Library of The Christian Community

The Library

Librarian:
The librarian is Robyn.
Opening hours:
Check with the church office.
The library is open to anyone wishing to read a book on the premises.
Library membership:
Membership is open to congregants of the Church of Lazarus.
Membership fees:
A joining fee of R300.
Annual membership of R100.
Loan period:
Books may be loaned for 3 calendar months.

Review of books in the library

Caspar Hauser - The Enigma of a Century by Jakob Wassermann

Reviewed by Robyn de Klerk

In 1828, a youth appeared on the streets of Nuremburg with a letter in his hand. He could not speak or communicate other than to say that he wished to be a cavalryman as his father had been.

Thought at first to be some kind of wildling, Caspar aroused much interest among the people with large crowds coming to look at him in the tower where he was at first kept. There was a gentleness as well as an extreme sensitivity to him that intrigued those who came into contact with him. The mystery surrounding his origin only grew with his claim that he was raised in isolation in a dark cell, living on bread and water with a small wooden horse as his favourite toy.

Caspar went on to live with different teachers and spent some time with a British nobleman who seemed to be trying to ascertain whether Caspar was in fact a prince who had been done away with as part of some royal scheme. Harassed and taunted for both his naïve nature and the stories that swirled around him, the dream that Caspar would return to a place of beauty where people would treat him with kindness lived powerfully in him.

A remark by Rudolf Steiner highlights the importance of doing so: ‘If Caspar Hauser had not lived and died as he did, contact between the earth and the spiritual world would have been completely severed.’

This book is a gift to the library and congregation from Rev. Malcolm Allsop - October 2017.

Notes on Contributors
Mick Gordon is a theatre director and dramatist. He is the founding Artistic Director of On Theatre and was Associate Director of London’s Natonal Theatre and Artistic Director of London’s Gate Theatre. His plays include Grace, On Love, On Death, On Ego and On Religion.
Chris Wilkinson is an award-winning theatre director and journalist He has written for the Scotsman, The Financial Times, Prospect Magazine and the Guardian (online).
Muhammad Yusuf Al Hussaini is an lmam and a research fellow of the Interfaith Alliance.
Karen Anustrong’s first book Through the Narrow Gate (1981) described her seven years as a nun in a Roman Catholic order. It became a bestseller. Since 1982 she has been a freelance writer and broadcaster.
Don Cupitt is an ordained priest and a fellow of Emmanuel College Cam bridge. He lectured on the philosophy of religion for over 30 years between 1965 and 1996 and has written over 40 books on the subject.
Professor Richard Dawkins is an evolutionary biologist and holds the Charles Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford. His books include The Selfish Gene and The God Delusion. He recently founded The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science.
Dr Abdelwahab El Affendi is a senior research fellow at the Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster and a co-ordinator of the Centre’s Democracy and Islam programme he was a member of the core team of authors for the UN’s Arab Human Development Report 2004.
Sir Jonathan Sacks is the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. His books include The Politic of Hope and The Dignity of Difference.
Dr Azzam Tamimi Is the Director of the London-based Institute of Islamic Po!itical Thought (IIPT). His most recent book, Hamas: Unwritten Chapters, was published by C. Hurst & Co. in November 2006. He is a regular Commentator on a number of Arabic satellite channels Including Aljazzeera and Alhiwar and frequently makes appearances on a number of English channels.
Rev. Dr Fraser Watts is Reader in Theology and Science at the University of Cambridge, and Director of the Psychology and Religion Research Group, and a Fellow of Queen’s College. He is a former President of the British Psychological Society, and is a Vicar-Chaplain of St Edward’s Church in Cambridge.
Ann Widdecombe has been a Conservative MP for Maidstone since 1987. She has held various ministerial positions including Minister of State for Prisons and Immigration and Under Secretary of State in the Department of Employment. She has written four novels.
Rowan Williams is a distinguished theologian and as Archbishop of Canterbury is head of the worldwide Anglican communion.
Professor Lewis Wolpert is a distinguished developmental biologist, and is an emeritus professor at University College. He is the author of Six Important Things Before Breakfast. His son Matthew is a writer and comedian.
Giles Fraser is the Vicar of Putney and formerly lecturer in philosophy at Wadham College, Oxford. He writes for the Guardian and the Church Times and is a regular contributor to Radio 4’s Thought for the Day.
Professor John Grey is Emeritus Professor at the University of London. His books include Straw Dogs, Al Qaeda and What it Means to be Modern, Heresies and Black Mass – Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia.
Professor A. C. Grayling is Professor of Philosophy at Birkbeck College, University of London, and a Supernumerary Fellow of St. Anne’s College, Oxford. He is the author of numerous philosophical books, and is a distinguished literary journalist and broadcaster. His most recent books are Towards the Light, published by Bloomsbury, and The Choice of Hercules, published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson. He is a Contributing Editor of Prospect magazine, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Shelina Zahra Janmohamed is a writer and commentator on British Islam. She was born and brought up in London and studied at New College, Oxford. She writes her own blog at www.spirit21.co.uk. She has
also been published in the mainstream press and appears on TV and radio to comment on Islam, Muslim and Muslim women’s issues. She writes regularly for The Muslim News, the UK’s most widely circulated Muslim newspaper. She is involved in developing social and cultural events for young British Muslims, as part of creating a new British Muslim culture and identity. Shelina works in the technology industry and is married and lives in London.
Professor Alister McGrath is Professor of Historical Theology at Oxford University. His recent books include: The Twilight of Atheism and Dawkins’ God: Genes, Memes and the Meaning of Life.
Baroness Julia Neuberger was one of the first female rabbis and is a Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords. Her most recent book is The Moral State We’re In.
Professor Tariq Ramadan is a fellow of St. Anthony’s College, Oxford, Deshisha University (Kyoto, Japan) and at the Lokahi Foundation (London), He is a Visiting Professor(in charge of the chair: Identity and Citizenship) at Erasmus University (Holland). He is the author of several books including Western Muslims and the Future of Islam and In The Footsteps of the Prophet.

