Educational Media Reviews Online

The filmmakers begin this video exploration of the life and philosophy of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin with vibrantly colorful images of an exploding galaxy. They end the video with an image of a crucifix. These two contrasting visuals effectively represent the two intellectual strains of religion and science that French priest Teilhard de Chardin, a Jesuit, paleontologist, physicist, biologist, and visionary tried to integrate into a unifying evolutionary theory of a living earth where human society is a complex organism and part of a higher power.

The film traces the professional and philosophic life of Teilhard (1881-1955) from his entry into the priesthood and the Society of Jesus to his multiple scientific degrees with an emphasis on paleontology. It traces the development of his thought through his writings, where he reconciles his scientific observations with his faith; it situates Teilhard in the political realities of war and global exploration, where he adds the study of mankind to his investigation of physical and spiritual matters; and it highlights Teilhard’s commitment to his faith in both religion and science in face of the objections to his research that the Catholic hierarchy presented.

Following his education in France and England, Teilhard taught physics and chemistry in Cairo and worked as a stretcher barer during World War I, for which he was awarded several medals. He spent the bulk of his research life in China where he participated in many paleontology and geology digs, including the one that unearthed the “Peking Man.” Through the words of scientific and religious commentators, the film traces Teilhard’s intellectual and spiritual writings from his diaries and correspondence during World War I to the posthumous publication of his beliefs in the evolution of consciousness.

The production quality of the video is excellent. The filmmakers make good use of contemporary film coverage of the multiple expeditions Teilard participated in. Other images, such as World War I battle scenes, the Egyptian pyramids, or China in the 1920s add texture to the coverage of Teilard’s activities and thoughts. The presentation of his philosophy is clearly narrated, although the viewer should note that this film is produced by the Pierre Teilhard de Chardin Foundation, which has an interest in promoting Teilhard’s interpretation of the interconnected nature of science and religion. This is best seen in a discussion of globalization and 9/11 at the end of the video, with speculation about how Teilhard anticipated such events. Despite this, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin: The Wings of Spirit presents a provocative look at a major 20th century thinker, whose ideas of an organic and spiritual universe are resonating with many people in the 21st.