Abstract

There are sound scholarly reasons for regarding anything published about or written by Teilhard de Chardin as "hot copy," but in the case of the present volume of letters it appears to be cult interests that are being exploited rather than scholarly interests that are being served. In the first place this translation includes only the second half of the French original, Lettres d'Hastings et de Paris. The French text included all of Teilhard's letters to his parents from 1908 through his induction into the French Army in 1914, not simply the letters between 1912-after Teilhard returned to Paris from his scholasticate at Ore Place to resume his studies in biology and paleontology—and 1914. The publisher has inexcusably failed to note this fact in the proper place, viz., in de Lubac's introduction which was written for all of the letters, not simply for those from 1912 on. In the second place, it is simply not true to say, as the dust cover does, that these letters "provide another and indispensible key to the genesis of his [Teilhard's] thought." These letters bear witness to Teilhard's filial piety and provide, at best, obscure and oblique references to his intellectual growth. The letters are not valueless, but this English edition has been handled irresponsibly from the point of view of amount of material included, emphasis indicated, and price asked.—E. A. R.