God and Humanity in an Evolving Universe: Rudolf Steiner’s Christology and the Knowledge Drama of the Second Coming in the Work of Yeshayahu Ben-Aharon

Summary

This article examines Rudolf Steiner's Christology within cosmic evolution, focusing on the Second Coming as a metaphysical event. It uses an immanent-synthetic methodology to present a sacramental, participatory epistemology. The first part describes Steiner's 'Mystery of Golgotha' as a cosmic turning point where macrocosmic death is reversed into a resurrection life stream. The second part explores Yeshayahu Ben-Aharon's development of these ideas into a 'knowledge drama of the Second Coming,' involving an individual 'essence-exchange' with the Christ impulse. The article discusses social-metaphysical implications through the 'Reversed Cultus,' where the indwelling Christ becomes humanity's 'Higher Self,' grounding a new community and 'school of love' to address technoscientific challenges. It argues for a renewed understanding of the Second Coming as a step in humanity's spiritual evolution.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This article explores Rudolf Steiner’s Christology within the framework of cosmic evolution, focusing on the Second Coming of Christ as a pivotal metaphysical event. Identifying a scholarly lacuna regarding Steiner’s developmental cosmology and the work of Yeshayahu Ben-Aharon, the study adopts an immanent–synthetic methodology to demonstrate a sacramental, participatory epistemology. The first part unfolds Steiner’s vision of the ‘Mystery of Golgotha’ as a cosmic turning point where a macrocosmic death process is reversed into a resurrection life stream. The second part examines Ben-Aharon’s esoteric development of these ideas into a contemporary ‘knowledge drama of the Second Coming.’ Through the spiritualization of consciousness, Ben-Aharon describes an individual ‘essence-exchange’ with the Christ impulse within the ‘abyss of nothingness’ of our age. Finally, the article discusses the social–metaphysical implications of this drama through the ‘Reversed Cultus.’ Here, the indwelling Christ is recognized as humanity’s ‘Higher Self,’ grounding a new community and ‘school of love’ capable of responding to the technoscientific challenges of mechanization of intelligence and life. By positioning the human being as a co-creative agent in cosmic becoming, the article argues for a renewed understanding of the Second Coming as a new step in humanity’s spiritual evolution.