The Phenomenon of Man - (Harper Perennial Modern Thought) by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

"A profound book of great distinction and originality. . . . A brilliant synthesis of the evidence with respect to man's evolutionary direction. . . . I cannot imagine anyone reading this book who will not be profoundly influenced by it, and who will not wish to read it several times over, for it is a great work by a great man--one of the most spiritually erudite of our time." --New York Times

Visionary theologian and evolutionary theorist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin's analysis of human evolution

Pierre Teilhard De Chardin was one of the most distinguished thinkers and scientists of our time. He applied his whole life, his tremendous intellect, and his great spiritual faith to building a philosophy that would reconcile Christian theology with the scientific theory of evolution, to relate the facts of religious experience to those of natural science.

In this timeless book, which contains the quintessence of his thought, Teilhard argues that just as living organisms sprung from inorganic matter and evolved into ever more complex thinking beings, humans are evolving toward an "omega point"--defined by Teilhard as a convergence with the Divine.

From the Back Cover

Visionary theologian and evolutionary theorist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin applied his whole life, his tremendous intellect, and his great spiritual faith to building a philosophy that would reconcile religion with the scientific theory of evolution. In this timeless book, which contains the quintessence of his thought, Teilhard argues that just as living organisms sprung from inorganic matter and evolved into ever more complex thinking beings, humans are evolving toward an "omega point"--defined by Teilhard as a convergence with the Divine.

Review Quotes

"A profound book of great distinction and originality. . . . A brilliant synthesis of the evidence with respect to man's evolutionary direction. . . . I cannot imagine anyone reading this book who will not be profoundly influenced by it, and who will not wish to read it several times over, for it is a great work by a great man--one of the most spiritually erudite of our time." -- New York Times

"[Teilhard's] magnum opis. . . . Pierre Teilhard de Chardin set down the philosophical framework for planetary, Net-based consciousness . . . Teilhard saw the internet coming more than half a century before it arrived. He believed this vast thinking membrane would ultimately coalesce into 'the living unity of a single tissue' containing our collective thoughts and experiences." -- Wired

"In his 1940 magnum opus, "The Phenomenon of Man," Teilhard said that someday our technology would allow us to create a web of thought and action that would make the world more complex, diverse and alive, moving mankind toward ultimate evolution." -- Washington Post