The Old Man of the Mountain & The Great Stone Face

The Great Stone Face, also known as "The Old Man of the Mountain," held significant symbolic meaning for David, shaping his understanding of man's origins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab6smM5AFxk

• Emergence from Nature: David's uncle, Old Edward, would often take him to view the Great Stone Face, remarking, "No one knows how it came there, son. It just happened. Man emerging from raw nature" This instilled in David the idea that humanity simply emerged from nature, without any divine intervention
  
• Symbol of Man's Origin: The Great Stone Face became a symbol in David's mind and a preview of how he later came to think of man's origin. It represented the idea of man arising spontaneously from the earth and rock, a concept that would later influence his interpretation of human evolution
  
• Ritual and Conversation: Visits to the Great Stone Face became a ritual for David and his uncle. They would eat lunch over a fire and then Edward would discuss works by Nathaniel Hawthorne, particularly The Scarlet Letter. These discussions, especially the questions about sin and redemption, contrasted with the idea of man simply emerging from nature. Edward would ask why Arthur died on the scaffold with a smile on his lips, to which David would answer, "Because, sir, he knew he had to pay for his sins." Then, "Why did he sin, lad?" "Because of Adam's Original Sin, sir," would be David's answer. This exposure to concepts of sin and redemption likely created a tension in David's mind, later influencing his theological studies.
  
• Contrast with Religious Doctrine: The idea of man emerging from raw nature, as symbolized by the Great Stone Face, would later be in conflict with traditional religious doctrine of divine creation and original sin. This conflict became a central theme in David’s life as he tried to reconcile his anthropological studies with his religious beliefs. David found it difficult to explain the Church's teachings on creation in light of paleontology
  
• Jesus' Emergence from Nature: Later in David's life, the concept of the Great Stone Face as an image of natural emergence led him to view Jesus as simply another element emerging from nature. This idea was influenced by Teilhard de Chardin's theories, where Jesus is seen as the culmination of the universe's evolution. 
  This interpretation diminished the traditional Christian understanding of Jesus as a divine savior who interrupted the course of human history, and instead saw him as part of the natural unfolding of the universe

In essence, the Great Stone Face served as a visual and symbolic representation of David's evolving understanding of human origins. It represented a view of humanity emerging naturally from the earth, an idea that both shaped his later intellectual pursuits and also brought him into conflict with his traditional religious beliefs

   

This conflict would later become a significant theme in David’s life, and is reflected in his struggle during his own exorcism