In this valuable lecture Rudolf Steiner speaks with clarity about life after death, and explains how those on the earth can keep a connection with loved ones who have passed on. He describes the conditions in the environment of the dead, the advantages as well as the dangers of connecting with the dead, the importance of the moments of waking and going to sleep, the significance of dying in childhood and old age, and the appropriateness of different types of funeral services.

The twelve lectures include: ‘The Gospels, Buddha and the two Jesus children’; ‘Four varying depictions of Christ in the four Gospels’; ‘The Mission of the ancient Hebrew people’; ‘Preparations for an understanding of the Christ Event’; ‘On the right attitude to Anthroposophy’; ‘The Gospel of Matthew and the Christ conundrum’; ‘Group souls and Individuality’; ‘God within and the God in outer manifestation’; ‘The Christmas tree as a symbol’; and ‘A Christmas mood’. Translated by Christiana Bryan, this volume features an introduction by Tom Ravetz as well as notes and an index.

At the center of the evolution human consciousness is the Christ event. Today, we must experience the Christ within ourselves as light, life, and love. By adopting the appropriate path of knowledge, we can become citizens of the universe rather than "hermits" on the Earth.

These lectures are crucial reading for a deeper understanding of the anthroposophic view of our place as human beings in the cosmos.

Steiner reveals the hidden spiritual connection between the ancient Egyptian cultural period and our own, and discusses the importance of understanding this earlier culture with its profound wisdom, its knowledge of cosmic laws and the myths by which it understood the relationship between the human and divine worlds.