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The Rudolf Steiner Archive

a project of Steiner Online Library, a public charity

Background to the Gospel of St. Mark
GA 124

These lectures constitute an important chapter in Steiner's commentary on Christianity. They stress the relationship of the Gospel of Mark to the “language of the macrocosm” and cover such topics as the two main streams of post-Atlantean civilization, the tasks of our epoch, the laws of rhythm in the domain of soul and spirit, and much more.

Thirteen lectures from the series entitled: Excursus in the Area of the Gospel of St. Mark. Published in German as: Exkurse in das Gebiet des Markus-Evangelium. The ten Berlin lectures were published earlier as: Excurses on the Gospel According to St. Mark. Translated by E. H. Goddard and D. S. Osmond. Cover design by Christiana Beaven.

I. On the Investigation and Communication of Spiritual Truths October 17, 1910
II. Higher Knowledge and Man's Life of Soul October 24, 1910
III. The Tasks of the Fifth Post-Atlantean Epoch November 24, 1910
IV. The Symbolic Language of the Macrocosm in the Gospel of St. Mark December 6, 1910
V. The Two Main Streams of Post-Atlantean Civilisation December 19, 1910
VI. The Son of God and the Son of Man. The Sacrifice of Orpheus January 16, 1911
VII. The Higher Members of Man's Constitution February 28, 1911
VIII. Laws of Rhythm in the Domain of Soul-and-Spirit. March 7, 1911
IX. The Moon-Religion of Jahve and its Reflection in Arabism March 13, 1911
X. Rosicrucian WIsdom in Folk-Mythology June 10, 1911
XI. Kyrios, The Lord of the Soul December 12, 1911
XII. Mystery Teachings in St. Mark's Gospel December 18, 1911
XIII. The Voice of the Angelos and the Speech of the Exousiai February 2, 1911