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The Jesuit and the Skull: Teilhard de Chardin, Evolution, and the Search for Peking Man
Documents the efforts of an esteemed French Jesuit priest to confront the struggle between science and religion upon his 1929 discovery of the Peking Man pre-human skull that represented a missing link between erect hunting apes and the human race's Cro-Magnon ancestors, a finding he was ordered to deny as scientific evidence refuting biblical teachings. 40,000 first printing.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2007
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531 people want to read
About the author
Amir D. Aczel
48 books157 followersAmir Aczel was an Israeli-born American author of popular science and mathematics books. He was a lecturer in mathematics and history of mathematics.
He studied at the University of California, Berkeley. Getting graduating with a BA in mathematics in 1975, received a Master of Science in 1976 and several years later accomplished his Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Oregon. He died in Nîmes, France in 2015.
He studied at the University of California, Berkeley. Getting graduating with a BA in mathematics in 1975, received a Master of Science in 1976 and several years later accomplished his Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Oregon. He died in Nîmes, France in 2015.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
January 7, 2008
When I was a child, the enlightened nuns in my elementary school taught evolution and maintained that there is no conflict between the truths of science and those of religion. I was out of high school before I realized that there are people who believe that the Bible should be taken literally.
About the same time I started learning the Catechism, Pierre Teillard de Chardin--a priest and world-renowned scientist--died in New York. His extraordinary writings, which talk about the mental and spiritual (as well as physical) evolution of humans, were as yet unpublished because of objections from the church hierarchy.
In The Jesuit and the Skull, Amir Aczel depicts the life of Teillard, a charismatic man and formidable scholar. He also tells the story of one of the great mysteries of modern science: the disappearance during World War II of virtually all the fossil remains of the extinct hominid, Peking Man.
This is a highly readable book that should appeal to those interested in history, biography, anthropology, ethics, religion, or philosophy.
About the same time I started learning the Catechism, Pierre Teillard de Chardin--a priest and world-renowned scientist--died in New York. His extraordinary writings, which talk about the mental and spiritual (as well as physical) evolution of humans, were as yet unpublished because of objections from the church hierarchy.
In The Jesuit and the Skull, Amir Aczel depicts the life of Teillard, a charismatic man and formidable scholar. He also tells the story of one of the great mysteries of modern science: the disappearance during World War II of virtually all the fossil remains of the extinct hominid, Peking Man.
This is a highly readable book that should appeal to those interested in history, biography, anthropology, ethics, religion, or philosophy.
April 2, 2009
Very good book--definitely worth reading. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955), Jesuit, a brilliant paleontologist and a theologian (he would not have claimed to have been a theologian), ran afoul of the Jesuit and Catholic hierarchy because of his views on evolution. The Church forbade him from publishing his works and, to totally silence him, exiled him to China in 1922 and made him stay there until the Communist took over China after World War II. While there, he participated in the discovery of the Peking Man, a major discovery that furthered the acceptance of the theory of evolution. What a testament--God will not be defeated!!!!
Teilhard submitted to the authority of the Jesuits, retained his integrity as a world class scientist and never wavered in his faith. Much of his writing, which is now standard reading in many seminaries, recounts his efforts to reconcile science and the Christian faith.
This book tells the story of much of Teilhard's life and his participating in one of the great paleontological discoveries of the 20th century, including his faithfulness and the pain and loneliness it caused him.
Teilhard submitted to the authority of the Jesuits, retained his integrity as a world class scientist and never wavered in his faith. Much of his writing, which is now standard reading in many seminaries, recounts his efforts to reconcile science and the Christian faith.
This book tells the story of much of Teilhard's life and his participating in one of the great paleontological discoveries of the 20th century, including his faithfulness and the pain and loneliness it caused him.
March 24, 2009
Profoundly disappointing. Fully half of this book is a basic overview of human evolution that could have easily been cribbed out of any introductory textbook. Worse still is that the remaining few chapters actually about Teilhard de Chardin are biography of the most pedestrian type; "he went here, he met this person, he went there, he met that person, he went on this expedition, etc."
December 20, 2020
Pierre Tielhard de Chardin fascinates me. I had seen his name come up throughout my time learning about the history of paleoanthropology, but I only vaguely knew that he was religious. The Jesuit and the Skull explains the relationship between religion and science in Tielhard’s life.
Read more: https://sheseeksnonfiction.blog/2020/...
Read more: https://sheseeksnonfiction.blog/2020/...
September 24, 2019
Interesting little book about Tellhard de Chardin, a French Jesuit priest and his anthropological work on the Peking Man. Picked this up at the books store as it seemed interesting, a Jesuit priest working on the bones of an extinct early man. I have not heard of de Chardin before but he appears to have been an interesting man, a Renascence man if you will. At a time when the Catholic Church was very much opposed to the theory of Evolution, de Chardin worked hard to reconcile the theory with doctrine.
