Spirit of Fire: The Life and Vision of Teilhard de Chardin

This may be the book to hook a new generation on the religious power of Teilhard’s vision of divine presence in matter and the evolving universe. –Elizabeth A. Johnson, CSJ

From the viewpoint of our present understanding of the universe it could be said that Teilhard is the most significant Christian theologian since Saint Paul … Spirit of Fire is especially clear in its exposition of the mystical dimension of Teilhard’s life within this context. –Thomas Berry

In the twenty years since the original publication of Spirit of Fire the influence of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin–renowned French Jesuit theologian, mystic, and scientist–has continued to spread. He is widely regarded as one of the true prophets of our age, bringing Christian theology into creative dialogue with the new cosmology, expanding the dialogue between religion and science, and opening up profound dimensions of the human condition.

The text of Ursula King’s lucid biography is enhanced quotations from Teilhard and scores of photographs that document his dramatic life–from the trenches of World War I, to his groundbreaking paleontological research in China and travels in the Gobi Desert. This revised edition, which includes a new chapter on Teilhard’s legacy, is the ideal introduction to the life and thought of a remarkable man whose vision and life-affirming spirituality speak even more vitally to the concerns of our time.