For a review of this book click here.

These books were donated to the library by Thomas Holtz.

Thomas has studied with Otto Scharmer and has given lectures on Theory U and Presencing at The Christian Community and at the Anhtorposophical Society.

Back cover review:
Perlas gives an overview of the phenomenon of AI, together with its related transhuman concepts of ‘perfecting humanity’ and outlines the critical internal and external responses required to meet them with consciousness. In particular, he addresses the movement connected to the work of R Steiner, indicating its all-important tasks: to cooperate with progressive individuals and movements, including scientists and civil society activists; to mobilize its ‘daughter’ movements for action and, ultimately, to cooperate with the spiritual powers that have guided and served humanity since the dawn of time. This, says the author is humanity’s last stand, and failure is not an option.

Reviewed by Lola Kirigin (23rd January 2019)

“HUMANITY’S LAST STAND - The Challenge of Artificial Intelligence (AI) –
A Spiritual-Scientific Response”
- by Nicanor Perlas

The essential questions, addressed and challenged are :

What image of the human being stands behind Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
The illusion and dangers of Transhumanism and “perfecting humanity” vs.
what it means to be truly Human?
Can we understand the nature and purpose of human freedom?

This book is a synthesis of dozens of lectures on AI from around the world given by the author, in the last three years leading up to its publication in 2018.
560 References to sources : books, articles, interviews and websites - from diverse quarters, providing details of :

The latest technological advances – for good or ill use by humanity at large
Individualities and world powers who are working feverishly towards the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI)?
The Benefits, Impacts and Consequences of AI/AGI/ASI
Who is cautioning regarding the dangers this poses to the broad values and priorities of humanity? (Elon Musk, the late Steven Hawking, Bill Gates, Thomas Diettrich, Stuart Russell)
Who is seeking power through it and why?
Who are humanity’s mighty Helpers, waiting to assist us, respecting the dignity of human freedom?
How are we to prepare our consciousness (inner level) for the spiritual onslaught?
How to engage with technology and diverse individuals and movements (outer level) to collectively address these challenges in the world?
Rich resources of Anthroposophical literature that offer innovative philosophical, ontological and social alternatives – by authors such as Rudolf Steiner (especially the book “Philosophy of Spiritual Activity”), Sergei O. Prokofieff, and the lesser known Peter Heusser, author of “Anthroposophy and Science”.

New understandings and discoveries of Science (worldwide) corroborating with Spiritual Science, such as the fields of Quantum Physics, Astrophysics, Neuroscience, and Epigenetic Biology

“Amazing untapped potentials reside in the human being that can be used to address the temptations of super health, super intelligence, super strength and physical immortality promised by the advocates of sophisticated AI/AGI/ASI” - Nicanor Perlas

Thanks to Thea Kreft for alerting me to this book and Elmarie Vuren for editing this review – Lola Kirigin, 23rd January 2019

(This book is available on Kindle.)

