Teilhard De Chardin

by Doran McCarty

Chardin is one of those unusual men who fit no mold and cannot be easily labeled. The greater portion of his thinking and writing has to do with the future- the future of man and society.

149 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1991

Reviews

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A GENERALLY "POSITIVE' EVANGELICAL ASSESSMENT OF TEILHARD

This 1976 book is part of the "Makers of the Modern Theological Mind" series by Word; Doran McCarty is professor of Christian ministry and leadership at Talbot School of Theology and president of The McIntosh Church Growth Network, a church consulting firm. He has written a number of other books.

McCarty states in the Preface, "The thought of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin burst upon the world after his death almost without warning, because during his lifetime he was prevented by his superiors in the Roman Catholic church from propagating and printing his ideas... Teilhard has had many interpreters---some good and some not so good... Teilhard's thought has been very stimulating to me personally. His ideas have been seeds for my own thought... there may be instances when I have not been able to separate Teilhard from McCarty."

In his "Teilhard the Man" chapter, McCarty points out that "Above all Teilhard was a Roman Catholic. As a member of the Jesuit Order he attempted to live obediently, from his own perspective, to his vows. He refused to leave the church when he was denied the imprimatur. He also refused to publish without it. He sought the favor of the officials of the church in order to publish, and when refused, he attempted to show in private that his ideas were acceptable rather than make public attacks." (Pg. 26) McCarty suggests that Henri de Lubac's study of Teilhard (Teilhard de Chardin: the man and his meaning) "exaggerates the emphasis of Teilhard (especially Teilhard's adoration of the Virgin Mary)." (Pg. 32)

McCarty observes, "Perhaps the strangest thing about Teilhard's thought is the absence of any discussion about creation. There are many places where it would seem natural to discuss the original starting point of the universe, but Teilhard does not do so." (Pg. 46) He also suggests that his superiors' prohibition of publication was the "greatest disservice" done to Teilhard, since his statements and views were not debated in public forums, "where he could have explained, clarified or sharpened any of his points." (Pg. 60)

McCarty points out that "Two of the most famous biologists of the twentieth century (Julian Huxley and Theodosius Dobzhansky) have expressed appreciation for Teilhard." Huxley "found in Teilhard an eloquent spokesman from whom he could learn... Dobzhansky... has suggested that there is no reason for orthogenesis not to be appropriate in biological science." (Pg. 121)

McCarty's book provides some very useful insights into Teilhard and his philosophy.

[Ben Rauscher · Rating 4 out of 5]

In general this served as a great introduction to de Chardin’s life and thought. He sometimes uses words from his own made-up vocabulary in his books, and his books can be really hard to wade through as I understand, so a survey like this was helpful before I dive into his others, which I plan to do, at least The Divine Milieu. This book is well written and hits the important points of his thoughts about the structure of reality, God, and the future.

One drawback is that it was written in the 70s, so it can’t interact with the modern age. Also, the author ends up naysaying de Chardin’s views for the most part, which is unfortunate because I find them compelling. As do a number of Christian thinkers I enjoy including Richard Rohr and Cynthia Bourgeault.

Overall: it’s dated, but recommended.