Returning Religion to Evolution

During my recent webinar on “Returning Religion to the Prophetic,” a participant raised a question about prophetic action: Should we not stand with the marginalized and oppressed, calling out injustices in the name of true justice? While this concern is undoubtedly important, I believe that focusing solely on social justice might cause us to overlook the broader implications of evolution and its dynamic impetus. One might ask, “What does evolution have to do with social justice?” The answer is, in a sense, everything. Social justice is fundamentally about fostering right relationships, and evolution can be understood as the progressive emergence of increasingly complex relationships. To develop truly just relationships, we must comprehend evolution beyond its mere biological mechanisms.  That is, we have the capacity to evolve toward “rightness.”  This perspective suggests that our approach to social justice should be informed by an evolutionary understanding. It implies that just as life forms have evolved to become more complex and interconnected, so too should our social structures and relationships evolve towards greater fairness, inclusivity, and mutual support.  By integrating evolutionary thinking into our pursuit of social justice, we can potentially develop more comprehensive, adaptive, and effective strategies for addressing societal inequalities. This approach encourages us to view social progress not as a static goal, but as an ongoing process of growth and transformation, mirroring the continuous unfolding of evolution itself.  Thus, while standing with the marginalized and opposing injustice remains crucial, embedding these actions within a broader evolutionary context may enhance their impact and sustainability. It invites us to consider how our efforts towards social justice can contribute to the overall evolution of human society towards greater complexity, consciousness, and compassion.

To put this another way, social justice is not only a human concern but an evolutionary one. We humans are so conditioned by our world that we are unaware of our long biological lineage.  Evolution is not merely a backdrop to human history; it is our history. While Charles Darwin proposed that natural mechanisms like selection and adaptation could explain species variation and human emergence, philosopher Henri Bergson introduced a different perspective.  Bergson posited a “creative impulse” or élan vital, recognizing a spiritual depth manifesting in humans. Although he accepted evolution and did not try to defend the orthodox view that the human was separately created by God, he sought to show that human emergence is no accident of natural selection. Evolution, Bergson argued, is the work of a vital impetus, an élan vital, which has succeeded in penetrating matter and has by this means given rise to living beings.  In the human, according to Bergson, evolution has produced a being who possesses “the largest possible amount of indetermination and liberty.” The human person is endowed with intelligence, certainly, but intelligence, according to Bergson, is a practical tool for navigating the chaos of nature. Bergson suggested that humans possess the intrinsic ability to further evolutionary progress through conscious choice and spiritual development. The human person has an infinite spiritual depth; we are capax infiniti.  He provocatively described the universe as a “machine for the making of gods,” but it depends on human effort whether that “essential function” of the universe is exercised on this “refractory planet.” In essence, his view positions humans as a unique species, bridging the animal and the divine. His theory suggests that human emergence introduced a novel element of spiritual depth into evolution’s flow and emphasized our potential to shape the direction of evolution.

Teilhard de Chardin was influenced by Bergson’s notion of creative evolution. Following the insights of physics, he said that matter has a withinness and withoutness so that matter and mind are two aspects of the same reality. Whereas Darwin had no role for mind in evolution, Teilhard saw evolution as the rise of mind or consciousness. Every tiny bit of matter has interiority. From the Big Bang onwards, life unfolds towards a deepening of mind and complexity of matter. It is the withinness of matter that impelled Teilhard to locate religion as an essential component of evolution. Religion is larger than humanity alone and integral to earth’s future. Religion “is biologically the necessary counterpart to the release of the earth’s spiritual energy.” He viewed religion as a universal dimension of human experience, the depth dimension of all reality, and the search for ultimate meaning. Paul Tillich described religion as the state of being grasped by an ultimate concern that influences all other concerns. Harnessing the energies of religion is what gives meaning and direction to the forward movement of evolution.  

While Teilhard criticized institutions for suffocating religion with outdated philosophies and static metaphysics, he equally lamented modern science’s tendency to stifle materiality. He argued that science’s true purpose is to extend and complete the ongoing process of human evolution, imbuing it with a sacred, future-oriented duty. However, he claimed that science had failed this noble purpose by seeking to control nature rather than advance its wholeness. He observed that scientific progress had fallen into an intellectual and moral crisis – the crisis of scientism. This crisis raised doubts about the possibility and desirability of further scientific advances aimed at building humanity’s future.

