Polarization and polemics within the anthroposophical movement

After the death of Rudolf Steiner in 1925, the anthroposophical society fell into controversy. The most well known fact is the expulsion of first hand contributors such as Marie Steiner and Elisabeth Vreede by the leadership of the society.

During the last century and up to today, there have been controversy, polarization and polemics in the anthroposophical movement. Focal points are often personalities that give rise to these polarization opinions and camps with their writings, interpretations of Rudolf Steiner's work, and opinions and additions. Sometimes writings are from insights and (claims of) own clairvoyant research.

This page lists some of these personalities. The goal is not to judge, but to document the phenomenum in general and provide links to perspectives of various camps.

Irrespective of taking any position, what is characteristic is that the divided camps blame the other party that these interpretations may go off on a tangent and/or not make sense, and/or that own additions by the person are not recognized as authoritive or truthfull, and so on.

On this site, the work of the people below is therefore not added as main sources.

List of anthroposophists linked to some kind of divide

Valentin Tomberg (1900-1973)

• Valentin Tomberg was engaged in active esoteric study since 1920 and joined the Anthroposophical Society in 1925. During the 1930s, his publications made him a controversial figure. In 1938-1940, Tomberg was asked to withdraw from the Anthroposophical Society due to his being too controversia (also in the Netherlands, by its chairman Zeylmans van Emmichhoven). He converted to the orthodox and roman catholic churches in 1943 and 1945.

• literature
  • Stewart C. Easton: Valentin Tomberg - a critical review
• believers and non-believers
  • pro:
    • Martin Kriele,
    • Willi Seiss (1922-), publisher of Tomberg's esoteric works
    • Robert Powell (see below)
  • con:
    • Zeylmans van Emmichhoven as the representative voice of the anthro community and society

Gennady Bondarev (1936-)

• Gennady Bondarev
  • Bondarev was the leader of the Russian Anthroposophical Society in Moscow in late Soviet times, when he was repeatedly interrogated by the KGB but escaped these interrogations unharmed. He was expelled from the Dornach Anthroposophical Society in 1998.

Sergei O. Prokofieff (1954-2014)

• Sergei O. Prokofieff wrote his first book while living in Soviet Russia. After the fall of Communism, he helped establish the Anthroposophical Society in Russia. In 2001, he became a member of the Executive Council of the General Anthroposophical Society at the Goetheanum in Switzerland. More than 30 of his books have been translated into English.
• Prokofieff's positioning:
  • attacking Judith von Halle
    • "Time-Journeys": A Counter-Image to Anthroposophical Spiritual Research (2013) is said to be a response to the book by Peter Tradowsky: ‘The Stigmata - Destiny as a Question of Knowledge’, which was itself a response to the appendix: ‘The Forces of the Phantom and Stigmatization’ included in the book by Sergei Prokofieff: ‘The Mystery of the Resurrection in the Light of Anthroposophy’ (2010).
    • a petition signed by a large number of people asked to take the Prokofieff book out attacking Van Halle out of distribution. Rumour goes the petition was signed by wealthy individuals of the Van Halle 'camp'.
  • attacking Valentin Tomberg
    • 'The Case of Valentin Tomberg: Anthroposophy Or Jesuitism?

• believers and non-believers
  • whereas Prokofieff has a following that swear by his book and general authentic contribution to anthroposophy, there is also a large population who finds his books chaotic and unclear and not consistent with Rudolf Steiner's teachings and general clarity

• literature on Prokofieff
  • Irina Gordienko: 'Sergei O. Prokofieff. Myth and Reality'
    • review by Kim Graae Munch

Robert A. Powell (1947-)

Robert A. Powell

• Powell's positioning: supporter of Tomberg
• literature
  • Robert Mason: 'The Work of Robert Powell. Some notes toward a critical review. (2008-2013)

Jesaiah Ben-Aharon (1955-)

• Yeshayahu (Jesaiah) Ben-Aharon founded the anthroposophical community of kibbutz Harduf (Israel) and is co-founder with Nicanor Perlas of the Global Network for Social Threefolding,

Judith von Halle (1972-)

• Judith von Halle's story or claim regarding stigmatization (references see profile link) caused a controversy in the anthro community in 2004. Peter Tradowsky was the first witness and supporter. Judith von Halle writes from own clairvoyant research.
• believers and non-believers
  • pro:
    • Peter Tradowsky, Wolfgang Garvelmann, Helmut Kiene, Rob Steinbuch (in NL)
    • Robert Powell
  • con
    • Sergei O. Prokofieff
    • Thomas Meyer, Adriana Koulias
• literature
  • Stefan Gyr: 'All Hell Breaks Loose in Dornach! or: the Judith von Halle Phenomenon' (in DE in 2012)
  • Open Letter regarding Prokofieff - Van Halle controversy (2013)
  • Prokofieff von Halle and the representative of humanity (blogpost 2021)
  • Judith von Halle 2004-2014 (blogpost in NL)
    • contains further links regarding the Prokofieff von Halle controversy

Others

• Hermann Keimeyer (1933-2016), see also profile1 and profile 2. He claimed to receive messages from the spiritual world, and received critique as a medium because of this. He stepped out of the Anthroposophical Society of which he was quite critical.

Related pages

• Sources of spiritual science
• The Michaelic stream

References and further reading

• Jostein Saether: Ich entscheide mich sowohl für Sergei O. Prokofieff als auch für Judith von Halle – eine geistige Wahl (link here)