The book outlines de Chardin's childhood and education. It talks about Darwin's theory, and then about the discovery of Java Man. There is also a chapter on the Scopes Monkey Trial.
De Chardin was an enthusiastic supporter of all the anthropological work going on in his life, and travel to many of the sites, and developed friendships with the many anthropologists.
However, he was an embarrassment to the Church in Rome. They prohibited him from publishing any of his thoughts how evolution could be reconciled with Church doctrine. In addition, the Jesuit order kept him out of his French homeland.
I'd not heard of de Chardin before and he seems like an intelligent and honest man. I searched YouTube to see what videos are there. There are some videos made by de Chardin supporters. But there are also very angry anti-de Chardin videos made by conservative Catholic organizations. I was shocked at the harsh language they use to denigrate de Chardin.
One negative reviewer here noted that the anthropology presented here is very sparce and elementary, the equivalent of a Wikipedia article. I would agree, and that is why I only gave the book three stars.
The book outlines de Chardin's childhood and education. It talks about Darwin's theory, and then about the discovery of Java Man. There is also a chapter on the Scopes Monkey Trial.
De Chardin was an enthusiastic supporter of all the anthropological work going on in his life, and travel to many of the sites, and developed friendships with the many anthropologists.
However, he was an embarrassment to the Church in Rome. They prohibited him from publishing any of his thoughts how evolution could be reconciled with Church doctrine. In addition, the Jesuit order kept him out of his French homeland.
I'd not heard of de Chardin before and he seems like an intelligent and honest man. I searched YouTube to see what videos are there. There are some videos made by de Chardin supporters. But there are also very angry anti-de Chardin videos made by conservative Catholic organizations. I was shocked at the harsh language they use to denigrate de Chardin.
One negative reviewer here noted that the anthropology presented here is very sparce and elementary, the equivalent of a Wikipedia article. I would agree, and that is why I only gave the book three stars.
December 11, 2016
I have to agree with an earlier review by Ryan; this book was extremely disappointing. First, it spent an inordinate amount of time giving a simplistic explanation of Darwin's theory of evolution and how he developed it. Once the book turned its attention to Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, it offered no more than a rudimentary biographical sketch. It never explained his theological positions -- specifically how he reconciled his interest in evolution with his religious beliefs. The only references to theology found in the book consist of vague statements such as he combined mysticism with science or he gave a paper at such and such conference. No further explanation provided. Moreover, the author grossly oversimplifies why Teilhard de Chardin was censured by the Vatican; it was not strictly for his scientific positions. Teilhard de Chardin was part of the theological movement that the Vatican labeled as modernism and condemned. If the author had taken the time to explore the theological movement to which Chardin belonged, the author could have offered a much more nuanced study of the man, his theology, his scientific interests and the age in which he lived and the challenges and opportunities that these new ways of thinking created for religion. Cannot recommend this book.
May 24, 2025
Fills some of the gaps in my knowledge of PTdC, especially regarding his relationship to the Jesuits. They are the bad guys in this telling--the author is as pro-PTdC as one can get, I'd say--but, of course, nobody made PTdC take the vows he took. In the end, he decided to follow them to the letter, which I have to admit shows an admirable degree of self-discipline and integrity.
But, let's face it, he lived a very odd life for a member of a religious order. His life was a jumble of extreme contradictions: under a vow of obedience, always told which country he had to live it (mostly, China) and what he could publish (mostly, nothing) yet, on a day-to-day basis, he seems to have spent his time pursuing whatever intellectual interests he liked, and hanging out with whatever friends he liked, and completely free from the common concern of earning a living.
Speaking of those friends: I've seen him accused, causally, of having affairs. The evidence strongly suggests, however, he never broke his vow of celibacy, to the frustration of his girlfriends. And yet, he had girlfriends. He seems to have had affairs of the heart, and encouraged at least two women to view him as a romantic partner. This was spectacularly foolish behavior, and especially odd coming from a member of a religious order, someone who in other areas of his life was self-disciplined and admirable. PTdC was simply one of the oddest men I've ever read about.
His other great mistake was to latch on to the idea of progress, and make it his theological compass. This was the mistake many were making at that time, an attitude of liberal Christians. He seems to have been a pioneer and guide for many in the 20th century--the liberal Christian century. But the Christian promise is not one of redemption through a struggle upward to the Omega Point; it is one of redemption through death and resurrection. This is not a trivial difference.
