The Golem – an Old Prophetic Illustration of the Crisis of our Industrial Consumer Civilization and its Spirit

Since medieval times, there have been stories about figures made of clay animated by the name of God inscribed on their forehead. Initially these Golems were only symbolic of the power of God, but gradually this power was used for domestic tasks. These Golems easily followed the instructions of their makers, but had the critical feature of permanent growth, thus endangering – with no ill intent – the house and its inhabitants. The last Golem stories show desperate attempts to stop this destructive growth. This myth will allow us to look at our present-day collective civilisational situation.