Reviewed by Yvonne Bester

Here we have a series of discussions with highly erudite people.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the chief rabbi of London, non-believers, even a deflected nun give their ideas on God, faith and spirituality and their relationship to religion.

I found the Islamic discussion of particular interest - these broaden our view on a faith synonymous with violence. We are encouraged to look differently at other religions which are, according to Toraq Plamadan, "just a way to remind us of God".

According to the Chinese saying: "when the wise man is pointing to the moon, it is the fool who is looking at the finger".

The Imam Mohammed Al Husseini tells us to concentrate on the real issue - that of translating our spirituality into a code for our community and a basis for our lives.

Reviewed by Rev. Malcolm Allsop

The Circle of Seven has produced a very fine publication about themselves and aspects of The Christian Community. Simply titled “Circle of Seven. Executive Committee”, each member of this central body introduces themselves and shares some of their involvements, hopes and observations (See opening contemplation). Other central organs, e.g. the Foundation, the Seminaries, etc. are also introduced. That it has been immediately published in English as well is particularly welcome and two copies are in the library for general reading. NB. As with the quarterly journal “Perspectives”, library copies are library copies and preferably stay in the library. Please, if you do borrow such booklets or journals, i.e. take them out of the library, leave a note to that effect. Thanks, and fruitful reading.

Our library has a substantial collection of books written by Christian Community priests who explore this, such as: Free from Dogma Theological Reflections in The Christian Community by Tom Ravetz.

In the first half, Tom Ravetz addresses questions about God, the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Holy Spirit and evil. In the second half, he traces humanity’s journey from oneness, to multiplicity, and to a new oneness through community.

‘Seek the light that rises in the west’ has been recently donated to The Christian Community library.

"A true philosophia satisfies the desire of the scientist for clear, pure, objective thinking as well as the common human need for an answer to life's questions which rise powerfully from the life of feeling and will'".

From an author who understands, experiences and therefore is able to articulate "living thinking" i.e. – observing the activity of thinking itself rather than the content of thinking, as usually experienced in ordinary thinking.

Through study and meditation of Rudolf Steiner's book 'The Philosophy of Freedom' a whole independent inner development started.

In her first book 'Seek the light that rises in the west', she describes this development as a possibility for each person in our time.

It is the foundation for all her following books in which she repeatedly expresses the importance of independent, active thinking.

During her work as a General Practitioner she experienced the necessity of that, all the time.

Why not start with the picture on the cover: a sandy beach, water lapping the shoreline and a clear blue sky above. Just where sand and water meet stands a cluster of long, slender branches, tepee-like in form, with some silver tinsel loosely strung around them, and a silver star fixed to the tallest branch, the silver catching the sunlight. A Christmas tree – perhaps? Summer, judging by the cloudless sky and with the eye of a Northerner. Winter, judging by the length of the shadow thrown by the ‘Christmas tree”.

This picture almost says it all regarding the book and Martin Samson’s stated intention:
How do we celebrate the Christian festivals, in different cultures and places of the earth? To what extent are they related to, or expressing something of the local season? Are our symbols fixed, (e.g. a fir tree at Christ’s birthday) or can we be imaginative, listening to what lies behind the symbols and within the particular festival? Do we need to be polemic in such matters, arguing ‘our’ case?

With regard to the last point, the book-title and subtitle are worth repeating:
A book written by someone from the southern hemisphere, looking at the theme of festivals there where his expertise lies. Secondly, the subtitle, “ Insights into Cosmic and Seasonal Aspects of the Whole Earth”. Throughout the book, whether referring to and quoting Dr Rudolf Steiner or sharing his own musings and experiences, the strong impression is of someone concerned for grasping the whole. The author doesn’t come across as defending his ground, in a field where positions are often very strongly defended.

A welcome publication, therefore. Timely too, as it builds to some extent on previous publications which, in looking at ways to celebrate the festivals in the North, have also cast a sideways glance to the relevance of their suggestions for the Southerners.(e.g. R. Druitt, in Rudolf Steiner Press, Louise Schlesselmann in Verlag Freies Geistesleben.)

A summarising quote from the book itself captures the author’s main message:
“…The new festivals for our time must find their source and content out of the human being, and then, through our activity in the festival, we give the course of the year its new expression that enables it to be a platform of revelation for the Christ” (Ch. 3, p.59).”
This appears again in his closing pages when looking briefly at creating festivals, he says,
”…Each one of us has to create the content of the mystery of a festival in our soul and then build festivals out of that inner communion” ( p179).

This book could well lift the on-going discussion to a new level.

Reveiw by Rev. Malcolm Allsop