Christ and Sophia: Anthroposophic Meditations on the Old Testament, New Testament, and Apocalypse

"All of this work has a unique power, a fiery, adamantine, brilliant quality, stemming from the being of the author who, working within and for Anthroposophy, is always doing new work. Inspired by Rudolf Steiner, thoroughly immersed in Steiner's work, and following Steiner's meditative spiritual scientific method of research--while always acting in the service of Christ, whom he called 'The Master'--there is never a sense of mere commentary or exposition in his writings. We always feel the author speaking from his own experience and making it new....

"Christ and Sophia run throughout these 'meditations.' No 'abstract concept or merely pious mystical state, ' Sophia is an actual transcendent being, acting in the cosmos as an archangel and communicating 'Unity'--the unity of the Trinity, of the cosmos, of humanity with all. It is she, close relative of the Holy Spirit and grace, who gives meaning to cognition, for she is true wisdom, cosmic intelligence, the 'plan of the temple.' Everywhere in Tomberg's work, she who is the servant of all is above all the servant of the master, Christ" -- Christopher Bamford (from the introduction).

In these astounding meditations on the true Christian nature of the scriptures, Tomberg shows how the central story of entire Bible is really a history of the Christ being. He describes the cosmic and earthly preparations for the Mystery of Golgotha, its significance and results for humanity and the world as a whole, and the central role of the Sophia being and her relationship to the Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Disciples and Pentecost, and all of humanity. He also imagines the Grail nature of the Christ's involvement in earthly history.

All of Valentin Tomberg's profound studies are finally available in a single volume! Drawn from four difficult-to-find and out-of-print editions, this completely revised and updated text includes Tomberg's anthroposophic meditations on the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Apocalypse, while the appendix contains his final, unfinished work, "The Four Sacrifices of Christ."

Christ and Sophia contains all of Valentin Tomberg's essential anthroposophic works on the scriptures, providing an invaluable resource for anyone who wishes to gain a deeper understanding of Rudolf Steiner's spiritual scientific approach to esoteric Christianity, as revealed by a close, meditative reading of the Bible--from Genesis to John's Revelation.

". . . Interactivity with spiritual beings is precisely what is presented by the content and practice of the ancient mysteries. Neither did the mysteries of antiquity rest on 'faith, ' but were based on conscious interactivity with suprasensory spiritual beings, spiritually seen, heard, and received into themselves. By this means, revelations flowed into humankind, upon which great civilizations were founded. These revelations were preserved and taught, and the whole of them constituted the sacred wisdom of the mysteries--the spiritual science whose methods alter with every epoch but persist in an unbroken line to the present day. The science based on conscious interaction with the spiritual world--that is, on suprasensory experiences--is known in the West as occultism." (chap. 1)

This volume contains revised English translations of three works by Valentin Tomberg: Anthroposophisch Betrachtungen über des Alte Testament; Anthroposophische Betrachtungen über das Neue Testament; Geisteswissenschaftliche Betrachtungen über die Apokalypse des Johannes.

About the Author
Tomberg, Valentin: - Valentin Tomberg (Feb. 27, 1900-Feb. 24, 1973) was born into a Lutheran family in St. Petersburg, Russia. As an adolescent, he was drawn to the hermetic Martinism of G.O.Mebes, as well as to Theosophy and the mysticism of Eastern Orthodoxy. Tomberg's mother was killed by looters during the Russian Revolution, after which Valentin and his father fled to Tallinn, Estonia, where Tomberg studied languages and comparative religion at the University of Tartu. As a young man, he was strongly influenced by Vladimir Soloviev and had a personal experience of the Sophia at a cathedral in Holland. In 1925, he joined the Anthroposophical Society, under whose auspices he lectured in Holland and England and wrote on his understanding of the Bible, Anthroposophy, and esoteric Christianity. During World War II, he left the Anthroposophical Society and its internal struggles and converted to Catholicism. In 1948, he moved to England, where he became a translator for the BBC and monitored Soviet broadcasts during the Cold War, while continuing his devotion to meditation practice and further writing on his esoteric insights. In 1960, he retired to Reading near the River Thames. He died while vacationing in Majorca. The best-known work of his later life is Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey into Christian Hermeticism, written anonymously.Bamford, Christopher: - Christopher Bamford is Editor in Chief Emeritus for SteinerBooks (Anthroposophic Press) and its imprints. A Fellow of the Lindisfarne Association, he has lectured, taught, and written widely on Western spiritual and esoteric traditions. He is the author of The Voice of the Eagle: The Heart of Celtic Christianity (1990) and An Endless Trace: The Passionate Pursuit of Wisdom in the West (2003). He has also translated and edited numerous books, including Celtic Christianity: Ecology and Holiness (1982); Homage to Pythagoras: Rediscovering Sacred Science; and The Noble Traveller: The Life and Writings of O. V. de L. Milosz (all published by Lindisfarne Books). HarperSanFrancisco included an essay by Mr. Bamford in its anthology Best Spiritual Writing 2000.