Teilhard warned that science, without understanding evolution as a holistic relationship of mind and matter, provides an incomplete picture. He viewed the perceived conflict between reason and faith as “a struggle between two rival mysticisms for the mastery of the human heart” (that is, science and religion). Ultimately, he asserted that science requires religion to animate it. He claimed, “religion is the soul biologically necessary for the future of science,” emphasizing the interdependence of scientific and spiritual progress in human evolution. His insights on the interconnectedness of religion and science means that each area is dependent on the other for meaningful existence. Teilhard emphasized that religion primarily operates “on the level of consciousness and human action, rather than on the level of institutions or belief systems, except insofar as these systems manifest and give direction to the former.” This perspective suggests that religion should never be limited by institutional formulas or abstract doctrines. While religious institutions can serve a purpose in guiding the spiritual energies of religion, they should be viewed as servants of religion rather than its overseer.  Failure to recognize religion at the heart of evolution and identifying it as a special act of revelation has stripped the earth of its vital impulse. The contemporary notion of being “spiritual but not religious” points to the loss of religion as the creative vitality undergirding evolution’s ongoing development. Without religion, evolution is blind, and without evolution, religion is lame.      

Teilhard was clear that humanity is moving into a new environment, into a world that is being born instead of a world that is, with a new relationship between matter and spirit, a new humanism, and a new understanding of God—complementary movements which mark the beginning of a new era for humankind. In his book The Future of Man, Teilhard emphasized the critical role of forward-thinking faith. He wrote: “The whole future of the Earth, as of religion, seems to me to depend on the awakening of our faith in the future.” Faith in the future requires faith in the world, coupled with a belief in humanity’s continued evolution and the potential for greater global unity and collaboration. He envisioned humanity entering a new phase of existence – a world in the process of becoming rather than a static reality. This emerging world, he believed, would feature a transformed relationship between matter and spirit, a novel form of humanism, and a reimagined understanding of God. 

These complementary shifts, in his view, herald the dawn of a new era for humankind. Social justice is enfolded into the process of evolution. Life must continue to develop into a higher form of life.  As Ursula King notes, this concept of ongoing development towards greater unity is central to Teilhard’s evolutionary theory. This perspective presents evolution not just as a biological process, but as a comprehensive phenomenon encompassing spiritual, social, and material dimensions. It suggests that human progress is intrinsically linked to our capacity to envision and work towards a more unified and evolved future for all of humanity. King sums up Teilhard’s position by stating: 

The problem of the future is paramount for the present. Will humanity survive or will it be annihilated? Will it progress or stagnate? Teilhard thought we have no decisive evidence for either hope or despair, but one thing is certain: we need to find the right road, make the right choices and put our will into effective action to create the right world for humanity today. He was convinced that despair cannot provide the necessary energy for action, but hope can.[1]  

We have lost our sense of place in the universe because we have failed to realize our human lives in the flow of evolution. By shutting off the valve of religion from the impulse of evolution, we have basically smothered the vital impulse of wholeness that Teilhard named as “Omega-God.”  This is why he adamantly stated: “Religion and evolution . . .are destined to form one single continuous organism, in which their respective lives prolong, are dependent on and complete one another.” He suggests a fundamental reimagining of both our worldview and our spiritual practices. He calls for an integration of scientific understanding and spiritual insight, proposing that our beliefs and our comprehension of reality must evolve in tandem with our expanding scientific knowledge of nature. This approach seeks to reconnect human existence with the broader cosmic narrative, fostering a more holistic and dynamic understanding of our place within the evolving universe. He further argued that scientific insights from the ongoing process of cosmogenesis “must lead to the profound modification of the whole structure not only of our thought but of our beliefs.”

In our rapidly advancing technological world, debating whether to pay attention to science is no longer a luxury we can afford. Our understanding should have progressed beyond this point. Many religious institutions continue to emphasize scripture and tradition while marginalizing scientific insights. However, reducing religion to simplistic notions like “What Would Jesus Do?” or believing we can change religious doctrines on issues such as women’s ordination or gender inclusion by arguing over ancient philosophical concepts of matter and form is short-sighted at best. We face serious consequences for disregarding evolution as the “general condition to which all theories and systems must conform; a ‘dimension’ to which all thinking in whatever area must yield.” 

