Eco-Alchemy: Anthroposophy and the History and Future of Environmentalism

by Dan McKanan

For nearly a century, the worldwide anthroposophical movement has been a catalyst for environmental activism, helping to bring to life many modern ecological practices such as organic farming, community-supported agriculture, and green banking. Yet the spiritual practice of anthroposophy remains unknown to most environmentalists. A historical and ethnographic study of the environmental movement, Eco-Alchemy  uncovers for the first time the profound influences of anthroposophy and its founder, Rudolf Steiner, whose holistic worldview, rooted in esoteric spirituality, inspired the movement. Dan McKanan shows that environmentalism is itself a complex ecosystem and that it would not be as diverse or as transformative without the contributions of anthroposophy.

306 pages, Paperback

Published November 7, 2017

Reviews

[Daria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Provides a very useful introduction and overview of the relationship between anthroposophy and environmentalism. I really enjoyed the historiographic approach of the author in his account of how the movement has developed over the years. I particularly enjoyed the sections in which he discusses Rudolf Steiner’s ideas in the broader perspective of scientific approaches during his time.