Being challenged by the perspectives of others. ​A new platform for lecturers in anthroposophy in professional settings

The teaching of anthroposophy in professional settings is still informed by its origins in the German-speaking realm. Given the dissemination of anthroposophy around the globe and the changing of societal values, the Goetheanum Adult Education Program asks for forms of conveying anthroposophy that are suited to our time.

The teaching of Biodynamic Agriculture, Anthroposophic Medicine and Waldorf Education relies on specialist knowledge and insights into ‘general anthroposophy’, but the way anthroposophical contents are taught are still informed by their late nineteenth and early twentieth century origins. The faculty of the Goetheanum Adult Education Program therefore invites lecturers and adult educators to come together and develop forms of conveying anthroposophy that are suited to our time. The academic discourse and the challenges of state certification will have to be increasingly considered, as will societal developments such as the legacy of colonialization, interreligious dialogue and sensitivity to gender identity.

Florian Osswald, co-leader of the Pedagogical Section at the Goetheanum, is one of the faculty members. For him it is important to be aware of what Rudolf Steiner considered essential when he conceived the Waldorf curriculum, for instance. “I can still learn from that today, but I cannot simply adopt the contents because they belong to a particular time and were required by the circumstances then.”

Robin Schmidt, also a faculty member and lecturer at the International Anthroposophical Studies at the Goetheanum, explains why it cannot be a question of simply providing recipes, “Different people have different ways of working with the same material or method. This is why we wish to facilitate the sharing of individual and authentic experiences with unlocking anthroposophy and provide the possibility for people to be challenged by the perspectives of others.” The Goetheanum Adult Education Program aims to create a space for professionalizing the work of lecturers in anthroposophy and to encourage networking.