Teilhard de Chardin, nearly a century ago, presented us with a stark choice: evolve or face annihilation.  This perspective urges us to recognize the critical importance of integrating scientific understanding with our spiritual and social frameworks. It suggests that our survival and progress as a species depend on our ability to adapt our thinking, beliefs, and institutions to align with our evolving understanding of the universe and our place within it. The message is clear: we must embrace a more dynamic, scientifically informed approach to religion and society, or risk becoming obsolete in a rapidly changing world.

The prophetic stance today cannot be limited to social justice alone. It must be a wider and deeper stance of the mystic who stands on the edge of evolution and sees a new future on the horizon. One who sees is willing to challenge the status quo on every level. The prophet cries out for a new world because the prophet sees a new future dawning on the horizon. Teilhard de Chardin emphasized the need for future-affirming beings with expansive, open awareness, individuals who will have the mental capacity to recognize future challenges and devise solutions, coupled with the energy and will to implement them. While scientists have extensively analyzed the physical-biological and mental-psychic aspects of human beings, we now require novel methods to perceive the world as an emergent, complex whole. Our task is to think, act, and live differently – not merely to exist, but to “superlive.” This means embracing a fuller, more rewarding life shared with fellow humans, all earthly creatures, and planetary life as a whole.

The time has come to adhere to the process of evolution on every level of existence. This perspective calls for a radical shift in our approach to life and, in particular, our adherence to religion, urging us to transcend our current limitations and actively participate in shaping a more integrated, conscious future. It suggests that our role is not just to adapt to our environment, but to consciously evolve ourselves and our world towards greater complexity, awareness, and interconnectedness. We do not know what the future will bring, but we cannot excuse ourselves from its impending reality. There is no other way to predict the future other than to create it because creativity is the heart of evolution, and evolution is the heart of God.    


[1] King, “Teilhard de Chardin’s Vision of Science, Religion and Planetary Humanity,” 144.

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9 Comments

  1. Dennis on September 18, 2024 at 8:59 am

    In today’s divisive rhetoric, cautioning from an exclusive focus usually means disparaging that focus. It implies as well that there is too much, or misplaced attention to that focus. That is the danger of the opening language of this post that stats that “…focusing solely on social justice might cause us to overlook….” evolution. I will reflect upon the rest of the essay with that caution in mind. Why?
    To paraphrase, to focus on evolution without grounding in specific Incarnation is to desert the grounding in the fullness of humanity and what it means to be human. It is to be elitist and, in my opinion escapist and delinquent. Without ‘incarnate’ humanity and human reality not only in its fullness but in its state in time misses Jesus. Before Jesus the big religious question seems to have been: how does on worship, relate to an ineffable diety. So we invent idols, codes, arcane rituals and practices. Jesus’ message is that God is ‘pleased’, honoured and worshipped by human beings, humanity, becoming and being in the fullness of the Creator’s image. All humanity, not only the elite, the scientists, the clergy, the thinkers but the full spectrum of people. Bringing all within the ambit of inclusion, equality, opportunity, security, health, reconciliation, accommodation to difference and the benefits of progress. One might sum up that ‘focus’ as REAL social justice. Outside of the concept of social justice – becoming the fullness of the image of God for all, science, philosophy, religion, politics, speculation and reflection is but a ‘resounding gong or a clanging cymbal…”. Benedict XVI also got it ‘upside down” ~ it is not so much “caritas in veritate'” but rather ‘veritas in caritate’.

    • Kay Jackson on October 5, 2024 at 7:36 am

      Dennis, as someone who has studied pre-Christian religions, I feel a need to gently remind you that humanity’s worship of the Mysteries is a reflection of awareness and consciousness. Indigenous peoples the world over were, and are, of a kindred united spirit with Mother Earth. Intuitively, these folks knew/know their lives were intertwined and while they did not have the depth of knowledge now available, they did have the presence of heart-feeling. That deep knowing that Nature was and forever will be Mother.
      Today, most people still keep an “ineffable God”, not because they lack the words, but because a Church requires this doxology.

      • Dennis on October 10, 2024 at 3:09 pm

        Kay Jackson, whether one refers to “Mother Earth”, “Father God”, Creator…..without the dimension of ineffable there would be no more question and without question there is no awe. Without awe there is no true worship. The issue with “Church “is not that it requires it but in the contradiction that it claims to possess and circumscribe it.