For PTdC, the sad irony is that progress was rejected by the materialists as well, who stressed the blindness, the directionlessness of natural selection. PTdC was simply too telos-minded, too "mystical," for scientists in the Stephen Jay Gould camp, even as he was too materialistic for his Jesuit masters. This earns him nothing but sympathy from the author of this book. But, come on: his theology requires unusual leaps of faith. He attacked the dogma of original sin, a gratuitous move imho. The author paints him as a reasonable man surrounded by fanatics, but I see more complexity in his story. The frustrations of his life mostly sprang from his own weird beliefs and contradictory choices. Fundamentally, he should have never signed up with the Jesuits.
But, let's face it, he lived a very odd life for a member of a religious order. His life was a jumble of extreme contradictions: under a vow of obedience, always told which country he had to live it (mostly, China) and what he could publish (mostly, nothing) yet, on a day-to-day basis, he seems to have spent his time pursuing whatever intellectual interests he liked, and hanging out with whatever friends he liked, and completely free from the common concern of earning a living.
Speaking of those friends: I've seen him accused, causally, of having affairs. The evidence strongly suggests, however, he never broke his vow of celibacy, to the frustration of his girlfriends. And yet, he had girlfriends. He seems to have had affairs of the heart, and encouraged at least two women to view him as a romantic partner. This was spectacularly foolish behavior, and especially odd coming from a member of a religious order, someone who in other areas of his life was self-disciplined and admirable. PTdC was simply one of the oddest men I've ever read about.
His other great mistake was to latch on to the idea of progress, and make it his theological compass. This was the mistake many were making at that time, an attitude of liberal Christians. He seems to have been a pioneer and guide for many in the 20th century--the liberal Christian century. But the Christian promise is not one of redemption through a struggle upward to the Omega Point; it is one of redemption through death and resurrection. This is not a trivial difference.
For PTdC, the sad irony is that progress was rejected by the materialists as well, who stressed the blindness, the directionlessness of natural selection. PTdC was simply too telos-minded, too "mystical," for scientists in the Stephen Jay Gould camp, even as he was too materialistic for his Jesuit masters. This earns him nothing but sympathy from the author of this book. But, come on: his theology requires unusual leaps of faith. He attacked the dogma of original sin, a gratuitous move imho. The author paints him as a reasonable man surrounded by fanatics, but I see more complexity in his story. The frustrations of his life mostly sprang from his own weird beliefs and contradictory choices. Fundamentally, he should have never signed up with the Jesuits.
February 18, 2021
This book seemed like two story threads looking for a single niche. The first part of the book is essentially a recounting of the theory of evolution, from early fossil discoveries all the way through the find of Peking Man - the "missing link". The second part part of the book tries to fold the contemporaneous life of a French Jesuit priest into the narrative. For me it just didn't work.
The evolution story is a great tale, albeit a familiar one. It was interesting to learn of the individual discoveries - Neanderthal, Cro-Magnon, etc. - and then that of Peking Man in December 1929. As to the Jesuit, he worked in the same scientific fields and was involved in seeking these fossils. He helped date Peking Man, but he was not at the dig site when Peking Man was found. The Jesuit really steps into the storyline with his writings, where he supports Darwin's Theory of Evolution. This was much to the dismay of his Catholic Order that preached creation. So the book spends some time on the priest being exiled for his writings.
Supposedly the priest's writings detail how he came to believe that creationism and evolution could co-exist, but this book never really tells us how he pulled that off. There are vague references to mysticism and faith and other such things, but we never get clarity on how those two theories could occupy the same space. Also, there is a strange romantic interest between the priest and a divorcee wedged into the storyline. Other than to show how the priest was human, I am not quite sure what that brought to the account.
So I give the book kudos for framing a nice conflict between religion and science, but take away points for not resolving the conflict.
The evolution story is a great tale, albeit a familiar one. It was interesting to learn of the individual discoveries - Neanderthal, Cro-Magnon, etc. - and then that of Peking Man in December 1929. As to the Jesuit, he worked in the same scientific fields and was involved in seeking these fossils. He helped date Peking Man, but he was not at the dig site when Peking Man was found. The Jesuit really steps into the storyline with his writings, where he supports Darwin's Theory of Evolution. This was much to the dismay of his Catholic Order that preached creation. So the book spends some time on the priest being exiled for his writings.
Supposedly the priest's writings detail how he came to believe that creationism and evolution could co-exist, but this book never really tells us how he pulled that off. There are vague references to mysticism and faith and other such things, but we never get clarity on how those two theories could occupy the same space. Also, there is a strange romantic interest between the priest and a divorcee wedged into the storyline. Other than to show how the priest was human, I am not quite sure what that brought to the account.
So I give the book kudos for framing a nice conflict between religion and science, but take away points for not resolving the conflict.
May 30, 2017
Picked this up at The Church Mouse resale shop in Sonoma, CA, figuring to read it on the flight home. Actually started it weeks later having been distracted by other texts.
