This is a marvellous documentary, well worth watching, in my view.
Three things struck me as I watched it. Firstly, it is now a hundred years since Chardin got into trouble with Church authorities. It was the result of an article he wrote about interpreting the Genesis story of creation, and how his study of evolution had taught him that this cannot be taken literally, and how this new understanding raised questions about various Church doctrines, especialally in relation to the traditional understanding of Original Sin.
In no way would I want to equate myself with Chardin, except the account of his dealings with Church authorities. I particularly related to the demands they made on him to make statements of belief, especially asking him to declare that he accepted the literal interpretation of the Garden of Eden story, and also that he accepted that the world was created in six days. His description of trying to deal with these demands brought back many painful memories to myself.
The other thing I noticed was that he got his greatest support, both in terms of human companionship and ensuring his writings would not be lost, was from various women. He stated that the feminine demension was enormously important in his life.
The documentary lasts about an hour and a half, but I would encourage people to watch it — it would be time well spent.
https://www.pbs.org/video/teilhard-visionary-scientist-pt9dc1
