A man with a mission

Friedrich Rittelmeyer (1872-1938) was a German Lutheran priest who more or less "converted" to Anthroposophy, the spiritual path founded by Austrian Rudolf Steiner. Together with a few other defectors from Lutheranism, including Emil Bock, Rittelmeyer founded the Christian Community in 1922. While nominally an independent body, the Christian Community is obviously a branch of Anthroposophy.

"Rudolf Steiner Enters My Life" is a semi-autobiographical work, in which Rittelmeyer describes his conversion to Anthroposophy, and some of his meetings with Steiner. The book is something of a disappointment. I expected more on the theology, rituals and activities of the Christian Community. Instead, Rittelmeyer's account comes across as a tedious and boring hagiography of Steiner, who was perfect in almost every way. Or so Rittelmeyer says.

The book paints Rittelmeyer as a strong sceptic, who was gradually won over to Anthroposophy by diligent study, soul-searching and various meditative exercises, given him by Steiner himself. I admit that I find the account somewhat unconvincing. Rittelmeyer seems to have become a "fellow traveller" very quickly. He was allowed to read Steiner's esoteric, members-only writings years before formally joining the Anthroposophical Society. I also got the impression that Rittelmeyer accepted Steiner's unusual Christology almost instantaneously. He had more trouble coming to terms with reincarnation! Before becoming interested in Steiner, Rittelmeyer had been a follower of one Johannes Müller, a theologian who had founded an "artistic community" where people attempted to find their higher selves by various spiritual exercises. This sounds broadly similar to Steiner's activities, which could explain Rittelmeyer's interest in his movement.

But perhaps I'm too hard on Rittelmeyer. He sounds like an honest, nice chap. Perhaps he really did get nausea after reading "An Outline of Esoteric Science", or considered the description of the chakras in "How to Know Higher Worlds" as very, very strange. Even so, he must have overcome his original resistance to Anthroposophy relatively quickly, otherwise I doubt if Steiner would have established such close relations with him. Rittelmeyer mentions a visionary experience during which he realized that Christ really is present in the host and the chalice during Communion, and implies that he had other visions, none of which he wants to discuss in public.

Rittelmeyer's reminiscences of Steiner are, I presume, of great interest to historians or biographers. And, I suppose, Anthroposophists. Steiner claimed to have the ability to read auras. Once, he clairvoyantly diagnosed Rittelmeyer from another city, a diagnosis which proved to be correct. Steiner had met several "Masters" in his youth, and still claimed to be in supersensible contact with them. He could "see" the previous incarnations of people who approached him, but would generally refuse to divulge information on the matter. Nor would he disclose his own past incarnations. Rittelmeyer at one point assumed that Steiner had been Pythagoras and king Milinda in previous lives! Steiner's lectures were often based on visions he was having as he spoke. He could somehow see "pictures" of various events (including the life of Jesus), and then attempt to describe them to the audience. Interestingly, Rittelmeyer admits that nobody ever confirmed Steiner's clairvoyant visions, despite Steiner's constant insistence that anyone with the right training could do so. On a less spiritual note, it's obvious that Steiner supported Germany during World War I!

Despite these snippets of information, "Rudolf Steiner Enters My Life" is nevertheless a boring read. It's with some reluctance that I give it three stars. I feel it only deserves two, but since it's source material for the life of Steiner, I suppose I have to give it the OK rating.