Tried reading Teilhard years ago but found his attempt to correlate evolutionary theory with theology to be unconvincing. This book, however, got me over the hump, it being at once a history of paleontology, paleoanthropology and evolutionary science and a biography of Teilhard, a member of the team which discovered Peking Man. (Actually, the first skull was found by Pei Wenzhong and his team though Teilhard is most commonly associated with the find).
A quick, accessible read requiring little of the reader.
Tried reading Teilhard years ago but found his attempt to correlate evolutionary theory with theology to be unconvincing. This book, however, got me over the hump, it being at once a history of paleontology, paleoanthropology and evolutionary science and a biography of Teilhard, a member of the team which discovered Peking Man. (Actually, the first skull was found by Pei Wenzhong and his team though Teilhard is most commonly associated with the find).
A quick, accessible read requiring little of the reader.
June 19, 2022
Too much time spent on laying the ground work of evolution—which is necessary—but it could have been summed up in one chapter instead of several. The author also doesn’t spend enough time discussing the blend of science and religion. Like you’re telling the reader, but not elucidating enough on this topic. Conclusion was good though and summed up nicely!
January 22, 2018
I had previously heard the name Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, but was only vaguely aware of what he'd done, or why he was famous. This book filled in all those details I lacked. It is a book that talks about his science, and his beliefs, and his conflicts with the Catholic church and the Jesuit order of which he was a member. It portrays him in a very good light; that he was an outstanding scientist, and that he was a devout Catholic, and a loyal member of the Jesuit order, despite how badly he was treated by them. Furthermore, that he was a man of great rectitude, and patience.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was treated abominably by the Catholic church, and by his Jesuit order, for presenting the evidence for evolution (which was, at that time, not completely accepted by regular society, and certainly not by the Catholic church), and then showing how science and religion did not conflict with each other as long as the Bible was not to be taken literally -- instead, that the stories in the Bible were intended to be taken allegorically. I am amazed that he was not tempted, at any time, to leave his Jesuit order, despite being treated so badly, including them banning virtually all his publications (as a Jesuit, he had to obtain permission to publish from the Jesuit order, and the Catholic church), and banishing him to China, and the USA -- even, at times, not allowing him to return to his beloved France.
This was a repeat, in so many ways, of the detestable way the Catholic church treated Galileo. It is yet another example -- if we needed another -- of narrow, rigid-minded men in powerful positions, suppressing an intelligent, good and brilliant man who had solid scientific credentials and evidence to support his positions. Those narrow-minded men clearly are far less talented, but they also have an axe to grind; if they don't suppress such people, they risk their own power -- at least, they believe they do. It reminds me of the ridiculous situation where the current US President and the Republican Party deny the existence of Climate Change, in the face of overwhelming evidence and over the support of 97% of the world's scientists. In the case of Climate Change, they are denying the obvious because they are raking in huge amounts of money from the oil and gas industries and their cronies.
Yes, this is Galileo all over again, and while the world has pretty much accepted evolution (except in certain questionable areas of the globe), the rulers of the Catholic church, and the Jesuits, are still holding Teilhard de Chardin's papers in secret. They might well be ashamed of their actions, but they are not holding themselves accountable, and are, as in so many other cases, closed to the rest of the world.
Teilhard de Chardin was a brilliant, gifted man, and the treatment he received at the hands of the Catholic church was despicable. Despite the actions of the church, he was a highly successful and acclaimed scientist; his reputation was impeccable, and his influence major. His name will be remembered long after his detractors have been forgotten.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was treated abominably by the Catholic church, and by his Jesuit order, for presenting the evidence for evolution (which was, at that time, not completely accepted by regular society, and certainly not by the Catholic church), and then showing how science and religion did not conflict with each other as long as the Bible was not to be taken literally -- instead, that the stories in the Bible were intended to be taken allegorically. I am amazed that he was not tempted, at any time, to leave his Jesuit order, despite being treated so badly, including them banning virtually all his publications (as a Jesuit, he had to obtain permission to publish from the Jesuit order, and the Catholic church), and banishing him to China, and the USA -- even, at times, not allowing him to return to his beloved France.
This was a repeat, in so many ways, of the detestable way the Catholic church treated Galileo. It is yet another example -- if we needed another -- of narrow, rigid-minded men in powerful positions, suppressing an intelligent, good and brilliant man who had solid scientific credentials and evidence to support his positions. Those narrow-minded men clearly are far less talented, but they also have an axe to grind; if they don't suppress such people, they risk their own power -- at least, they believe they do. It reminds me of the ridiculous situation where the current US President and the Republican Party deny the existence of Climate Change, in the face of overwhelming evidence and over the support of 97% of the world's scientists. In the case of Climate Change, they are denying the obvious because they are raking in huge amounts of money from the oil and gas industries and their cronies.
