Process-Relational Philosophy

Process-Relational Philosophy
Author: C. Robert Mesle
Publisher: Templeton Foundation Press
Total Pages: 136
Release: 2009-07-23
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1599472082

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Process thought is the foundation for studies in many areas of contemporary philosophy, theology, political theory, educational theory, and the religion-science dialogue. It is derived from Alfred North Whitehead's philosophy, known as process theology, which lays a groundwork for integrating evolutionary biology, physics, philosophy of mind, theology, environmental ethics, religious pluralism, education, economics, and more. In Process-Relational Philosophy, C. Robert Mesle breaks down Whitehead's complex writings, providing a simple but accurate introduction to the vision that underlies much of contemporary process philosophy and theology. In doing so, he points to a "way beyond both reductive materialism and the traps of Cartesian dualism by showing reality as a relational process in which minds arise from bodies, in which freedom and creativity are foundational to process, in which the relational power of persuasion is more basic than the unilateral power of coercion." Because process-relational philosophy addresses the deep intuitions of a relational world basic to environmental and global thinking, it is being incorporated into undergraduate and graduate courses in philosophy, educational theory and practice, environmental ethics, and science and values, among others. Process-Relational Philosophy: A Basic Introduction makes Whitehead's creative vision accessible to all students and general readers.

Hartshorne, Process Philosophy, and Theology

Hartshorne, Process Philosophy, and Theology
Author: Robert Kane
Publisher: SUNY Press
Total Pages: 220
Release: 1989-07-03
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 9780791401651

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This book provides an introduction to Hartshorne’s contributions to contemporary philosophy and theology. It also covers some of the current controversies in philosophy and theology that Hartshorne’s contributions have generated. The opening chapter is a lucid and penetrating introduction to Hartshorne’s thought. Some of the following chapters break new ground on issues that have concerned Hartshorne throughout his career: the nature and methods of metaphysics, the existence and nature of God, and the place of religion and metaphysics in the modern world. Many chapters survey the current state of controversies on those topics. Other chapters relate Hartshorne’s work to other traditions and to trends in contemporary philosophy—to postmodernism, classical Western theism, Indian philosophy, analytical philosophy, and American pragmatism.

Divine Power and Evil

Divine Power and Evil
Author: Kenneth K. Pak
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 193
Release: 2016-04-06
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1317148908

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Evil perplexes us all and threatens to undermine the meaningfulness of our existence. How can we reconcile the reality of evil with the notion of a God who is perfectly good and powerful? Process theodicy, whose foremost proponent is David Griffin, suggests one answer: because every being possesses its own power of self-determination in order for God to attain the divine aim of higher goodness for the world, God must take the risk of the possibility of evil. Divine Power and Evil responds to Griffin's criticisms against traditional theodicy, assesses the merits of process theodicy, and points out ways in which traditional theism could incorporate a number of Griffin's valuable insights in progressing toward a philosophically and theologically satisfactory theodicy. It provides a new and important contribution to a long-standing debate within philosophy of religion and theology.

Divine Power in Process Theism

Divine Power in Process Theism
Author: David Basinger
Publisher: SUNY Press
Total Pages: 148
Release: 1988-07-08
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780887067099

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Process theology likes to compare itself favorably to what it calls classical theism. This book takes that comparison seriously and examines process theology's claim to do better than classical theism. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

From Force to Persuasion

From Force to Persuasion
Author: Andrew M. Davis
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 284
Release: 2024-08-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1666784443

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At the heart of process-relational theology in the tradition of Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947) and Charles Hartshorne (1897-2000) is the rejection of coercive omnipotence and the embrace of divine persuasion as the patient and uncontrolling means by which God works with a truly self-creative world. According to Whitehead, Plato's conviction that God is a persuasive agency and not a coercive agency constitutes "one of the greatest intellectual discoveries in the history of religion." According to Hartshorne, omnipotence is a "theological mistake." What is behind these claims? Why do process-relational philosophers and theologians reject divine omnipotence? How have they justified a commitment to divine persuasion, and what kind of theoretical and practical implications are involved? Featuring contributions from key process-relational thinkers, this book situates a shift "from force to persuasion" across multiple thresholds of discourse, from philosophy and theology to spirituality and politics to pluralism, axiology, and apocalypse. It aims to reawaken attention to the operations of divine persuasion as ever-loving and inherently noncoercive, but always at risk in an open and relational universe.

Beauty and Process Theology

Beauty and Process Theology
Author: Patricia Adams Farmer
Publisher: Energion Publications
Total Pages: 42
Release: 2020-09-14
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1631996231

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Is it possible to think of God as beautiful? We tend to think of God with superlatives, such as omnipotence, omniscience, and infinity. By their very nature, these words tend to also make us see God as distant. It seems almost sacreligious to speak of God in the terms we might use for any other person. Very few would think to call God beautiful. In this book, theologian and pastor Patricia Adams Farmer looks at God in precisely those terms, inviting us to move beyond limiting ways we have of speaking of God. She sees God as both beautiful and the ongoing author of beauty. God invites us in living a vision, and that vision is not just “good” in some abstract sense. It is attractive. It draws us in. It is active. It challenges us. Learn to think about and experience God in a new way as you bring process and beauty together. The journey is worth it!

God of Becoming and Relationship

God of Becoming and Relationship
Author: Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, DHL
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
Total Pages: 215
Release: 2013-10-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1580237886

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You no longer have to choose between what you know and what you believe—an accessible introduction to a theological game-changer. "I wrote this book for you if you want to be able to locate your life in a single, encompassing story, one that includes everything from the first moment the universe began until yesterday, a narrative that embraces deepest personal meaning, a yearning to love and be loved, a quest for social justice and compassion." —from the Introduction Much of what you were told you should believe when you were younger forces you to choose between your spirit and your intellect, between science and religion, between morality and dogma: unchanging laws of nature vs. miracles that sound magical; a good God vs. the tragedies that strike all living creatures; a God who knows the future absolutely vs. an open future that you help to shape through your choices. This fascinating introduction to Process Theology from a Jewish perspective shows that these are false choices. Inspiring speaker, spiritual leader and philosopher Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson presents an overview of what Process Theology is and what it can mean for your spiritual life. He explains how Process Theology can break you free from the strictures of ancient Greek and medieval European philosophy, allowing you to see all creation not as this or that, us or them, but as related patterns of energy through which we connect to everything. Armed with Process insights and tools, you can break free from outdated religious dichotomies and affirm that your religiosity, your spirit, your mind and your ethics all strengthen and refine each other.

God, Values, and Empiricism

God, Values, and Empiricism
Author: Creighton Peden
Publisher: Mercer University Press
Total Pages: 272
Release: 1989
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 9780865543607

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Evil and the Process God

Evil and the Process God
Author: Barry L. Whitney
Publisher: New York ; Toronto : E. Mellen Press
Total Pages: 256
Release: 1985
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN:

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This study examines the contributions of process theology to the theodicy issue, concentrating primarily on the work of Charles Hartshorne.