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Growing Old
The Spiritual Dimensions of Ageing
Paperback
August 2019
9781855845626
More details
- Publisher
Rudolf Steiner Press - Published
1st August 2019 - ISBN 9781855845626
- Pages 240 pp.
- Size 5.5" x 8.5"
$22.00
When are we actually “old”?
What really happens as we age?
How can we cope with old age in the best way?
Growing old is an art, and aging in the best way requires spiritual understanding. In this enlightening anthology (compiled by a director of elder care homes), comprehensive cosmological perspectives alternate with detailed observations of aging. Rudolf Steiner views aging in the context of the earthly and spiritual evolution, which encompasses all forms of existence. This book therefore begins with the essential developmental significance of aging and ends by considering human beings as joint creators in cosmic processes and having the capacity to become increasingly conscious of all that this implies.
These key texts by Rudolf Steiner show how spiritual knowledge can expand current studies of old age, the aging process, and problems that older people encounter. Issues concerning today’s “aging population” can be seen in a broader context that recognizes the fruits of old age. One example of this is the productive relationship between childhood and old age—a theme throughout this volume. By growing old consciously, we can view aging not just as a period of physical decline but, more important, as a time for actively participating in shaping life. We can begin to find greater meaning in the process of growing old.
C O N T E N T S:
The Core Messages of Aging
• Ageing as the Foundation of All Evolution
• The Meaning of Ageing
Fundamental Principles of Gerontology
• What the Different Life Phases Signify for Old Age
• Interdependency of Youth and Age
Aging as a Developmental Process
• Ageing throughout History
• Transformation Processes in the Human Soul
Aging: The Risks and Opportunities
• The Art of Growing Old
• Biographical Laws
• Typical Age-related Infrimities: Dementia and Sclorosis
• Pathological Age-related Symptoms
• Changes in the Interplay of Different levels of Human Nature
Old Age and Death
• Why We Die
• A Long Life or and Early Death
• Karmic Laws
• Lucifer and Ahriman
• The Corpse as Ferment
• Living with the Dead
Growing Old: A Challenge for Education
• Unbornhood: The Pre-birth Journey
• Suggestions for Upbringing and Education
Cosmological Dimensions of Aging
• The Ageing of the Earth and the Mission of Human Beings
• Becoming Ever More Human, and Knowledge of Christ
Modern Gerontology, a Survey
Notes
Sources
Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Steiner (b. Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner, 1861–1925) was born in the small village of Kraljevec, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now in Croatia), where he grew up. As a young man, he lived in Weimar and Berlin, where he became a well-published scientific, literary, and philosophical scholar, known especially for his work with Goethe’s scientific writings. Steiner termed his spiritual philosophy anthroposophy, meaning “wisdom of the human being.” As an exceptionally developed seer, he based his work on direct knowledge and perception of spiritual dimensions. He initiated a modern, universal “spiritual science” that is accessible to anyone willing to exercise clear and unbiased thinking. From his spiritual investigations, Steiner provided suggestions for the renewal of numerous activities, including education (general and for special needs), agriculture, medicine, economics, architecture, science, philosophy, Christianity, and the arts. There are currently thousands of schools, clinics, farms, and initiatives in other fields that involve practical work based on the principles Steiner developed. His many published works feature his research into the spiritual nature of human beings, the evolution of the world and humanity, and methods for personal development. He wrote some thirty books and delivered more than six thousand lectures throughout much of Europe. In 1924, Steiner founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches around the world.