Yes, this is Galileo all over again, and while the world has pretty much accepted evolution (except in certain questionable areas of the globe), the rulers of the Catholic church, and the Jesuits, are still holding Teilhard de Chardin's papers in secret. They might well be ashamed of their actions, but they are not holding themselves accountable, and are, as in so many other cases, closed to the rest of the world.
Teilhard de Chardin was a brilliant, gifted man, and the treatment he received at the hands of the Catholic church was despicable. Despite the actions of the church, he was a highly successful and acclaimed scientist; his reputation was impeccable, and his influence major. His name will be remembered long after his detractors have been forgotten.
June 29, 2013
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was a renowned paleoanthropologist involved in the discovery of the Peking Man fossils during the 1920s and a loyal Jesuit perpetually under suspicion by his order, prohibited from publishing any of his writings that sought to reconcile what he understood about science and faith. Amir Aczel uses Teilhard's story to portray the significant developments illuminating human evolution during the early part of the 20th century and to ruminate on the complicated questions these discoveries posed to traditional faith. It's a well-rounded work competently written.
Still, I wasn't so personally engaged with the story. Teilhard came across as a fine and admirable person, as well as a scientist worthy of his reputation - a portrayal that owes quite a lot to Aczel's obvious fondness for him. That wasn't enough for me, though, since I'm not at all invested in the point of interest central to this story about the dilemma of balancing faith and science. It's great that Teilhard was such a devoted proponent of Darwinism, but I'm not terribly impressed by that since he SHOULD be; the fact that he was a priest who confronted hardship from the Church because of this didn't make him any more heroic or fascinating to me - because it strikes me as silly to cling to such nonsense. People of faith would likely think otherwise, and that's fine - this story might be more meaningful to them. To me, Teilhard came across like someone who strived to reconcile his knowledge of physics with his belief that Santa Claus traveled to the homes of all the world's children in one night: it's good to be so knowledgeable about physics but goofy to believe in Santa Claus. And yet, Teilhard is supposed to be some intellectual hero.
The last two chapters are interesting. The first of these is a nice summary of a century of paleoanthropological discovery, the relevance of each one to the others, and the theories that continue to be debated around them - all in about 10 pages. The second relates the various theories surrounding the disappearance of the Peking Man fossils after they were packed away and shipped off for protection as the Japanese extended their control of China during the Second World War.
Still, I wasn't so personally engaged with the story. Teilhard came across as a fine and admirable person, as well as a scientist worthy of his reputation - a portrayal that owes quite a lot to Aczel's obvious fondness for him. That wasn't enough for me, though, since I'm not at all invested in the point of interest central to this story about the dilemma of balancing faith and science. It's great that Teilhard was such a devoted proponent of Darwinism, but I'm not terribly impressed by that since he SHOULD be; the fact that he was a priest who confronted hardship from the Church because of this didn't make him any more heroic or fascinating to me - because it strikes me as silly to cling to such nonsense. People of faith would likely think otherwise, and that's fine - this story might be more meaningful to them. To me, Teilhard came across like someone who strived to reconcile his knowledge of physics with his belief that Santa Claus traveled to the homes of all the world's children in one night: it's good to be so knowledgeable about physics but goofy to believe in Santa Claus. And yet, Teilhard is supposed to be some intellectual hero.
The last two chapters are interesting. The first of these is a nice summary of a century of paleoanthropological discovery, the relevance of each one to the others, and the theories that continue to be debated around them - all in about 10 pages. The second relates the various theories surrounding the disappearance of the Peking Man fossils after they were packed away and shipped off for protection as the Japanese extended their control of China during the Second World War.
May 26, 2008
If I could give this book another half-star I would... it's the intriguing biography of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a real French Jesuit priest and scientist who has no problem reconciling his love of God with the theory of evolution, although everyone else in the world seems to have a major problem with it--and seems bent on ruining his life, just because. At times sublime, at times utterly infuriating (especially if you're a dissenting Catholic who is baffled by arguments that global warming and evolution are just a bunch of fakery cooked up by this weird cult called Science).
October 15, 2019
Great account of Teilhard's work as a scientist. Skimpy on his theology but a good introduction. Also of interest to me was T's friendship with Lucile Swan, with which the author does a lovely job.
