Paul Edgeworth:  

Synthesizing Spiritual Growth and Cosmic Evolution pje/pi.ai The theological concepts of Bernard Lonergan's vertical finality and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin's Omega Point, while distinct in their origins and focus, share common ground in their emphasis on progression and union with the divine. Scholars such as Elizabeth A. Johnson, John F. Haught, and Louis Roy, O.P. have endeavored to bridge the gap between these concepts in their works; thus, creating a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between God, the universe, and humanity. Lonergan's vertical finality pertains to the innate human desire for understanding, which ultimately leads to a transcendent union with God. This concept places emphasis on the intellectual and spiritual growth of individuals as they journey toward their ultimate purpose. In contrast, Teilhard's Omega Point presents a cosmic vision, proposing that the universe evolves toward a pinnacle of complexity and consciousness, where all creation converges and unites with the divine. This concept integrates evolutionary theory with theological principles, asserting that the development of the universe is inherently purposeful and directed. Elizabeth A. Johnson, a theologian, and professor at Fordham University, integrates Lonergan's and Teilhard's ideas in her works, particularly in her book "Ask the Beasts: Darwin and the God of Love." Johnson explores the connection between the human pursuit of understanding and the cosmic journey toward the Omega Point, accentuating the evolutionary nature of the universe and the unfolding of God's presence within creation. John F. Haught, a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University, draws upon both Lonergan and Teilhard in several of his works, including "God After Darwin: A Theology of Evolution" and "The Promise of Nature: Ecology and Cosmic Purpose." Haught investigates the interplay between theology, evolution, and cosmic purpose, reconciling individual spiritual growth with the grander cosmic journey toward unity with the divine. Louis Roy, O.P., a Dominican priest and former president of the Canadian Theological Society, has contributed extensively to the dialogue between Lonergan's and Teilhard's thought. In his book "Transcendent Experiences: Phenomenology and Critique," Roy highlights the compatibility of their ideas, suggesting that Lonergan's methodology and emphasis on human interiority can be integrated with Teilhard's vision of cosmic evolution and the Omega Point, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of the human spiritual journey. The Cows of Bashan They lie on carved beds of cypress horned with tusks inlaid with lapis-lazuli They lounge on purple-dyed couches luxuriantly pillowed They dine on sweet- roasted lamb the fat kidneys of ram They enjoy celestial music of lyres soothing to ring-pierced ears They have plentiful and delightful wine to prolong the hours of the night They use the finest island-imported lotions to smooth and pamper their flesh but They do not concern themselves over the poverty of the land and the suffering of its people for They only dream of well-muscled youth paddling swift- papyrus boats While cool breezes press fine-woven linen against their complacent skins God is verb Was Is Will be God is relation Father Son Holy Spirit Supposing God placed a certain quantity of motion in all matter in general at the first instant he created it, we must then either admit that he always preserves the same amount of motion in it, or not believe that he always acts in the same way. Descartes in so pondering is providing a conservation law, one in which the quantity of all motion in the cosmos is conserved. Since God is immutable and acts immutably, Descartes determines that the quantity of motion in nature does not change. It is a positive quantity that neither increases nor decreases, but remains constant. If we are perplexed as to what “quantity” entails, Descartes clarifies it for us in his Principles of Nature, Part two, Article 36, where he states motion has a certain determinate quantity; and this may be constant in the universe as a whole while varying in any given part. Thus if one part of matter moves twice as fast as another which is twice as large, we must consider that there is the same quantity of motion in each part; and if one part slows down, we must suppose that some other part of equal size speeds up by the same amount. For we understand that God’s perfection involves not only his being immutable in himself, but also his operating in a manner that is always utterly constant and immutable. So if we were unsure as to the meaning of the term “quantity,” and therefore what was conserved in totality, Descartes has now told