Gurdjieff: A Critical Introduction

George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff (c.1866-1949) is acknowledged as one of the most influential early teachers of a hybridised Eastern-Western esoteric spiritual tradition, and one of a few key influences on the contemporary New Age Movement and a myriad other alternative spiritualities and new religions. Positioning Gurdjieff’s teachings within the field of New Religious Movements, this book examines the ‘Work’ (as Gurdjieff’s system is commonly called), including his teachings presented in writings, music, and exercises known as ‘Movements’. This critical introduction to the Gurdjieff tradition also provides an analysis of problems with unreliable sources and auto-mythology, examines major pupils and successors, and shows how the ‘Work’ functions in the contemporary spiritual marketplace. Offering an excellent introduction to anyone unfamiliar with Gurdjieff and his context, this book also provides further depth for scholars and an invaluable companion to literature examining Blavatsky, Steiner, Theosophy, and Anthroposophy.