also learn how Steiner gave lectures on the Rosicrucians. If I have understood the author correctly Steiner summarised the essence of the new medicine to be ‘experience of suffering , sense of helping, will to heal’, expressing the view that a therapeutic act was` also a religious act.

The book is rich in quotes and has some beautiful illustrations. It offers a fascinating insight into the inspirations of Steiner’s Anthroposophical Medicine, and gives some insight into his lectures and collaborations with colleagues. For those interested in the interplay between the Christian gospels, Paracelsus' writings, the Rosicrucians and the development of Anthroposophical Medicine this is a worthwhile read.