The Origins of the Creed of The Christian Community

Unlike other Christian creeds, the creed of The Christian Community is not a statement of belief, but rather a series of assertions that act as a path toward a deeper understanding of Christianity. 

Peter Selg offers an insightful and informative overview of how—in the time leading up to the founding of The Christian Community nearly a century ago—Rudolf Steiner formulated both the creed itself and its founding principles. 

Selg also examines the history of Christian creeds—including the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed—and compares them to each other. Finally, he also explores the ongoing significance of the creed for The Christian Community today. 

C O N T E N T S:

Anthroposophy and religion 
Before the founding of The Christian Community 
First reading of the Creed of The Christian Community 
Finding the words for the new Creed 
The development of the text of the Creed 
Christian Community works on the Creed 
The Creed as preparation for baptism 
First formulation of the Creed 
The Creed as a defence against gnosis 
The Nicene Creed 
The priest and the Creed 
Comparison of versions of the Creed 
Steiner’s reticence in explaining the Creed 
Our responsibility today 
The Creed for the future 

Notes 
Bibliography

“This clearly written and comprehensive overview of the history of the creed through the ages and the importance of its renewal at the time of the foundation of The Christian Community...will certainly help those who are new to the words of the Creed to deepen their interest and continue their studies. It could also open a door for those who have been seeking for a deepening of their spiritual life and a direction to guide their religious feelings.... This is an interesting and helpful new addition to Selg's series of introductory readers.”—Camphill Correspondence

Peter Selg was born in 1963 in Stuttgart and studied medicine in Witten-Herdecke, Zurich, and Berlin. Until 2000, he worked as the head physician of the juvenile psychiatry department of Herdecke hospital in Germany. Dr. Selg is now director of the Ita Wegman Institute for Basic Research into Anthroposophy (Arlesheim, Switzerland) and professor of medicine at the Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences (Germany). He lectures extensively and is the author of numerous books, many of which have been published in English.

Matthew Barton is a translator, editor, teacher, and poet, and taught kindergarten for many years at the Bristol Waldorf School. His first collection of poems was Learning To Row (1999). He has won numerous prizes for his work, including an Arts Council Writer's Award and a Hawthornden Fellowship.