Between Lucifer and Ahriman

"The Representative of Humanity: Between Lucifer and Ahriman" could be seen as a companion volume to "The Goetheanum", reviewed by me elsewhere on this site. Both books deal with the Goetheanum, a curious building in Swiss Dornach, which serves as the headquarters of the Anthroposophical Society, a religious movement founded by Rudolf Steiner.

While "The Goetheanum" is a general guide book to the building and its surroundings, "The Representative of Humanity" deals with the most important work of art housed in the Goetheanum, a wooden sculpture of Christ and two adversary powers known as Lucifer and Ahriman. The sculpture is known as The Representative of Humanity, or simply as The Group.

In contrast to most religions, Anthroposophy recognizes two evil powers rather than just one. Of these, Ahriman seems closest to the Devil as traditionally conceived. He's the spirit of materialism, living in a dark cave in the bowels of the Earth, and even seems to have horns and a vaguely goat-like appearance. Lucifer, by contrast, is a kind of ethereal spirit who brings enlightenment to the world, but also attempts to lure humans away from their earthly incarnations.

What struck me when reading the book, is that neither of the adversaries are "evil" in the robust, moral sense associated with Satan in Christianity. Rather, they seem to represent two conflicting spiritual forces at work in man, which should be balanced rather than vanquished. In the sculpture, the Christ balances Lucifer and Ahriman, and thereby redeems them. Apparently, the hand movements of the Christ figure attempt to stop Lucifer's fall from heaven and pull up Ahriman from his cave below.

The Group also shows a spirit known as "the rock being" or "cosmic humour", whose exact function is somewhat beyond me. I've heard several different interpretations of it, and I'm not sure whether "The Representative of Humanity" was particularly informative on this point...

This book is rather narrow, but if you're interested in Anthroposophy and the Goetheanum, it could be of some interest together with the previously mentioned guide book.