Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 2, No. 2, 2003, Page 147
the educator have at his disposal parables for all the laws of Nature and
secrets of the world. (Richards, 1980, p. 55)
My examination and documentation of other Waldorf pupil‘s lessons verifies that they too
copied Anthroposophy-for-juniors off the board during class, and not only in picture form.
One child wrote, ―OUT OF HEAVEN INTO BIRTH FROM THE STARS TO THE EARTH I HAVE
FLOWN.‖ Another child transcribed, ―In September Michael is near, he will help us overcome
all fear.‖ Yet the schools frequently deny that they teach Anthroposophy to children.
Recently, a forty-eight page ad for Anthroposophy appeared in Utne Magazine, entitled ―An
Emerging Culture, Rudolf Steiner‘s Continuing Impact in the World.‖ The ad states:
Opponents of Waldorf education, which is based on Steiner‘s insights into
child development, equate the curriculum with anthroposophy, which they
claim to be a religion. Waldorf advocates respond that Rudolf Steiner‘s
anthroposophy is deteminedly [sic] nonreligious and isn‘t taught in Waldorf
schools anyway (Bamford &Utne. 2003, June, p. 11 advertising section
sponsored by Rudolf Steiner Foundation and Utne Magazine).
It frustrates me when people deny that Anthroposophy is a religion and that the schools
don‘t teach Anthroposophy to children because the evidence suggests otherwise. My
daughter‘s books show that indeed she was taught Anthroposophy, in picture form as well
as in written form—‖The human being is like a little universe inside a big one. Sun, moon
and stars find their likeness in mans head, trunk and limbs‖—‖The Sylphs, Salamanders,
Gnomes and Undines are the earth‘s scribes‖—‖The body is the house of the spirit,‖ etc. If
you deconstruct the lessons, the curriculum and the pedagogy, you cannot ignore the fact
that Waldorf is a mystery school, a magical lodge for juniors.
―Verse‖
When Steiner developed Waldorf, he deliberately veiled Anthroposophy by ―organically‖
incorporating it into the classroom. Anthroposophy is inextricably intertwined with Waldorf‘s
daily classroom activity and lessons. In 1920 he asked the first Waldorf teachers not to call
a prayer a prayer but, rather, a verse:
We will also talk about a prayer. But there is just one thing I should like to
ask you. You know, with these things the outer form is of the utmost
importance. Never call the verse a ‗prayer‘ but a ‗school opening verse‘. Do
see to it that people do not hear the expression ‗prayer‘ used by a teacher.
This will go a long way towards overcoming the prejudice that this is an
anthroposophical school. (Steiner, 1986, p. 45)
Eugene Schwartz has also clarified that the verse is a prayer:
I have a 9-year-old daughter she‘s in third grade at Green Meadow Waldorf
school. And these are some of my experiences. I know every morning she
says a verse, and, as Dan [Dugan] pointed out, it‘s a verse that speaks to
God. I would call it a prayer: that‘s what I used to tell my class. You‘re
speaking a prayer. I want you to stand still, I don‘t want you to move around,
I want you to really be respectful because we‘re talking to God now. And a
child said, ―You mean we‘re praying?‖, and I said yes, we‘re praying.
(Schwartz, 1999, November 13, paragraph 17).
Teachers not as open as Eugene Schwartz are imposing worship of Steiner‘s Sun Being on
children without parental sanction. As my daughter‘s parent, I was unaware of this prayer
during our Waldorf haze. I did not know that this prayer was being prayed each morning by
my daughter at her ―nonsectarian‖ school. I learned about it after leaving, when in my
research I came upon this:
the educator have at his disposal parables for all the laws of Nature and
secrets of the world. (Richards, 1980, p. 55)
My examination and documentation of other Waldorf pupil‘s lessons verifies that they too
copied Anthroposophy-for-juniors off the board during class, and not only in picture form.
One child wrote, ―OUT OF HEAVEN INTO BIRTH FROM THE STARS TO THE EARTH I HAVE
FLOWN.‖ Another child transcribed, ―In September Michael is near, he will help us overcome
all fear.‖ Yet the schools frequently deny that they teach Anthroposophy to children.
Recently, a forty-eight page ad for Anthroposophy appeared in Utne Magazine, entitled ―An
Emerging Culture, Rudolf Steiner‘s Continuing Impact in the World.‖ The ad states:
Opponents of Waldorf education, which is based on Steiner‘s insights into
child development, equate the curriculum with anthroposophy, which they
claim to be a religion. Waldorf advocates respond that Rudolf Steiner‘s
anthroposophy is deteminedly [sic] nonreligious and isn‘t taught in Waldorf
schools anyway (Bamford &Utne. 2003, June, p. 11 advertising section
sponsored by Rudolf Steiner Foundation and Utne Magazine).
It frustrates me when people deny that Anthroposophy is a religion and that the schools
don‘t teach Anthroposophy to children because the evidence suggests otherwise. My
daughter‘s books show that indeed she was taught Anthroposophy, in picture form as well
as in written form—‖The human being is like a little universe inside a big one. Sun, moon
and stars find their likeness in mans head, trunk and limbs‖—‖The Sylphs, Salamanders,
Gnomes and Undines are the earth‘s scribes‖—‖The body is the house of the spirit,‖ etc. If
you deconstruct the lessons, the curriculum and the pedagogy, you cannot ignore the fact
that Waldorf is a mystery school, a magical lodge for juniors.
―Verse‖
When Steiner developed Waldorf, he deliberately veiled Anthroposophy by ―organically‖
incorporating it into the classroom. Anthroposophy is inextricably intertwined with Waldorf‘s
daily classroom activity and lessons. In 1920 he asked the first Waldorf teachers not to call
a prayer a prayer but, rather, a verse:
We will also talk about a prayer. But there is just one thing I should like to
ask you. You know, with these things the outer form is of the utmost
importance. Never call the verse a ‗prayer‘ but a ‗school opening verse‘. Do
see to it that people do not hear the expression ‗prayer‘ used by a teacher.
This will go a long way towards overcoming the prejudice that this is an
anthroposophical school. (Steiner, 1986, p. 45)
Eugene Schwartz has also clarified that the verse is a prayer:
I have a 9-year-old daughter she‘s in third grade at Green Meadow Waldorf
school. And these are some of my experiences. I know every morning she
says a verse, and, as Dan [Dugan] pointed out, it‘s a verse that speaks to
God. I would call it a prayer: that‘s what I used to tell my class. You‘re
speaking a prayer. I want you to stand still, I don‘t want you to move around,
I want you to really be respectful because we‘re talking to God now. And a
child said, ―You mean we‘re praying?‖, and I said yes, we‘re praying.
(Schwartz, 1999, November 13, paragraph 17).
Teachers not as open as Eugene Schwartz are imposing worship of Steiner‘s Sun Being on
children without parental sanction. As my daughter‘s parent, I was unaware of this prayer
during our Waldorf haze. I did not know that this prayer was being prayed each morning by
my daughter at her ―nonsectarian‖ school. I learned about it after leaving, when in my
research I came upon this:
