Lord of the Elements: Interweaving Christianity and Nature

The four classical elements of earth, water, air, and fire are present in Genesis and continue to be significant throughout Christianity. Different streams of thought, such as the School of Chartres, and Celtic Christianity, have emphasized the elements in different ways. In this unique book, Bastiaan Baan, an experienced spiritual thinker, brings these elements together with ideas from Rudolf Steiner's Anthroposophy. He considers, in particular, how elemental beings--nature spirits--relate to the four elements, and explores the role of elemental beings in our world. This is a fascinating and original work on the connections between Christianity and the natural world. Table of Contents What is matter The path through the elements in the mystery centres Lord of the elements Elemental beings Genesis and the four elements The elements in the New Testament John the alchemist The elements and the sacraments The School of Chartres and the goddess Natura Elemental beings in nature Natural disasters Seeing with other eyes Elemental beings in art and science The role of the angelic hierarchies and the adversary powers New developments and experiences Elemental beings in future

Bastiaan Baan worked as a teacher in the Netherlands before being ordained in 1981. He was a Christian Community priest in the Netherlands and is currently director of the priests’ seminary in Spring Valley, NY. He lectures widely, and has written many books. Lord of the Elements is his first book to be published in English.