John Cobb - A Relational Worldview for the Common Good

THE CENTER FOR PROCESS STUDIES

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A Relational Worldview for the Common Good

Center for Process Studies, 5678 SE Harlene St.,

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I received a mass-mailed letter from Process Theologian Dr. John B. Cobb Jr., which I wish to share to those of you who may be interested in learning more about process philosophy and theology. Not many years ago I discover AN Whitehead and shortly thereafter John B. Cobb, Jr. who took Whitehead's work and applied it more rigorously to Christian and non-Christian religious theology. As a corollary John has expanded his process paradigms and practicum applications into the Natural Sciences, Psychoanalytic, Sociological, and Ecological disciplines. The generations of Whiteheadians since have likewise followed suit.

For myself my main interest was to find a new hermeneutic to update the conservative / progressive evangelicalism I had learn within a Modernal Era setting. As I discovered, the best I could do was to recenter the God I love and worship into the center of my evangelical doctrines, remove their Westernized interpretations of God and Christianity, and replace the bible with Jesus and the Love of God. That was my new hermeneutic. But my new philosophic-theology would be Whiteheadian process thought as an Integral Theory of Everything (WPT-ITOE). It would be applicable in a postmodern, postpostmodern, metamodern, and every succeeding era thereafter. Which is why it is a centering and integral philosophy built organically on relationships, experience, and spiritual (sic, more broadly, panpsychic re scientific cosmologies and process-based metaphysics).

A few years back I took an online class with Dr. Cobb when he was 94 or 95 years of age. I've also have read his published articles and a few books. Likewise with Whitehead. Certainly I wish I could do this more rigorously through a doctoral and post-doctoral program but time, expense, and age are against me. I will depend upon others more expert than myself for information even as I expand and explore Whiteheadian thought through everything I now write or think about as I have done these past many years.

Nonetheless, I consider myself a belated third generation Whiteheadian and early fourth generation protege. In my schemata I loosely associate all second gens to have studies process thought at the University of Chicago in the 1950s before it was closed down and transferred to Claremont University, Pasadina, CA. And that all third gens were contemporaries with John Cobb having learned Whitehead with him or have been trained by him in his professorial years thereafter. And finally, all fourth gens are those who are not trained by John Cobb but are receiving his words and meanings through his mentors and teachers.

Now for many of you, you will be playing catch-up. Bur if you use the Index links I have provided to you on the right hand topic column there will lie within those Indexes hundreds of articles. Too, there will be many, many, many website links to even more progressive treasure troves. I've tried to make learning process thought - and especially process theology, quantum science, and evolution - as simple and practical as I can. That said, I am now longer writing ABC kind of articles but more elaborate and in-depth articles which are building upon past dialogues and discussions.

Too, what I have written, and will be writing, will be avante garde. Some process theologians and scientists are just now beginning to expand and explore what I have plowed ground previously upon. I think of Andrew Davis and Matt Segall re their esotericisms and metaphysical cosmologies... things Im interested in especially as they link to my past Reformed-Conservative-Emergent Evangelical Christianity. Further, for those of you studying Open and Relational Theology I suggest that you more properly understand that direction in terms of an Open and Relational PROCESS Theology. This is where that subject most properly lives and breathes. All other Westernized foundations create hazard, trouble, and death.

Lastly, let us salute and thank John Cobb for his faithful testimony to Christ and for all the work he has provided to humanity over the course of his many long and wise years. He has become one of my heroes in life to whom I will continue to read his past titles and thoughts so that I keep to my source, as I wish to with Whitehead as well, as the years roll by. Thank you John for all the blessings you have provided and been to those of us seeking godly direction and practical application of Jesus' atoning redemption!

