Abstract:

Although Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, the Jesuit priest and paleontologist,
died in 1955, long before the word ‘ecotheology’ existed, he has in his
writings an ecotheology in substance if not in name. He overcomes the
humanity versus nature dichotomy present in contemporary culture. In his
theology he closes the gap between nature and humanity that permits and
encourages us to exploit nature, the gap that nurtures the ecological problem
of our exploitation of the earth to our own and the earth’s detriment.
Teilhard develops a theory of convergent evolution. Evolution now takes
place mainly in humankind and it takes the form of socialization, of growth
in human organization and in human consciousness. Within the framework
of his theory of evolution, Teilhard de Chardin works out a theology
of Jesus Christ, a Christology, that has at its heart an ecotheology of love.

Author: Robert Faricy