Louisville Process Theology Network

Teilhard de Chardin and The Shoes of the Fisherman

Jun 06, 2007

You've probably noticed ideas from the process perspective turning up in popular novels such as Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath (1939) and In Dubious Battle (1933). Here's another interesting example.

In 1963, Morris West aired out Pierre Teilhard de Chardin's theories about creation, teleological evolution, noosphere, and orthogenesis in his best-seller, The Shoes of the Fisherman. This is the fictional story of Kiril Cardinal Lakota from the Ukraine who is elected Pope much to the astonishment of everyone about ten years into the Cold War.

The new Pope selects Jean Telemond, a Jesuit priest and paleontologist, as his personal confessor. And before long, Kiril is a behind-the-scenes advocate of Telemond's work; but eventually, he gives in to the resistance of the Vatican traditionalists.

Kiril recognizes that he cannot move in all directions at once. Telemond dies broken-hearted.

The real Teilhard de Chardin never had the ear of the Pope. In fact, he kept much of his work under wraps in obedience to his superiors and held his primary book, The Phenomenon of Man, for posthumous publication. It had come out only a year or so before The Shoes of the Fisherman.

We've heard that the old movie produced in 1968 is not nearly as good as the novel although it's said to have a few inspiring moments.