A Harvard Divinity School Conference on the Teaching of Gurdjieff

OVERVIEW:

Celebrating the centenary anniversary of his visit and Movements performance at Harvard, the conference will focus on the legacy and teachings of G.I. Gurdjieff, a charismatic philosopher, mystic, spiritual teacher, composer, and "dance teacher“ from the early twentieth century. Gurdjieff taught the “Fourth Way”, which was aimed to connect practices involving emotions, body and mind, as a way of reaching higher states of consciousness, and awakening from the state of “waking sleep”.

The conference is hosted by the Harvard Divinity School's Center for the Study of Word Religions under the guidance of its director, Prof. Charles Stang. Planned in partnership with Prof. Carole Cusack from the University of Sydney and the Gurdjieff Society of Massachusetts, the conference will create a large forum for practitioners and scholars from within and outside of the Gurdjieff world to join in conversations, exchanges, and reflections on the spiritual and scientific inspirations that influenced Gurdjieff, the embodied practices that were at the core of his teachings, as well as their related cultural productions.

Due to the high demand for seating, the event is now over-subscribed, and there is a lengthy wait list. However, the conference will be lives-treamed. The link will be available, here and through Harvard, prior to the conference.

If you have questions about the conference, please be in touch with us at info@gurdjieffsocietymass.org.

THE SCHEDULE:

A Conference on the Teaching of Gurdjieff

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

5:00-8:00 pm

Welcome Remarks (Charles Stang, Carole Cusack, Alexandre de Salzmann)

Thursday, December 5, 2024

9:00 am

Opening Remarks (Charles Stang, Director of the Center for the Study of World Religions)

9:15-10 am 

Morning Keynote

“G. I. Gurdjieff, the Work, and the Academic Study of Religion and Esotericism” (Carole Cusack, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Sydney, Australia)

10-11:15 am 

Panel 1: Spiritual and Scientific Influences that Shaped Gurdjieff and His Teachings 

“Knowledge of the West” (Charles Langmuir)

“G.I. Gurdjieff as Cosmopolitan of Early 20th Century: Transformation in Translation” (Michael Pittman)

“Understanding of the East” (Ravi Ravindra)

A talk by Steven Sutcliffe

11:15-11:30 am

Coffee break

11:30-12:45 pm

Panel 2: Embodied Wisdom

“The question Remains of the Body” (David Appelbaum)

“Gurdjieff, Alchemy, and the Emerald Tablet” (Joseph Azize)

“Gurdjieff, Phenomenology, and Embodied Wisdom” (David Seamon)

“The Gurdjieff Movements: An Introductory Exploration” (Laurie Morrocco)                                        

12:45 – 1:45 pm   

Lunch

1:45 – 3:00 pm

Afternoon Keynote

“Mr. Gurdjieff's Original Approach to Life” (Alexandre de Salzmann)

Panel 3: Values of the Gurdjieff Teaching

An exploration with Cynthia Bourgeault and Roger Lipsey

3:00-3:15 pm

Coffee break

3:15-4:30 pm   

Panel 4: Cultural productions

“G.I. Gurdjieff in the Theatre: The Fourth Way of Jerzy Grotowski” (Catharine Dada)

“Images of Cosmic Descent” (Richard Temple)

A talk by Charles Ketcham

“Objective Art: The Influence of Gurdjieff’s Esoteric Aesthetics on American Literature (Jon Woodson)  

5:00 pm    

Piano Performance: the Gurdjieff-de Hartmann Music (Cecilia Ignatieff, Charles Ketcham)