agenda. In contrast, some American educators have criticized Waldorf schools for failing to equally include the fables and myths of all cultures, instead favoring European stories over African ones. From the mid-1930s on, National Socialist ideologues attacked the anthroposophical worldview as being opposed to Nazi racist and nationalistic principles; anthroposophy considered "Blood, Race and Folk" as primitive instincts that must be overcome. An academic analysis of the educational approach in public schools noted that "[A] naive version of the evolution of consciousness, a theory foundational to both Steiner's anthroposophy and Waldorf education, sometimes places one race below another in one or another dimension of development. It is easy to imagine why there are disputes [...] about Waldorf educators' insisting on teaching Norse tales and Greek myths to the exclusion of African modes of discourse." In response to such critiques, the Anthroposophical Society in America published in 1998 a statement clarifying its stance: We explicitly reject any racial theory that may be construed to be part of Rudolf Steiner's writings. The Anthroposophical Society in America is an open, public society and it rejects any purported spiritual or scientific theory on the basis of which the alleged superiority of one race is justified at the expense of another race. Tommy Wieringa, a Dutch writer who grew among Anthroposophists, commenting upon an essay by the Anthroposophist , he wrote "It was a meeting of old acquaintances: Nazi leaders such as Rudolf Hess and Heinrich Himmler already recognized a kindred spirit in Rudolf Steiner, with his theories about racial purity, esoteric medicine and biodynamic agriculture." The racism of Anthroposophy is spiritual and paternalistic (i.e. benevolent), while the racism of fascism is materialistic and often malign. See also Esotericism in Germany and Austria Pneumatosophy Spiritual but not religious References External links Rudolf Steiner Archive (Steiner's works online) Steiner's complete works in German Rudolf Steiner Handbook (PDF; 56 MB) Goetheanum Societies General Anthroposophical Society Anthroposophical Society in America Anthroposophical Society in Great Britain Anthroposophical Initiatives in India Anthroposophical Society in Australia Anthroposophical Society in New Zealand Esoteric Christianity Esoteric schools of thought Rudolf Steiner Spirituality