January 18, 2020
A story about the life of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a Jesuit priest who had interests in theology, geology, botany, archeology, paleoanthropology, and, most importantly, the theory of evolution and speciation. During his lifetime, the theory of evolution had not yet been accepted by the Catholic church. Because of Teilhard's interest in this, and his many writings on the subject, the Vatican had him exiled (several times) from his home country in France and refused to allow him to publish any of his important scientific works. In 1929 the Vatican had Teilhard exiled to China, where he worked with archaeologists, geologists, paleontologists, and anthropologists in the town of Zhoukoudian, near Peking, where the skull of "Peking Man", (a hominid that lived about 500,000 years ago) and many other bones from the same era were discovered. Despite Teilhard's many expulsions, and non-acceptance of his research and theories by the church, he remained faithful to his order and continued his important work until his death on Easter Sunday, 1955, at the age of 74. After his death, his friend Jeanne Mortier published his works, based upon copies of Teilhard's manuscripts given to her, for safe-keeping, several years before.
October 17, 2017
3.75 stars.
As somebody that enjoys reading about history I really enjoyed this book that looks into the history and events around the discovery of the famed "Peking Man" fossils of Homo erectus. Amir does a wonderful job of telling the story of their discovery, and weaving in the tale of the Jesuit priest, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. I found the story of de Chardin, a Jesuit priest who was not only a man of deep faith, but one of a deep understanding of science - especially that of evolution, to be a very compelling part of this book. I would have liked more information regarding Teilhard, and how the Jesuit order regarded him and fought him, throughout his career. Amir provides some information regarding this relationship, but you are never given the full perspective of the Jesuit order, which would have been a nice counter-point to Teilhard's story. Still, I found this to be a wonderful read and do recommend it to anybody with an interest in history, natural sciences, and religion.
As somebody that enjoys reading about history I really enjoyed this book that looks into the history and events around the discovery of the famed "Peking Man" fossils of Homo erectus. Amir does a wonderful job of telling the story of their discovery, and weaving in the tale of the Jesuit priest, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. I found the story of de Chardin, a Jesuit priest who was not only a man of deep faith, but one of a deep understanding of science - especially that of evolution, to be a very compelling part of this book. I would have liked more information regarding Teilhard, and how the Jesuit order regarded him and fought him, throughout his career. Amir provides some information regarding this relationship, but you are never given the full perspective of the Jesuit order, which would have been a nice counter-point to Teilhard's story. Still, I found this to be a wonderful read and do recommend it to anybody with an interest in history, natural sciences, and religion.
October 10, 2023
This book's dramatic title does not match its content, which is rather dull. Aczel does a competent job of presenting the basic story of the multiple searches for the "missing link" that were conducted in the early 20th century in Java, East Africa, and China. Along the way, he gives brief information about hostility to evolution in the American South (Scopes "monkey" trial) and in the Catholic Church. Teilhard de Chardin--the Jesuit of the title--becomes persona non grata with the Catholic hierarchy for espousing evolutionary theory. Aczel traces Teilhard's continual obedience, which costs him everything: he is exiled from his native France, he is forbidden from lecturing, and his scientific manuscripts are prohibited from publication. Ultimately, this is why the book is dull--its hero is not exactly a firebrand, so Aczel resorts to adding all sorts of information about early 20th-century history to move the story forward.
August 31, 2018
This is another re-read for me, and as with many books I'm coming to a second time, I find myself enjoying it for different reasons but in no less a degree than the first time through. In this case, because I've spent more time with the work of Teilhard de Chardin, I could appreciate the elements of character and personality that Aczel reveals as he's describing the scientist, the priest, and the man. Aczel's writing is fluid and engaging, with clear transitions and frequent repetitions to foreground ideas introduced earlier and connect them to later incidents in Teilhard's life. Aczel is particularly good at creating tension surrounding now-known concepts and events, such as the Scopes "Monkey Trial." The additional mystery of the whereabouts of the Peking Man bones is a delightful bonus.
January 10, 2019
i wanted to learn about the noosphere, the sphere of human thought introduced by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin in 1922 in his Cosmogenesis. As a Jesuit, he fought the Vatican and the Jesuit authorities in writing about Darwin, evolution and the Bible, fitting it all together. Much of his writing on philosophy and religion is still locked away as "classified" by the Vatican and not available to the public. The scenarist priest was exiled to China as punishment but there he led an expedition that found Peking Man and some of the oldest group of fossil specimens of Homo erectus dated from roughly 680,000–780,000 years ago. Author, Amir D. Aczel successfully traces the life of an amazing rebel.
July 24, 2017
Last summer I read Dragon Hunter, about Roy Chapman and his adventures finding dinosaur bones in Mongolia in the 1920s. It was an interesting contrast to read this book about the same region, time, and search for bones, but by an entirely different kind of man. While both scientists, De Chardin was a much more complex person and thinker combining the scientific and the theological. His dedication to the Jesuits despite their persecution of him defies my understanding, but makes for a very interesting book.
