Toward the Future [Paperback]

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 16, 2002

These essays derive from Teilhard's concern to reveal the true meaning of our age and to stimulate the "sense of man and sense of the Christian." The controversial essay "The Evolution of Chastity" was published here in its entirety for the first time. Foreword by N. M. Wildiers; Index. Translated by René Hague. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955) was a Jesuit priest and paleontologist who studied chemistry, physics, botany, and zoology and received his doctorate in geology. The author of several works of philosophy and religion, he is considered by many to be among the foremost thinkers of our time. Toward the Future was first published in 1973.

Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (December 16, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156028190
• ISBN-13: 978-0156028196
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #765,888 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating exploration into Christian mysticism, March 22, 2011

By 

Ross James Browne (Atlanta, Georgia United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Toward the Future (Paperback)

This book, like many of Teilhard's works, focuses on mysticism and pantheism in the sense that God is at work in every little thing, including tragedy and the shadow. In other words, Teilhard's pantheism is the idea of God in everything, while his idea of mysticism is that EVERYTHING IS ALL GOOD, including the seemingly tragic. Not only this, Christ is basically responsible for everything. This is what Teilhard would describe as "panchristism" or the idea that not only God but Christ is at work in every little thing. Some evangelical theologians find this concept of panchristism/ panthism to be too much of a departure from the orthodox concept that God and Christ are pure light and are not responsible for the shadow. But Teilhard believes that it is preferable to have God and Christ be in control of everything. "Toward the Future" helps to establish this idea of God and Christ in everything by making arguments that diminish evil. In other words, Teilhard eliminates the evangelical objection to pantheism (which is based on the complaint that pantheism attributes evil and the shadow to God) by eliminating the idea of evil. He does this by explaining the redemptive qualities of tragedy and evil in terms of creating higher consciousness. When we realize that tragedy leads directly to the evolution of compassion, it is not so difficult to connect everything - including the tragic - to God and Christ, especially if we wish to prove that God and Christ are responsible for creating higher consciousness. This is Teilhard's Christian mysticism, which has aspects of natural theology. Evangelical theologians: Please stop complaining and join the 21st century! God is in everything and everything is all good!