us that it is “size times speed.” It is this formula that maintains the total quantity of motion in the world. Absence of the Gods Sing, Muses, sing of the Absence of the Gods, and of the Noos of Zeus. Broad browed Zeus atop Olympus Massif castes his eyes down upon his golden terrace where he sees two gods approaching each other, Apollo from the West, and Dionysus from the East. Dionysus: Apollo, it is evident that mankind no longer offers sacrifices to us. From their perspective, it appears that we are absent from their lives, and no longer grant gifts from beyond. Apollo: Yes, sacrifices are no longer offered up to us. Nor do answers to prayers or laws proceed down from us. Let us call this the old way, the way of vertical transcendence. Dionysus: I take it then that the new way would be the way of horizontal transcendence. Apollo: Yes. Horizontal transcendence is not imposed downward, but remains on the level of the human. It is not something alien permanently suspended and existing on a plain above and apart from what is human. Dionysus: The key then to horizontal transcendence would be found in the order and authority imposed by customs and institutions created by man. This is a recognition that human beings are the makers of their history and institutions. Such man-made institutions do govern individual men and are external to the individual, but they do not govern from a level that supercedes the human dimension. It is a reality which exists on the plain of men and would not exist without men. Apollo: Yes. But from the perspective of the gods, there is still a key role for us in horizontal transcendence. The providence of the gods can be seen as underlying the institutions of man even though man himself is not always aware of the workings of the gods. It is the gods' immanence at work and it gives rise to a transcendence which is manifested in the institutions that man has created. Humans think that the gods are no longer there. They do not see that the gods are still there working behind the scenes of mankind's reality. Dionysus: Yes, institutions created by man, but reflecting a divine providence acting for the preservation of man whether man is aware of it or not. Apollo: And this divine providence is not only a matter of preserving man, but also of placing him in circumstances that involve a struggle for self-overcoming -- even a heroic life for the best of men. Dionysus: Thus, despite suffering, evil, and death, life and living is still worth the effort for man. Apollo: Precisely so, and the fact that man creates a world out of adversity is in the end not inconsistent with Zeus's eternal plan for the order and harmony of the cosmos. It is man's attempt to bring order to the world just as Zeus has brought order to the cosmos. Dionysus: Yes, Apollo, horizontal transcendence reflects a recognition that divine providence is immanent in the workings of man as reflected in what man has created. Apollo: Indeed, for there is real value to be found in looking at human finitude in a landscape from which the gods have been removed, at least so in appearances, from the perspective of man. All theology and philosophy, all arts and sciences, flow from man's attempt to understand the world that is given to him in experience. Dionysus: Well said, Apollo, and given such a view, who is to say that it is not after all a dancing god, looking down from high atop Olympus, who takes delight in what man is striving to obtain. Apollo: Dionysus, I find myself amused by your notion of a dancing god. An apt image worthy of the god of wine, grapes, and revelry. Would you care to elaborate further? Dionysus. Very well, Phoebus Apollo, god of music and eloquence, as you well know I grasp things best as a whole rather than proceeding linearly. What I see then is a dancing circle of power, past, present, and proceeding forever, pulling man closer and closer to us gods. Apollo: Ah yes, take us and the Aegis Holder looking down upon us from high atop Mt. Olympus. We have then Father nucleus and us two. Dionysus: Yes, you see the image much as I do. It was no accident that the mortal Oppenheimer entitled his experiment the Trinity. But expand from Father Zeus and us two, and see Zeus and all the gods and thus the entire dancing circle of power. Apollo: Yes, far more than just a Leibnizian space-creating relationship is what I see, and grasp then with you. Thunder headed Zeus, Son of Cronus most high, looked down and smiled. He was proud of his two sons, Apollo, born of Leto, and Dionysus, born of mortal Semele, for they had caught a glimpse of his plans, albeit just the smallest glimmer, for he had plans far more grand than Mekone for man. Such is the Noos of Zeus. If "w", "r", "a" are pickled, then "wb", "rb", "ab", so ...Expand for more