For Immediate Release — Thursday, October 6, 2005
Contact:
Mary E. McCrank
Media Relations Officer
(585) 245-5516
Canisius Professor to Discuss Pierre Teilhard de
Chardin and Evolution at SUNY Geneseo
GENESEO,
N.Y. — H. James Birx, a distinguished professor of anthropology at
Canisius College in Buffalo, will deliver a lecture at 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct.
13, in 204 Newton Hall at the State University of New York at Geneseo. The
event is free and open to the public.
In his talk, "Interpreting Evolution: Pierre Teilhard de
Chardin," Birx will examine the life, thought and influence of Teilhard de
Chardin. Teilhard de Chardin was a geopaleontologist and Jesuit priest who
attempted to present a dynamic synthesis of science and theology in terms of
cosmic evolution and planetary convergence.
Teilhard de Chardin's anthropological research in China
included his participating in the discovery of the fossil hominid specimens
known as Peking Man, while his religious reflections contributed to his writing
"The Phenomenon of Man" (1838-l940), a controversial book that envisioned a
mystical end-goal for our emerging species on earth. Birx will focus on the
four essential concepts of Teilhard de Chardin's bold philosophy, which argues
that humankind does hold a special place within this unfolding universe. Along
the way, Birx will compare and contrast Teilhard de Chardin's interpretation of
evolution with those interpretations that have been offered by other
evolutionists, from both the past and the present.
Birx, who received his bachelor's degree and one of his
master's degrees from Geneseo, lectured last year at his alma mater about
Darwin and Nietzche. He also received a master's in anthropology and a Ph.D.
with distinction in philosophy from the University of Buffalo.
Birx is the author of numerous books, as well as more than
400 chapters, articles, encyclopedia entries and reviews. He is the editor of
the "Encyclopedia of Anthropology," and his next project is editing a
three-volume "Encyclopedia of Time" for SAGE Publications. He plans to write
its introduction next summer while he serves as a visiting scholar at Cambridge
University.
Birx has lectured at colleges across the world. He has been
a visiting scholar at Harvard University, Moscow State University and St.
Petersburg University in Russia, Rockhurst University, the University of
Zaragoza in Spain, and at the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava.
He serves on the editorial board of several publications and
has authored and edited numerous academic journal articles. In addition, he
serves as a Charles Darwin Associate in the New York Academy of Sciences and as
an elected member of the Executive Committee for the Afro-Asian Philosophy
Association in Cario, Egypt. He also is
a frequent guest on educational radio and international television interview
programs.
In 1999, Birx was honored with the designation as
distinguished educator at Canisius. In 2001, he was appointed a faculty fellow
of Sigma Phi Epsilon (New York Lambda Chapter) at Canisius.
His professional listings include Who's Who in the World.
###