R.E. Slater

January 18, 2024

Dear PF22, I am 98, and for that age, my faculties (sight and hearing and even thinking) are quite good. The one about which I do complain is memory. Probably I’m typical for my age. People are very understanding. While I still can, I am reviewing my “legacy.” It is mixed up with the legacies of many others in the process movement. I conclude that my most important contribution is institutional. That is because the institutions to whose existence I have contributed are all acting responsibly in relation to what is happening. I think and hope that none of them give priority to my opinions. They are already out-dated.   The first is the Center for Process Studies. David Griffin gave it extraordinary leadership. Andrew Schwartz succeeded him, during a period when the future of the Center and the Claremont School of Theology, of which it was a part, was uncertain. Despite difficulties, he has helped move process thought from the margin of the American discussion to a role in the mainstream. Although Andrew and the School worked well together, it was clear that a friendly separation would be good for both. That has taken place. And an independent Center is once again acting as the “center.”   From the beginning, many of those most interested in process thought were church folk. For them, we organized Process and Faith. It has worked well for some evangelicals who are unable to swallow all of traditional Christian doctrine, but who understand that there is much in Christianity of great importance for them and for the world. Tripp Fuller has provided a home for such people for many years and Tom Oord has recently offered an alternative. I had nothing to do with establishing either of these organizations, but since I have contributed to the process theology that both find works well for them, I include them in the family. The process theology they embody is Christian, but the Christianity involved appreciates and learns from other spiritual traditions. “Process” seeks to serve these other traditions as well. Process and Faith has served other spiritual traditions as well as Christianity, and an important role of process thought is to provide an inclusive vision that makes positive sense of diverse traditions.   There are a number of very small-scale experiments inspired by process thought. Bonnie Tarwater has established an ecological farm and church near Salem. Sunday afternoon we worship in the barn with the ducks and the goats. She is developing small groups for self-examination and group action.   The Center for Process Studies operates chiefly in the academic world. Another process organization worked with institutions, including educational ones, but also ecological ones and governmental ones. Eugene Shirley organized Pando Populus. When CPS moved north as part of the Claremont School of Theology, Pando was designed to keep an activist process organization alive in Los Angeles County. The County has excellent goals, and Pando is recognized as a major contributor to moving toward them.   American process thought caught the attention of leading Chinese. Zhihe Wang came to Claremont and earned a PhD here. His wife, Mei Wong has joined him. They have organized the Institute for the Postmodern Development of China. Thanks to them, process thought has played a large role in China.   When it was clear that CPS would leave Claremont together with the School of Theology, we organized our local activities under the rubric of the Cobb Institute. It has given major attention to supporting the remarkable efforts of new Hispanic leadership in Pomona to revitalize that city under the new circumstances. But the activities of the Cobb Institute are often based on working together electronically; so, it also evolved quickly into a national and even international organization. The public programs organized especially by Ron Hines every Tuesday morning are an attractive way for outsiders to join our community. Jay McDaniel has been the superb leader of the Institute. He is now taking more responsibility for CPS and is being succeeded in the Cobb Institute by Mary Elizabeth Moore.   For process thinkers feelings are the stuff of which the world is made. Still, action should be guided by thought. Ideas should have an effect, especially with respect to the global problems that became crucial in the twentieth century. In 2015 the Center for Process Studies organized a major conference subtitled “toward an ecological civilization.” We have used that term to name what we see as the most promising direction of activity and policy. Philip Clayton has organized the Institute for Ecological Civilization.   Despite the multiplicity of process organizations, I helped to add one more, a couple of years ago. We call it the Living Earth Movement. Some of us became extremely troubled by the way in which the American goal to control the planet was (in a sense rightly) recognizing China as its greatest obstacle. Some leading Americans seemed open to a nuclear war in response to that threat. Communications were breaking down, and they were being replaced by mutual demonization. The most advanced “chip,” of great importance for breaking new ground in technology, is made chiefly in Taiwan, and the U.S. wants to prevent China from having access. Although it formally recognizes Taiwan as part of China, it armed Taiwan to enable it to fight China, and blocked Chinese access to the chips. The world came close to war. We organized the Living Earth Movement (LEM) to encourage open discussion among nations, especially U.S./China. We believe that there is little hope unless the two greatest economies and most powerful countries cooperate and lead. Charles Betterton is making it possible for the LEM to “move.”   Among American nongovernmental organizations and movements, none are in better position to work with Chinese than the process ones. We process folk are well-regarded in China and have the trust of the Chinese government. But none of the organizations I have mentioned, other than the IPDC, were in position to discuss how we could fulfill the responsibilities inherent in the situation.   A major obstacle to good communication seemed to be the success of American propaganda in portraying China as evil. The Living Earth Movement has written around fifteen short papers, mostly on topics on which China is vilified. They provide a more balanced account, and we are just now getting ready to go public with them. We now want to organize many interactions between Chinese and Americans. Fortunately, Pres. Xi has called for strengthening connections at many levels. Reports on the November Xi/Biden meetings in November in the Bay area suggest that the American government will be less opposed to reducing American hatred of China. The time may have come for us to help implement a possibility that may make a significant contribution to world peace.   We have asked Philip Clayton to take the lead in this project. He is already highly respected in China as well as in the United States. Greatly increasing conversation between Chinese and Americans would be a first step toward China and the United States taking joint responsibility for global leadership in the drastic changes needed for the survival of civilization. We stand ready to do what we can to help.   Finally, I rejoice not only that all of these organizations are engaged in important activities with excellent leadership and genuine sensitivity to the context in which they are acting, but also that they support each other when that is needed. There really is a process community, and I am only one contributor among many. Nevertheless, I claim it as my legacy and am glad that my passing will have little effect.   Meanwhile I wish each and all of you a Christmas and new year of hope and joy. John Cobb   Founder & Director Emeritus Center for Process Studies

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• About
• Initiatives
• Learn
• CPS Publications
• Educational Opportunities
• Library & Archives
• New Books
• Publishing Opportunities
• News
• Engage
• Donate