These two books marked the continuing interest in academic circles in the study of esoteric traditions of spirituality. How important are these traditions in today's context? Liberalism in the modern period has removed many of the sanctions which were applied to those deemed unconventional or heretical in their intellectual or spiritual explorations. Most of the movements and individuals in this study were concert with exploration and explanation of things unseen in ages where there was little distinction between what we now distinguish as the scientific and the spiritual quest. Both aspects of human inquiry were sometimes seen as inimical to a faith rooted in revelation and maintained by ecclesiastical tradition and authority.

Contemporary Christians still feel this tension in some respects, but as they have a duty to inform themselves about developments in the sciences and their application, they may also feel called to be better informed on the complexities of what is now termed Western Esotericism. [...]

Ahern's study is a revision of his 1984 edition which brings up to date information on movements deriving from the thought of Steiner. It is of particular value in its examination of the relationship between Christian orthodoxy, mysticism, and gnosis. He covers some of the same topics that are the subjects of Goodrick-Clarke's work, but in far less detail.

Ahern is not a proponent of Steiner's philosophy but is a sympathetic observer. He raises the question, touched on before in this journal, of the marginalisation of Steiner's work. In its practical application it has continued to flourish in many lands, but its source in the spiritual insights of one man continues to be a barrier to their examination by a wider world.

Orthodoxy, both scientific and religious, has traditionally seen that such 'rejected' knowledge as outlined in both these books has been rejected for good and proper reasons and should not be considered worthy of serious study by scholars, and certainly not by the general public. But in enhancing our understanding of past endeavours, however we may see them today, are we not better equipped to address the questions of the interplay between the spiritual, the social, and the material?

This is an unbiased, must read for any prospective Waldorf or Camphill parent. If I had read this book, just the index alone, I would have known Waldorf education was not a good fit for our family. This book is a synopsis on Anthroposophy and all it's activities. This book will help families make an informed decision for their children. Waldorf works well for some families but for others it's a disaster.

Racism, Lucifer, Ahriman? It's all explained and indexed for easy reference. About time. Bravo!

Ahern's long-awaited 2nd edition includes recent statistical data that I find useful. Unfortunately, he seems to have skipped over much of the Anthro news in the past two decades. Research and publicity - some from within the movement - tell of the racist controversy at the foundation of Anthroposophy and questionable marketing by those who promote Waldorf/Steiner education. Ahern barely touches that information and, to my eyes, minimises such things as "allegations." For example, his explanation of Anthroposophy during the Nazi regime completely misses recently published research on that topic and his exposure of the sect's clandestine First Class misses the recent court ruling in Germany removing the copyright protection from its secret texts which are now published (in German) on the web.

I was left wondering just who the book is aimed at? It seems to be written for academics - fine . . . but if a wider audience is to be reached it would need to be much less heavy. I worry that a book holding so much keenly needed information may not elicit enough response from potential Waldorf (Steiner School) parents to help them and their children avoid the confusion and disappointment that many families experience in these schools.

That said, Ahern's book is useful and worth reading, especially as very few such books are published outside the cult of Rudolf Steiner. The Sun at Midnight is not an easy read but well worth the effort.

I find it fascinating that the world of Anthroposophy has managed to affect so many pieces of western life without being understood or even noticed by most of the people who are affected by it. Alternative ideas on education (which thrived with great variation before the crash of the Great Depression) fell into near total disrepute for a long time in western society, as did everything else at all out of the mainstream. By the middle of WWII and the ensuing Cold War, anything that was not accepted as 'mainstream' was viewed with suspicion by most people in the western world.

For a quite long time the only forms of education that existed other than 'public', were more intense, more intellectualised or more devoutly religious versions of the standard western public school system (each with its own national variation). In the same period of time, alternative medicine was almost unknown, and was openly persecuted by standard western medicine (and its entrenched financial and societal interests). Yet there still existed the small yet unyielding world of Steiner with its Waldorf/Steiner schools and its Anthroposophical medicine. An island of difference in a world bent on forced conformity.

Few people even realise how important a small group of 'true believers' can be to those who cannot or will not conform. In this case, Anthroposophy (with its differing world view, and with the Steiner schools as a societal lynch pin) became the only lasting alternative group left which had any societal or financial clout. As such, Steiner and his followers became vital as a focal point (for good or ill) for anyone who was outside of the mainstream.

Despite all this, Steiner and his 'Anthroposophy' have sat in the background, as an 'unknown' to most people who have no idea who Steiner was, or how his teachings have affected the world they live in. Even devotees and insiders tend to have sketchy knowledge of Steiner but then, 'understanding Steiner's ideas' is not a small task. "Steiner is difficult". I have heard this again and again. People on the 'inside' (and even more so those on the outside) have problems comprehending his ideas, even after years of classes. Even those inside the movement have very little information about the man himself, what forces shaped his life and where his ideas came from.

"Sun at Midnight" is the first neutral scholarly work I have ever seen which explains the person and teachings of Rudolf Steiner and the social and historical context in which they came into being. All the other resources I have seen are either by extreme detractors or by devout devotees. As such they do not approach Steiner and his teachings without prejudice.

This book is a 'must have' for any person with an interest in the western esoteric tradition, or with an interest in any of the many movements which came from Steiner's teachings. It explains Steiner's complex 'spiritual' science and cosmology with a depth and clarity that I have not seen in any other source. Its level of factual detail on the actual movement is without parallel.

Extricating loved ones from a cult is hard. An essential part of the process, if it is to succeed at all, is giving detailed non-judgemental information to the victim. This book sets out the beliefs of the Steiner cult including on Down's syndrome, magic, supernatural beings, angels and the moon (said to be inhabited by "plant-animals"). It describes the secret elite, called the First Class, which dominates the cult. An excellent index has entries on Nazism, cancer (members say it's due to an undeveloped psychic state), thought-reading, and astral bodies. Unfortunately it lacks an entry on colour beliefs, but does have one on Australia. That a cult and its "schools" founded on the ravings of a lunatic can be funded by my taxes and supported by an ethical investment company beggars belief. The book would repay careful reading for all considering a Steiner education or proposing to invest in it.

For further information on this extensive update of the 1984 classic visit www.sun-at-midnight.com.