Teilhard de Chardin on Morality: Living in an Evolving World

Today’s Christian people living in a culture immersed in science, technology, and evolution have been trying to shape a moral life with no guidance except from traditional ethical principles based on a medieval world view. That traditional sin-focused world view saw life on Earth primarily as a trial or testing ground for getting into heaven. Christians today need a way to transition from a traditional morality based on an Earth that is merely fixed and cyclical (and is often portrayed as a waiting room for heaven ) into a morality that can deal with a world that is constantly evolving and generating new ethical challenges. Teilhard presents a morality that sees humanity from an evolutionary perspective, in which humanity is growing in intellectual, emotional and ethical maturity. He sees humanity’s role as helping God in the divine project of transforming the world. He presents an ethic that challenges us to make a positive difference in the world. He proposes specific guidelines for living a moral life that fit the contemporary situation. For today’s Christians-and others who love our Earth-Teilhard puts forward a clear and direct way to morally evolve. He offers a way to participate in renewing the face of the Earth. With clear guiding principles, Teilhard recommends an ethical system where people, here and now, learn to see themselves as instruments of God’s work in the world, cooperating in helping bring about the kingdom of God on Earth.