| FAITH HAS NEED OF ALL THE TRUTH A Life of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin Charlie May Simon New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., 1974 |
Rating: 5.0 High |
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| ISBN 0-525-29606-9 | 180pp. | HC | $5.95 | |
Charlie May Simon (1897-1977) was a native of Arkansas. She held an honorary doctorate from the University of Arkansas and wrote a number of biographies for young readers. This book falls into that category, which explains the feeling I had when I read it. I felt its treatment of the renowned Jesuit's life was perfunctory, sort of a book-length executive summary. Some topics are mentioned as if they had been introduced before, when they were not (cf. page 14: "For the third time in a twenty-five year period, the Jesuits of France went into exile.") Also, I often got a sense of time compression from her description of Teilhard's travels. (Page 120: "Teilhard was now free to carry out Black's second plan for an expedition to India with Helmut de Terra, but first he went to France, making the trip with Breuil on the Trans-Siberian Railway. He remained in France until the end of the summer, then boarded a ship for Bombay.")
These cavils aside, the book is well and carefully written, and is a joy to read (I finished it in three hours.) It conveys a sense of Teilhard as precocious child, devout Jesuit, war hero and passionate scientist. That it omits many details, and glosses over Teilhard's lifelong doctrinal dispute with his order's leadership in Rome, is clearly due to a constraint Ms. Simon imposed upon herself with her intended audience in mind. Thus it is a useful introduction to the full and complicated life of this important man.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was born in the French province of Auvergne. Amid the jumbled peaks of that volcanic landscape he developed an abiding curiosity about nature, rocks and prehistory. Later his focus sharpened to paleontology, and he contributed much original work to that field, including the co-discovery of Peking Man (the original skull of which, alas, was lost during the Japanese occupation of China in WW II.) He traveled widely on field investigations, as has been mentioned, and these must be fascinating to read about in detail.
During World War I he was conscripted as a stretcher-bearer, and saw action on the Algerian front for four years. His demeanor won respect from officers and troops alike, and after hostilities ended he was awarded the Croix de Guerre for his exploits.
In addition to scientific papers, he wrote a great deal on religion and philosophy.1 One of his main themes was the unity of science and religion, matter and spirit. His unorthodox views were not well received by the church hierarchy, and they frequently forbade him to accept opportunities he was offered. The manuscripts were circulated among his many friends, and after his death in 1955 they began to be published.
These ideas should not upset us. Gradually (though we cannot say exactly in what terms, but without the sacrifice of facts, whether revealed or definitely proved) agreement will be reached quite naturally between science and dogma in the burning field of human origins. In the meantime, let us take care not to reject the least ray of light from any side. Faith has need of all the truth. |
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