Reviews for The Making of Christian Myths in the Periphery of Latin Christendom (ca. 1000-1300)

The average rating for The Making of Christian Myths in the Periphery of Latin Christendom (ca. 1000-1300) based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-07-19 00:00:00 Jason Mcbride I'd long been curious about what the deal was between those two, Gurdjieff and Ouspensky. In addition to providing an introduction to the concepts of the work, Lachman clearly illuminates for me the sadomasochism in the esoteric teacher-student relationship. I have experienced that state of mind myself, where the mind whirrs in circles trying to interpret the teacher's demands -- what I mostly learned is that my mind has an endless ability to create unusual gestalts from limited teaching input. Lachman, once a student of the work, does not editorialize, but rather allows the story to reveal the lessons of this occult relationship. It's much better that way. Lachman allows the ambivalence of Gurdjieff's character to emerge -- was he a classic kind of charlatan, what with his history as a hypnotist and his cruel techniques? Or was this questionable self-presentation part of his teaching, which was genuinely rooted in a deep esoteric understanding? Whatever the case, Gurdjieff did gather and use a lot of enthusiastic students as his guinea pigs, and he must have learned something valuable from them as a group. As for Ouspensky, Lachman makes much of his turnabout at the end of his life. I myself read this part of the biography with astonishment. Because Ouspensky finished his career with a bizarre repudiation of the work, telling his students shocking things like: There is no system. Who tells you that you are mechanical, that you are asleep? All that is necessary is that you know what you want, and aim for that. Think for yourself.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-04-15 00:00:00 Chris Pochis A fantastic book which explores the enigma of the student-guru relationship between two very individual, unique and equally independent thinkers of the early-to-mid 20th century. Ouspenky's contribution to intellectual thought, I believe, is more palatable than Gurdjieff's obscure works. I also particularly enjoyed the atmosphere generated around the time Ouspensky and others discussed the fourth-dimension in St. Petersburg's cafe, The Stray Dog. Lachman evokes a sense of intense intellectual development and gives a wonderful insight into the zeitgeist of the times. Lachman presents Ouspensky as an interesting and pioneering philosopher in his own right; cementing Ouspensky as an important figure on his own terms, rather than being merely the first port of call for anyone who wants to understand Gurdjieff's 'System'. The author of Tertium Organum and A New Model of the Universe is here presented as a genuine visionary and an honest seeker of higher-states of consciousness. I found this to be one of Lachman's most literary and evocative of biographies that I've read so far.