Preface: Five Major Levels of Awareness
1. Different Energies in our Environment
a) First Type of Energy --- Physical Energy
b) Second Type of Energy --- God and the Uncreated Energy
c) Third Type of Energy --- The Devil and the Diabolic Energy
d) Fourth Type of Energy --- The Angel and the Angelic Energy
e) Fifth Type of Energy --- The Human and the Human Energy
f) Sixth Type of Energy --- The Saint and the Saintly Energy
2. Our Environment as a Spiritual-Human-Material Energy Nexus
a) Various Synergisms in the Worldview of Teilhard de Chardin*
b) Other Synergisms in our Spiritual-Human-Material Energy Nexus
3. Energies in our Environmental Evolution
a) The Uncreated Family of the Most Holy Trinity as intra
b) The Uncreated Family of the Most Holy Trinity ad extra
c) The Eschatological Divine Heavenly Family
4. Environmental Crisis as Energy Crisis: Three Case Studies
a) The Ozone Crisis
b) The AIDS Crisis
c) The New Age Movement
5. An Ethics for our Environment: Becoming a truly good Christian
a) One Environment, One Salvation
b) Why it is so difficult to become a truly good Christian in our Environment
c) Ways of becoming a truly good Christian in our Environment
*Some traditional, truly good Catholics may have problems with Teilhard de Chardin. As no theologian seems to have been exempted from any human mistake by Providence, let us give him the benefits of doubt. Perhaps we should treat him like Origen who was officially condemned -- and rightly so -- by the Early Church for some of his heretical views, such as universalism which teaches that there is no eternal damnation and that all will be saved eventually. Yet the present Catechism of the Catholic Church formally quoted Origen nine times. In fact, Teilhard who wrote apparently for the future generation was never officially condemned. Both Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI refused to go that far. Instead, the Church only issued a monitum on June 13, 1962 warning us about certain dangers of his works. Recently Rev. Dr. Wayne A. Holst called Teilhard --- together with Charles de Foucauld --- a great challenge to postmodern minds (cf. The Catholic Register, Toronto, Oct. 4, 1999, p. 14) Holst wrote: "Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1995), Jesuit priest, scientist and mystic, widely known yet difficult to read and comprehend, resurfaces as one of the most influential spiritual guides of the 20th century" (ibid). Teilhard, just as the Holy Bible, has been widely quoted by both Christians and the New Age people. Here is a golden rule to follow, then, while we are reading Teilhard diligently with an open mind, i.e., let us follow the Magisterium at all times.
Appendix 1: The Old and the New Physics
Appendix 2: Energy and Mass
Appendix 3: Our Ignorance and Insensitivity to Various Energies
Appendix 4: Various Degrees in Energy Detection
Appendix 5: Glossary
Notes:
A Select Bibliography:
Acknowledgements:
About the Author
Comments on the present work:
"By all appearances, with the publication of this distinguished monograph, John Cheng has established himself in the history of theology as the initiator of different types of energy." Rt. Rev. Petro Bilaniuk. Dr. Theol., Dr. Phil., C.D.S.P., D.D., professor of theology and religious studies (1993)
"Those who are able and willing to read the work will be inspired and blessed by the Divine Energy of the Holy Spirit." Rev. George Kosicki, C.S.B., Director of Divine Mercy International and former professor of biochemistry (1993)
"A fascinating speculative study of supernatural physics." Rev. St. Clair McEvenue, deacon and catechist (1992)
"Light is the only remedy for darkness. The author brings tremendous light via the comprehensive study of Theology of Energy. His spiritual understanding causes a movement towards unity. His contribution is highly commendable." Dr. Lise Malhotra, Ph.D. in biology, mother of three and prayer group leader (1993)
"This book is one of the first works to attempt a fusion between the Orthodoxy of Trinitarian thought and contemporary concepts of cosmic energy. His text, written with style and grace, conveys much of the adventure and spiritual excitement of this quest, and opens new paths to further investigations." Prof. John McLeish, scholar in adult learning theory (1993)
"The author's idea of superterrestrial energies significantly advances the contemporary discussion of the environment." Dr. Herbert Richardson, Ph.D., publisher of The Edwin Mellen Press (1992)
"John's work appears to be both brilliant and refreshing. Science and faith have merged … He updates our Roman Catholic traditional belief into a modern faith without losing any of the values held dearly by us." Frank Sirianni, Catholic lay leader (1993)
" A beautiful, heavenly and
yet timely book." Carmel Keane, Montessori teacher, mother
of two (1993)