March 14, 2024
Mr Aczel tells a compelling story highlighting a period of time that is too often obscured by more encompassing world events and of an individual who both deserves to be more well known and I think, is better for not being so well known. If you are a RC church apologist then you might not enjoy being reminded of how slow to react, how unnecessarily protective, how out of touch your organization was a century ago (is it better now or just different?) but Mr Aczel does a good job of not getting bogged down in areas that I'm sure could have been (and are) books unto themselves.
November 17, 2014
I reread Annie Dillard’s For the Time Being, and Teilhard is one of her “lights,” thinkers who changed the way we think about god and divinity and history. I had never been inspired to read more about Teilhard until now, and I really liked this writer’s style. I couldn’t put it down, it was written for speed! Overall satisfying in the depth department, although I also got Spirit of Fire by Ursula King to flesh out the Teilhard experience. Dillard says Teilhard can be inscrutable, and King’s bio is proving that whereas Aczel’s is much better at presenting this really cool man and his really cool discoveries and really cool thoughts and philosophies without making you reread sentences over and over again. Plus this one is more of the adventure and mystery genre instead of theological or philosophical. Teilhard was a Catholic priest, and I was raised Catholic and have grown away from anything that even hints of Catholicism. I used to hate it, but have softened in my views due to amazing lights like Teilhard. He gave the Church such a powerful tool in his theories and sermons on the absolute unity possible in accepting evolution and God’s place in it, or evolution’s place in Catholic teachings; he handed it to them over and over again and they rejected it again and again and exiled him over and over again. I don’t know how he kept his faith. It wasn’t until he died that he was published against their wishes, and to this day the Church holds certain things confidential and won’t let his biographers see them, which in my mine is still obstructionism, still despicable. Teilhard kept his faith, and his words and thoughts are beautiful. They could have kept thousands still with faith in the Church, but instead, the Church shamed themselves. Teilhard was a prophet as well as a talented scientist who helped discover amazing fossils that help us understand more of our history. The full story of the paleontology of the discovery of Peking Man encompasses more than just Teilhard, and it is as fascinating as his spiritual beliefs.
From his Mass of the World:
“Since once again, Lord — though this time not in the forests of the Aisne but in the steppes of Asia — I have neither bread, nor wine, nor altar, I will raise myself beyond these symbols, up to the pure majesty of the real itself; I, your priest, will make the whole earth my altar and on it will offer you all the labors and sufferings of the world.
Over there, on the horizon, the sun has just touched with light the outermost fringe of the eastern sky. Once again, beneath this moving sheet of fire, the living surface of the earth wakes and trembles, and once again begins its fearful travail. I will place on my paten, O God, the harvest to be won by this renewal of labour. Into my chalice I shall pour all the sap which is to be pressed out this day from the earth’s fruits.
My paten and my chalice are the depths of a soul laid widely open to all the forces which in a moment will rise up from every corner of the earth and converge upon the Spirit. Grant me the remembrance and the mystic presence of all those whom the light is now awakening to the new day.
One by one, Lord, I see and I love all those whom you have given me to sustain and charm my life. One by one also I number all those who make up that other beloved family which has gradually surrounded me, its unity fashioned out of the most disparate elements, with affinities of the heart, of scientific research and of thought. And again one by one — more vaguely it is true, yet all-inclusively — I call before me the whole vast anonymous army of living humanity; those who surround me and support me though I do not know them; those who come, and those who go; above all, those who in office, laboratory and factory, through their vision of truth or despite their error, truly believe in the progress of earthly reality and who today will take up again their impassioned pursuit of the light.
This restless multitude, confused or orderly, the immensity of which terrifies us; this ocean of humanity whose slow, monotonous wave-flows trouble the hearts even of those whose faith is most firm: it is to this deep that I thus desire all the fibres of my being should respond. All the things in the world to which this day will bring increase; all those that will diminish; all those too that will die: all of them, Lord, I try to gather into my arms, so as to hold them out to you in offering. This is the material of my sacrifice; the only material you desire.
Once upon a time men took into your temple the first fruits of their harvests, the flower of their flocks. But the offering you really want, the offering you mysteriously need every day to appease your hunger, to slake your thirst is nothing less than the growth of the world borne ever onwards in the stream of universal becoming.
Receive, O Lord, this all-embracing host which your whole creation, moved by your magnetism, offers you at this dawn of a new day.
This bread, our toil, is of itself, I know, but an immense fragmentation; this wine, our pain, is no more, I know, than a draught that dissolves. Yet in the very depths of this formless mass you have implanted — and this I am sure of, for I sense it — a desire, irresistible, hallowing, which makes us cry out, believer and unbeliever alike:
‘Lord, make us one.’”
