The Emergent Christ: Exploring the Meaning

"The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible" -- Albert Einstein

Ilia Delio makes fascinating sense of the universe, beginning with the story of cosmic evolution, coursing through the meaning of God in evolution and the emergence of Christ, and concluding with new ways of seeing Christ in all things. As Teilhard de Chardin did in The Divine Milieu, Ilia Delio reveals the sacrament of God at work in the world.

She also explores the spiritual evolution within each of us and suggests that it will change the cosmos as well as the church. She shows that we are at a stage in evolution where our choices will determine what happens next. "Love," she writes, "always seeks the best for the beloved but God is a beggar of love who waits at the soul's door without daring to force it open. The question of Christ emerging as the personal center of the universe is not a question of yes or no but a question of how that love will evolve." She makes one thing perfectly clear: it is happening and the evidence is astounding.

The Emergent Christ is an antidote to the new atheism that says there is no place in evolution for God, let alone a God of love. It is also a spiritual tonic for Christians interested in understanding their place and purpose in this evolving universe.

About the Author

ILIA DELIO, O.S.F., is a senior fellow at Woodstock Theological Center, Georgetown University. In 2000 she received a Templeton course award in Science and Religion. She is the author of many books, including The Humility of God, Franciscan Prayer, and the award-winning Care for Creation: A Franciscan Spirituality of the Earth. She lives in Washington, D.C.