R. E. Slater - An Overview of Life, Thought, and Work (58)

ESSAY 58

"WHAT IS REALITY" SERIES

CONCLUSION OF ONTOLOGY SERIES

R.E. Slater

An Overview of Life, Thought, and Work

Writer, Theologian, Process Philosopher,

and Developer of Embodied Process Realism

If divinity is to mean anything, it must mean love,

or it must mean nothing at all.

- R.E. Slater

The task is not to construct a final system.

The task is to continue the inquiry.

- R. E. Slater, Embodied Process Realism Manifesto (2026)

Before meaning comes being;

and before interpretation comes reality.

- R. E. Slater, Embodied Process Realism Manifesto (2026)

Our eschatological ethos is to love.

To stand with those who are oppressed.

To stand against those who are oppressing.

It is that simple.

Love is our only calling

and Christian Hope.

- R.E. Slater

R. E. Slater is an American independent writer, blogger, and philosophical commentator whose work focuses on process philosophy, process theology, cosmology, metaphysics, religion, and contemporary culture. He is best known for maintaining the website Relevancy22, a long-running blog established in 2009 that explores the relationship between science, philosophy, theology, history, politics, and social thought.

Slater's writings have increasingly emphasized process-relational approaches to reality derived from the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead, contemporary cosmology, complexity theory, emergence studies, and open-relational theology. His later work has focused on the development of a philosophical framework known as Embodied Process Realism (EPR) and the multi-part Reality & Cosmology Series, an extended exploration of ontology, identity, meaning, consciousness, and metaphysics.

Intellectual Influences

Slater's work draws heavily upon the process philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead and subsequent developments within process theology. Other recurring influences include contemporary discussions in emergence theory, complexity science, cosmology, consciousness studies, and open-relational approaches to theology and metaphysics.

Throughout his writings, Slater has explored the relationship between scientific understandings of reality and religious interpretations of existence, often arguing that philosophy, science, and theology should remain in ongoing dialogue rather than being treated as separate domains of inquiry.

Relevancy22

In 2009, Slater launched Relevancy22, an online publication devoted to the exploration of religion, philosophy, science, ethics, and culture. The site contains essays, book studies, commentaries, poems, diagrams, educational resources, and long-form philosophical projects.

Over time, the blog evolved from a primarily theological focus toward broader investigations of ontology, cosmology, emergence, process philosophy, and contemporary philosophical questions.

Major themes addressed on the site include:

• Process Philosophy
• Process Theology
• Open and Relational Theology
• Science and Religion
• Cosmology
• Consciousness Studies
• Metamodernism
• Democracy and Ethics
• Artificial Intelligence
• Biblical Studies and Religious History

Major Projects

Among Slater's largest projects are a number of multi-part philosophical and theological series.

Reality & Cosmology Series

The Reality & Cosmology Series is an extended philosophical investigation into the nature of reality. Organized across multiple sections and essays, the project examines questions concerning ontology, relation, coherence, embodiment, persistence, identity, value, meaning, consciousness, directionality, and metaphysics.

The series eventually served as the foundation for the development of Embodied Process Realism.

Evolution of Worship and Religion

This series traces the historical development of religious thought from prehistoric spirituality and early civilizations through classical philosophy, Christianity, modernity, and contemporary religious reflection.

Jonah Series

The Jonah Series applies ontological and process-relational themes to the biblical Book of Jonah. The project explores identity, rupture, descent, transformation, and reconciliation through both narrative and philosophical lenses.

Post-Whiteheadian Project

Slater has described a long-term effort to extend and reinterpret Whiteheadian process philosophy in light of contemporary developments in science, cosmology, emergence theory, consciousness studies, and cultural change.

Embodied Process Realism

During the development of the Reality & Cosmology Series, Slater began formulating a philosophical framework known as Embodied Process Realism (EPR).

EPR proposes that reality is fundamentally relational and that increasingly complex forms of existence emerge through a sequence of relation, coherence, embodiment, persistence, identity, meaning, and directionality. The framework was formally summarized in the Embodied Process Realism Manifesto (2026).

Selected Themes

Recurring themes in Slater's writings include:

• Reality as relational rather than atomistic
• Emergence and complexity
• Embodiment and persistence
• Consciousness and participation
• Open futures and non-deterministic directionality
• The relationship between science and theology
• Process-relational approaches to ethics and culture

Legacy and Continuing Work

Slater's ongoing projects continue to explore the intersection of ontology, metaphysics, cosmology, theology, and cultural development. His later writings increasingly focus on the philosophical implications of emergence, participation, consciousness, artificial intelligence, and open-ended cosmological becoming.