Sect

Sect (Latin: secta "party, doctrine, school", from sequi, "to follow" in the sense of "followers of a particular doctrine") is an initially value-neutral term for a particular political, philosophical or religious doctrinal opinion and its adherents, probably also - echoing Latin: sector, "tailor" - for a particular controversial interpretation or a particular section of a comprehensive body of doctrine. In ancient Greek, the words heresy (from Greek: αἵρεσις haíresis "choice, view, school, heresy") or heterodoxy (from ἑτεροδοξία heterodoxia "different opinion") were used synonymously for it. The word sekta is first attested in the 3rd century BC by the Roman poet Gnaeus Naevius.

In the course of the disputes in the early Christian church, the term became increasingly negative. Today, the term is often used for religious or spiritual communities that are seen as problematic or dangerous, with some groups reinforcing this impression through strict self-segregation and a displayed sense of mission and elitism. It seems particularly alarming when members are aggressively recruited with missionary zeal, when members are practically "brainwashed" through psychological pressure and when they are exploited economically or even sexually.

Anthroposophy has not been spared the accusation of being a sect. However, the anthroposophical movement is rightly not mentioned in the sect reports of the churches or the municipal sponsors in connection with socially outlawed practices. There are no reports of manipulative membership recruitment or similar cult behaviour (see "Final Report of the Enquiry Commission on So-called Sects and Psychogroups" or Sect Report of the Berlin Senate Administration for Education, Youth and Sport 2002).

Rudolf Steiner himself always vigorously opposed any tendency towards sectarianism in the Anthroposophical Society. Sectarianism seemed to him to be an expression of a certain widespread laziness of thought, through which people would rather blindly submit to authority than think for themselves. Anthroposophy, on the other hand, must be based on the free insight of the individual.

„The Anthroposophical Society should really only consist of people who grow beyond the authoritative, who do not recognise any principle of authority at all, but only real insight. People outside can think so little of this that they always say: Anthroposophy is based on authority. - But precisely the opposite is the case, the principle of authority is to be transcended by that kind of insight which is cultivated in Anthroposophy.“ (Lit.:GA 310, p. 64f)

„We can really say to ourselves in our field that the most important thing for our time can be extracted from spiritual-scientific knowledge, and we must be careful not to misjudge this deeply serious and significant side of our spiritual-scientific movement. But we misjudge it, my dear friends, if we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by any kind of sectarianism, especially in the field of anthroposophically oriented spiritual knowledge. Everyone should consult himself with regard to the question: how much sectarianism is still in me? For the modern human movement aims at expelling all sectarianism from this human development, not to be sectarian, not to be abstract, but to be human-friendly, to gain broad points of view, not narrow, sectarian points of view. Inasmuch as from a certain point of view this movement of ours has grown out of the theosophical movement, it contains the germs of sectarian activity. But these germs must be stifled. The sectarian must be driven out.“ (Lit.:GA 189, p. 71)

„This, my dear friends, is what we must now consider again and again: that anthroposophy was not meant for the egoism of individual sectarians, but that it was meant as a cultural impulse of the present. Those who believed that they could serve anthroposophy by sectarian seclusion and sectarian activity have misunderstood anthroposophy. Certainly, the things that are to have a public effect must first be known, must for my sake first be carried on in the back of the mind; but it must not remain so. What lies in the anthroposophical impulse belongs to the world, does not belong to any sect. And everyone sins against anthroposophy itself if he pursues anthroposophical thoughts in a sectarian way. Therefore, now that the great question of time, the social question, appears, anthroposophy must put its word into this social question. That is its task. And it must, so to speak, go beyond all sectarian tendencies which, unfortunately, have become so widespread in the Anthroposophical Society. In this respect we shall have to go into ourselves in order to elevate all sectarian inclinations in our soul to cultural inclinations. For only out of this field of spiritual science, out of the inclination to make spiritual life alive in our materialistic time, can a real transformation of spiritual life, of the school and teaching system come about.“ (Lit.:GA 192, p. 182f)

Literature

• Rudolf Steiner: Die soziale Frage als Bewußtseinsfrage, GA 189 (1980), ISBN 3-7274-1890-7 Template:Vorträge
• Rudolf Steiner: Geisteswissenschaftliche Behandlung sozialer und pädagogischer Fragen, GA 192 (1991), ISBN 3-7274-1920-2 Template:Vorträge
• Rudolf Steiner: Der pädagogische Wert der Menschenerkenntnis und der Kulturwert der Pädagogik, GA 310 (1989), ISBN 3-7274-3100-8 Template:Vorträge

References to the work of Rudolf Steiner follow Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works (CW or GA), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach/Switzerland, unless otherwise stated. Email: verlag@steinerverlag.com URL: www.steinerverlag.com. Index to the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner - Aelzina Books A complete list by Volume Number and a full list of known English translations you may also find at Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works Rudolf Steiner Archive - The largest online collection of Rudolf Steiner's books, lectures and articles in English. Rudolf Steiner Audio - Recorded and Read by Dale Brunsvold steinerbooks.org - Anthroposophic Press Inc. (USA) Rudolf Steiner Handbook - Christian Karl's proven standard work for orientation in Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works for free download as PDF.