7 Lectures, various cities, Nov. 29, 1917-Oct. 16, 1918 (CW 182)"Death as Metamorphosis of Life is a brilliant, exceptional collection. The lectures are intimate, existential, profound, and transformative: they address us in our soul lives--where we live, and where we strive for spiritual experience.... They make clear the necessary and living bond that must unite the inner work of Anthroposophists--the day-to-day inner, spiritual work in our ordinary lives--and the outer work of Anthroposophy: the manifestation of spirit in life; that is, the tasks of service that we take on in the world.... Steiner understood that, if Anthroposophy or spiritual wisdom does not live and grow as a spiritual reality in the souls of those who claim to practice it, then the practical wisdom--their actions in the world as called for by the spirit of the times--will come to nothing." -- Christopher Bamford (introduction)The lectures in Death as Metamorphosis of Life address us in our soul life and speak to our hearts. They make clear the bond that must unite our inner, spiritual work and the outer work of manifesting spirit in life. For, if spiritual wisdom does not live and grow as a reality in the souls of those who practice it, then the practical wisdom of service called for by the spirit of the times will come to nothing.The particular realities that Rudolf Steiner focuses on are twofold: working with the dead (and the spiritual hierarchies) and coming to know the Christ. What these two have in common is that they are both Earth-centered. They teach us the fundamental importance of everyday human destiny and earthly life--not just for humanity, but also for divinity and the cosmos. We learn not only what the dead can teach us about the spiritual world and the working of the hierarchies, but also what it means to be human in a spiritual sense. We learn of the importance of working with the dead and the angelic worlds, both for our own and for their development, as well as for the future evolution of the Earth.The Mystery of Golgotha is equally important; we must understand it spiritually. As Steiner says, "It is the will of the gods that the most important event on Earth must compel us to spirituality." The Christ must be experienced inwardly, not historically. At the same time, he must be found on Earth--for instance, in human destiny. The more we become aware of what is secretly, invisibly, and unconsciously working in our lives, the closer we will come to working with