“In this way it teaches that the “exoteric” church of Peter will make way for the “esoteric” church of John, which will be that of perfect freedom.”
The passage comes from Meditations on the Tarot (published anonymously in 1985, but widely attributed to Valentin Tomberg, a 20th-century Christian esotericist who had previously been involved with Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy before converting to Catholicism).
In the book (specifically in the section on the Pope arcanum / letter), Tomberg describes a teaching that circulates in certain esoteric Christian, Hermetic, Rosicrucian, and related circles.
What this teaching means in context
This is not official Catholic doctrine (in fact, the Catholic Church has historically viewed such ideas with suspicion, seeing them as potentially schismatic or millenarian). It is a prophetic/esoteric interpretation of church history and spiritual evolution that has circulated since at least the time of Joachim of Fiore (12th century) and was revived in modern esoteric Christianity, Theosophy, Anthroposophy, and Rosicrucian streams.
The core idea contrasts two archetypal “churches” or spiritual impulses within Christianity, symbolized by the two most prominent disciples:
- The Church of Peter (“exoteric” = outer, public, institutional)
- Represents the visible, hierarchical, structured, authoritative, dogmatic, and sacramental church
- Centered on the papacy (Peter as the “rock” on which the Church is built – Matthew 16:18)
- Focused on law, order, tradition, communal discipline, and preservation of doctrine for the masses
- It is the church of the “head” that makes decisions, guards orthodoxy, and maintains the institution through time
- The Church of John (“esoteric” = inner, hidden, mystical)
- Symbolized by John the Evangelist, the “disciple whom Jesus loved,” who leaned on Christ’s breast at the Last Supper and heard the heartbeat of the Master
- Represents contemplative, mystical, heart-centered, direct spiritual experience and gnosis (intuitive, living knowledge of divine realities)
- Emphasizes freedom, love, individual spiritual awakening, and inner transformation
- Associated with the deepest mysteries of the Incarnation, the Holy Spirit, and the coming “age of the Spirit”
According to this teaching (as described — and critiqued — by Tomberg), some esoteric currents claim that:
- We are approaching (or already in) the end of the “epoch of Peter”
- The institutional, exoteric church (especially the papacy as its visible symbol) will decline, be “replaced,” or lose its central role
- It will give way to a new spiritual era dominated by the spirit of John — a more interior, free, universal, and mystical form of Christianity without heavy external structure (“perfect freedom”)
Tomberg’s own position
Interestingly, Tomberg does not endorse this replacement theory. He presents it as a widespread idea among esotericists of his time (early-mid 20th century), but then argues against a simple replacement or opposition between the two.
He stresses that the true future lies in the union and mutual support of both impulses:
- The Church of Peter provides the necessary structure, protection, and communal foundation (without which esotericism easily degenerates into fantasy or heresy)
- The Church of John supplies the living heart, mystical depth, and spiritual vitality (without which the institution becomes a hollow shell)
In his view, the ideal is integration — the Petrine (exoteric) church animated and inwardly nourished by the Johannine (esoteric) spirit — rather than one superseding the other.
Broader context
This motif appears in various forms in:
- Joachim of Fiore’s “Age of the Spirit” (after the Age of the Father and Age of the Son)
- Rosicrucian streams
- Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy (which speaks of future development of freer, more individualized spirituality while still valuing the historical church impulse)
- Various modern Christian esoteric and Hermetic writers
The phrase therefore reflects a long-standing esoteric hope (or prophecy) of a coming spiritual transformation of Christianity — moving from predominantly institutional obedience toward mystical freedom and direct experience — though different authors interpret whether this will be a gentle evolution, a dramatic shift, or (as Tomberg preferred) a conscious synthesis of both aspects.