– Teilhard de Chardin, “Mass on the World”
From his Mass of the World:
“Since once again, Lord — though this time not in the forests of the Aisne but in the steppes of Asia — I have neither bread, nor wine, nor altar, I will raise myself beyond these symbols, up to the pure majesty of the real itself; I, your priest, will make the whole earth my altar and on it will offer you all the labors and sufferings of the world.
Over there, on the horizon, the sun has just touched with light the outermost fringe of the eastern sky. Once again, beneath this moving sheet of fire, the living surface of the earth wakes and trembles, and once again begins its fearful travail. I will place on my paten, O God, the harvest to be won by this renewal of labour. Into my chalice I shall pour all the sap which is to be pressed out this day from the earth’s fruits.
My paten and my chalice are the depths of a soul laid widely open to all the forces which in a moment will rise up from every corner of the earth and converge upon the Spirit. Grant me the remembrance and the mystic presence of all those whom the light is now awakening to the new day.
One by one, Lord, I see and I love all those whom you have given me to sustain and charm my life. One by one also I number all those who make up that other beloved family which has gradually surrounded me, its unity fashioned out of the most disparate elements, with affinities of the heart, of scientific research and of thought. And again one by one — more vaguely it is true, yet all-inclusively — I call before me the whole vast anonymous army of living humanity; those who surround me and support me though I do not know them; those who come, and those who go; above all, those who in office, laboratory and factory, through their vision of truth or despite their error, truly believe in the progress of earthly reality and who today will take up again their impassioned pursuit of the light.
This restless multitude, confused or orderly, the immensity of which terrifies us; this ocean of humanity whose slow, monotonous wave-flows trouble the hearts even of those whose faith is most firm: it is to this deep that I thus desire all the fibres of my being should respond. All the things in the world to which this day will bring increase; all those that will diminish; all those too that will die: all of them, Lord, I try to gather into my arms, so as to hold them out to you in offering. This is the material of my sacrifice; the only material you desire.
Once upon a time men took into your temple the first fruits of their harvests, the flower of their flocks. But the offering you really want, the offering you mysteriously need every day to appease your hunger, to slake your thirst is nothing less than the growth of the world borne ever onwards in the stream of universal becoming.
Receive, O Lord, this all-embracing host which your whole creation, moved by your magnetism, offers you at this dawn of a new day.
This bread, our toil, is of itself, I know, but an immense fragmentation; this wine, our pain, is no more, I know, than a draught that dissolves. Yet in the very depths of this formless mass you have implanted — and this I am sure of, for I sense it — a desire, irresistible, hallowing, which makes us cry out, believer and unbeliever alike:
‘Lord, make us one.’”
– Teilhard de Chardin, “Mass on the World”
August 13, 2020
Fascinating but difficult. Teilhard De Chardin was a Jesuit priest, geologist, and paleontologist. He was highly intelligent (Jesuits usually are) and was active in excavations of "early man" sites all over the world, in France, Africa, and Asia. This was the era of tremendous discoveries of evidence of the remains and artifacts of early man. He drew conclusions, however that, went agains the teaching of the Church at that time. Now, his findings are accepted universally.
April 9, 2022
This book had the perfect amount of mystery (surrounding the disappearance of Peking Man) to give this non-fiction book some of the enticing fun of fiction. I learned SO much for this book and I found that the technical/scientific descriptions of anthropology and paleontology were easy to follow. There were a few times that the author included anecdotes that I found irrelevant, but that was my only complaint.
April 23, 2024
A good historical history of the life of Teilhard, especially in China and his rough relationship with his superiors in Europe. A testament to a man who saw faith as more important than his own success, it’s hard nowadays to imagine such fidelity. I wish it talked a little more about his philosophy and theology, but there are other books for those. Bottom line: a remarkable story about a time of great change in history and understanding of our world.
November 21, 2020
Really enjoyed the content, but wish it was shorter. :) It is part mystery, part history, part biography. It includes a wide ranging history on paleoanthropology alongside Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s personal achievements and challenges. I am left wanting more focus on his ideas, but overall it was a fascinating look at the development of human evolutionary thought.
June 19, 2023
Interesting story. I was intrigued by Teilhard de Chardin's life moreso than the anthropology. I would like to know more about why the Jesuits opposed Teilhard's research and philosophy. The love story with Lucile was also intriguing. Less interesting was the detective story about the lost bones.
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November 7, 2023Well researched and readable biographical history of the Peking Man discovery and the Jesuit priest involved with that find as well as the growth of his scientific thought and theological theories in the Catholic church.
June 13, 2024
Good overview of the uphill climb in changing the perspective of creation through the evolutionary evidence of various homonoids discovered during the 20th century. Points out the difficulties Teilhard faced in getting his work published. Has ignited my greater interest in reading his work.
May 18, 2022
Excellent book.
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