Teilhard’s Proposition for Peace: Rediscovering the Fire
Teilhard de Chardin, called “the greatest prophet of this age”, intended to write a book called “The Book of Peace,” though he failed to do so. Instead, he went on sowing the seeds of peace throughout his writings. This book distills and presents the essence of the case Teilhard made for the cause of peace.
There is no doubt that Teilhard’s readers have noticed how difficult his thought can be, and how puzzling it appears at times. This volume navigates the complexity of those labyrinthine roads, inviting the reader to confidently “see” the basic unity which underlies all that is. When we recognize that we live in the Divine Milieu, where we witness the transforming presence of the divine in human consciousness, we will existentially realize the truth of the principle by which Teilhard wanted us to live.
Jean Maalouf, PhD, is the author of more than forty books, including Le mystère du mal dans l’ɶuvre de Teilhard de Chardin (1986), Teilhard de Chardin: Reconciliation in Christ (2002), and If We Just See What They See: Peace According to Albert Einstein, Thomas Merton, Pope John XXIII, Thick Nhat Hanh, Mahatma Gandhi, Teilhard de Chardin, Mother Teresa of Calcutta. (2007), among others. He has also published many articles on religion, spirituality, mysticism (Eastern and Western), philosophy, psychology, and peace and social issues in journals and magazines such as Catholic Digest, Celebration, Peace Research Reviews, Praying, Revue des Sciences and Philosophiques et Théologiques. He is a member of several professional associations, including the American Academy of Religion, the American Teilhard Association, the Authors Guild, Contemplative Outreach, Centering Prayer, the National Writers Union, the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, and the Society of Christian Philosophers.
"Jean Maalouf has studied the life, writings, and philosophy of Teilhard de Chardin for longer than many of us have been on this earth! Maalouf’s latest and most comprehensive offering is Teilhard’s Proposition for Peace, a complete and masterfully accomplished look at the man, who, although passing in 1955, remains relevant in today’s tumultuous world for his views and insights for world peace and the future of mankind.
All you need is love, is what the Beatles proclaimed in 1967 – they might have known about Teilhard but Pop Culture was not what Teilhard was about. His life, as is Maalouf’s, was and is committed to the ongoing deeper introspection of the soul to examine how mankind can 'rise to the occasion' and begin to experience the 'higher consciousness' of worldwide peace.
Maalouf’s book is a very scholarly look at the life and times of Teilhard and a clear interpretation of his thoughts and principals. More than that, however, the average reader can find in it direction - a road map, if you will, for seeking relief about the 'real' meaning of life.
Yes, this is the most complete bibliographic work honoring Teilhard de Chardin but more than that it is a deep introspective of Teilhard the man, and the beliefs for the future of mankind, laid out clearly, if only we could follow the path of love and righteousness he so thoughtfully explained. Yes, Dr. Maalouf got the title right – Teilhard’s Proposition for Peace… Rediscovering the Fire!"
Dr. Robert Brown
The United States of America
"Jean Maalouf holds a doctorate in philosophy of the University of Paris-Sorbonne. He is a prolific writer, widely published internationally, and well known for his books on philosophy, religion, spirituality and mysticism. With more than forty book titles and studies to his name, his most recent work is a timely and most valuable book dedicated to one of the greatest modern prophets our age has known, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. Teilhard’s Proposition for Peace: Rediscovering the Fire, opens with a selection of key quotes by Teilhard that are central to the book, to which he also added three: by William Blake, Hans Urs von Balthasar and Victor Hugo. Going through the book, one is struck by the effective way the author has presented his thoughts. It is an extremely well-composed and balanced work, split in six individual parts, each of which subdivides in four chapters. In asking the question 'Who is Secure?' the author starts his investigation to assess the possibilities for a lasting peace. In pointing to our being embedded in the evolving world of cosmogenesis, he takes away the 'false belief of disconnection' in existential loneliness and discusses the dawn of a transformed and unitive consciousness that would be required in order to succeed in achieving a peaceful life, and, eventually, a peaceful world. In pointing to Teilhard’s writings and the advance of modern sciences, he remains optimistic about the future of humanity, but warns us that tasks lie ahead. He encourages us to be aware of the forces of complexification and convergence where 'union differentiates.' A new type of life awaits us and will support us towards a collaborative effort to start a revolution in human consciousness, a 'peace revolution' to effect radical changes to our existing culture. The author’s final conclusion is that no better security exists than the security of true and genuine love. The last sentence in the book is a quotation from Teilhard de Chardin’s Activation of Energy: 'Love one another … the most powerful, and in fact the only imaginable, principle of the earth’s future equilibrium… the only true peace.' Jean Maalouf delivered one of the most complete ever books that have appeared lately with regard to the available personal and bibliographic data on Teilhard de Chardin. In addition to the 24 splendid essays, backed up with painstakingly precise prepared footnotes on almost every page, it holds a Chronology of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s Lifeand an extensive Bibliography, covering some 40 pages. The bibliography mentions all his works (making special references to the thirteen volumes published by Editions du Seuil), and selected writings. On top of that Jean Maalouf created a precise Chronology of Teilhard’s Works, an Index of Writings, a comprehensive Works on the Thought of Teilhard de Chardin, and list For Further reading."
Leo W Zonneveld The Netherlands
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