George Gurdjieff, a Greek-Armenian spiritual teacher, is a significant figure in Western esoteric thought and modern spirituality. This book examines his magnum opus, "Beelzebub's Tales," focusing on the self and its development to offer an innovative approach to studying Sufism within Gurdjieff's system. It critically examines the content and context of his teachings, providing a valuable resource for students and scholars of religious and Islamic studies.
Twentieth-century scholars proposed universal characteristics of Western esotericism, notably Antoine Faivre's intrinsic and extrinsic traits and Wouter Hanegraaff's typology. This article examines George Ivanovich Gurdjieff (c. 1866–1949), a Russian spiritual teacher who developed a personal perfection method, and whose place in esoteric history is debated. Analyzing Gurdjieff's teachings and his handling of esoteric subjects, the article suggests Faivre's and Hanegraaff's frameworks are partly applicable. It argues that the uncertainty stems from both the specifics of Gurdjieff's system, which are crucial to defining his esotericism, and limitations of the empirical historical approach.