  2. Kay Jackson on September 15, 2024 at 6:45 am

    It was Einstein who said,”Science without Religion is lame,
    Religion without science is blind”. What a wise man!
    Alongside Teilhard was George Macleod, founder of the Iona Community. Macleod and Teilhard probably didn’t know each other
    despite being contemporaries. Both in the same war, both having profound spiritual awakening from the inhumanity around them and both being called
    to action. Perhaps the most major difference is that Teilhard stayed within the confines, if not the boundaries, of Catholicism (the Western Christianity) and Macleod continued on the eastern influenced Church remaining more firmly Celtic Christian.
    If evolution has been in place since the Hot Big Bang(and perhaps before), and if the interaction of matter, not just humans, co-creates ongoing evolution then all matter is filled with Divine. That is Celtic Christianity from its ancient beginning. That is why the “old gods” live with the new.
    If religion requires consciousness, then all matter has consciousness. The rocky coast of an ocean will, after all, evolve the future coastline as the sea and the rocks continue to interact.
    For me, this instantly dispels the myth that humans are a unique creation. All matter is conscious-it is just different and unity loves diversity. Nature loves diversity. Nature is unified with the EXCEPTION of US.
    We refuse to accept we might need help. Be vulnerable. Be in need of healing,which is, of course,salvation. Social justice is unable to evolve until we understand the basic thoughts of Macleod and Teilhard. Evolution was and will do fine without us. It was. We have entered the picture and selfishly changed the course of events to suit us – the humans. Its time to reflect on the diverse, conscious, and sacred life surrounding us and pause.
    How may we best move forward and empower the changing rights, relationships, and responsibilities of all our kind both human and nonhuman?

  3. Janet on September 13, 2024 at 7:59 pm

    Ilia I read your blog with interest. Some time later I came across Thomas Merton’s words which in some respects are supportive of those you raised, but, perhaps, not in the manner of complexity? His words are suggestive of a call into simplicity, into a unitive relationship with-in God through a unitive transforming relationship (theosis) with the Cosmic Christ (the embodiment of God), in ‘the Way’, spelt out in the Beatitudes, which Jesus, a moshel meshalim, came to teach us.
    quote: The world and time are the dance of the world in emptiness. The silence of the spheres is the music of the wedding feast. the more we persist in misunderstanding the phenomena of life, the more we analyse them out into strange finalities and complex purposes of our own, the more we involve ourselves in sadness, absurdity and despair. But it does not matter much, because no despair of ours can alter the reality of things, or stain the joy of the cosmic dance which is always there. indeed we are in the midst of it, and it is in the midst of us, for it beats in our very blood, whether we want it to or not. Yet the fact remains that we are invited to forget ourselves on purpose, cast our awful solemnity to the winds and join in the general dance.” (Thomas Merton, Book of Hours, p.36). A call to simplicity, into a unitive relationship with the Cosmic Christ?

  4. Alice MacDonald on September 13, 2024 at 11:18 am

    Perhaps the reason the abortion issue remains so prominent on the large screen of human development is because this is a very critical time in human growth and development. The new human is striving to coordinate all its functions collectively in preparation for birthing a new world of peace, justice, and Love. We are at the end stage of human development, the waters have broken, the journey towards the Light of new life has begun. Let us not abort this vision of a new world but rather work together, labor together to birth into form the great Love in whom we live and move and have our being. We are being called Home to where it all began in the Wholeness, in the Heart of that great Love where Everything Belongs, no one left behind, lost, or forgotten. We are being called to make the invisible, visible, the marriage of Spirit and Matter.

    • Maria Aldina Lopes Brás on September 29, 2024 at 10:51 am

      I love your comments, Alice!
      Thank you.

  5. John Zemblidge on September 13, 2024 at 7:54 am

    Thank you Bliss for sharing Marstin’s sublime definition of justice. I like Cornel West’s too: “Justice is what Love looks like in public (policy). Peace and All Good, John Zemblidge, Phoenix, Arizona.

  6. Bliss Browne on September 13, 2024 at 2:23 am

    Ronald Marstin defined justice as fundamentally a matter of who is included and whom we can tolerate neglecting. Standing in solidarity with those on the margin is, in my experience, a dynamic process of advocating for/from the whole and organizing human institutions accordingly. It is prophetic in that it starts in God’s future to reshape our present. It believes that the underlying wholeness can be achieved within the body politic and that that wholeness deserves more authority than socially constructed divisions which discriminate and marginalize. Hopefully, understanding actions on behalf of justice as an evolutionary impulse may increase some people’s courage that it’s worth taking the risk.

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