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Spotlight on Anthroposophy
Sharon Lombard
Abstract
The author discusses how she and her family enrolled their child in a Waldorf
school—without consciously deciding or agreeing to join a new religious
movement—and found themselves involved in Anthroposophy. She shares some
background on Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Waldorf schools, and his esoteric
religion, Anthroposophy, which is inextricably entwined in Waldorf schools'
curriculum, pedagogy, and school activities. Her introduction to Steiner's
doctrine focuses on identifying Steiner's macro-microcosmic worldview and racist
underpinnings. She questions why some Waldorfers often downplay or deny their
fervor and involvement in Anthroposophy and criticizes the movement's leadership
for denying Steiner's racist doctrine as documented in the "Dutch Report." The
author shares her own misgivings about the group's religious foundation and
argues that some of Steiner's followers work to conceal the religious context of
Waldorf education. Some personal recollections of peculiarities during her
family's experience with Waldorf education are discussed, including a benign
Anthroposophic prescription for the author’s sick child and removal of her
daughter from the Waldorf school.
Full text available through
ICSA E-Library.
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