A Harvard Divinity School Conference: The Legacy and Teaching of G. I. 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 live-streamed. Please pre-register for the events you wish to attend by live-stream.

Complete details about the conference and the link for life-streamaing are now available here: https://gurdjieff.hsites.harvard.edu.

You may view the biographies of the speakers and panelists here: https://gurdjieff.hsites.harvard.edu/speakers

Live-streaming links are also listed below.

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

THE SCHEDULE:

A Conference on the Legacy and Teaching of Gurdjieff

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Live-stream:  https://harvard.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZJJ7EkJ1R82HLCokKh6Fdg 

5:00-8:00 pm

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

Thursday, December 5, 2024

Live-stream:  https://harvard.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zVYfE-0LTsKQUub6HYM9KA

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)

“After Presence: How Memoirs Re-Member Gurdjieff’s Charisma” (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 and Value of the Gurdjieff Teaching

“Gurdjieffian Scholarship as Third Force” (Cynthia Bourgeault)

“The eighteenth commandment: What are the values of the Gurdjieff teaching?” (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)

“The Role of Music as an Essential Influence in Gurdjieff’s Teaching” (Charles Ketcham)

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

5:00 pm    

Live-stream: https://harvard.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dIl9GlSRQBmfvLXH0ZXfAw

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