The Center for Process Studies maintains a small but growing digital library of multimedia presentations. Most of these recordings are digital transcriptions of archived analog sources. Varying levels of deterioration have had a negative effect on some of the files' sound quality. If you need a free mp3 player, try WinAmp or XMPlay.
Watch Jay Nahm present on "Why Process Philosophy?" Sponsored by Korea Project of CPS. Note: The bulk of this presentation is is Korean.
Date Recorded: May 29, 2013 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: May 2013
Yogic Disciplines: Buddhism, Jainism, and Vedanta Featuring: Christopher Key Chapple
Christopher Key Chapple is the Navin and Pratima Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology at Loyola Marymount University. He served as Assistant Director of the Institute for Advanced Studies of World Religions and taught Sanskrit, Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism for five years at the State University of New York at Stony Brook before joining the faculty at LMU.
Watch his presentation on Yogic Disciplines and the "The Grammar of Elemental Liturgical Pluralism".
Date Recorded: May 08, 2013 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: May 2013
Organizing for Sustainability Featuring: Barbara Muraca
Barbara Muraca is currently Senior Researcher at the Institute for Sociology at the University of Jena in Germany. Her research project is on Dynamics and Destablization of Growth Societies, funded by the German Research Foundation. Muraca earned her PhD in Philosophy at the University of Greifswald, with a dissertation on process philosophy as a theoretical background for a theory of strong sustainability.
Date Recorded: April 24, 2013 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: April 2013
Engaged Buddhism Featuring: Sulak Sivaraksa
Sulak Sivaraksa - a prominent and outspoken Thai intellectual and social critic - gives a seminar on "Engaged Buddhism." Sivaraksa is a teacher, a scholar, a publisher, an activist, the founder of many organisations, and the author of more than a hundred books and monographs in both Thai and English. He is known in the West as one of the fathers of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), and recipient of the Right Livelihood Award (a.k.a. the ‘Alternative Nobel Prize’) in 1995.
Date Recorded: April 10, 2013 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: April 2013
For They Are Without Excuse: The Problem of “Self-Evident Truth” in Interfaith Dialogue Featuring: C. Robert Mesle
Bob Mesle talks on the problem of "self-evident" truth, humility, integrity, and interreligious dialogue. Mesle is professor of Philosophy and Religion at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa. He is the author of several books, including: Process Theology: A Basic Introduction and Process-Relational Philosophy: An Introduction to Alfred North Whitehead. Mesle is also a frequent instructor for the CPS January course in Claremont, and the Process Summer Academy in China.
Date Recorded: March 18, 2013 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: March 2013
Process Introductory Seminar: "God is Love" Featuring: John Sweeney
This years annual Process Introductory Seminar was given by John Sweeney. The seminar titled, "God is Love," used the notion of a loving God to introduce process theology and philosophy. Sweeney has been working at the Center since January 2000. He is an Adjunct Professor of Process Theology at the Claremont School of Theology. Prior to joining the staff at the Center, John taught philosophy at several community colleges, including ten years at San Diego City College. Sweeney completed his Ph.D. at Claremont School of Theology in process thought and religious education; his dissertation was published in 2009 with the title I’d Rather Be Dead Than Be a Girl.
Date Recorded: February 7, 2013 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: February 2013
A Whiteheadian Interpretation of the Ontological Significance of the God Particle (The Higgs) Featuring: Ron Phipps
Ron Phipps shares his thoughts on "A Whiteheadian Interpretation of the Ontological Significance of the God Particle (The Higgs)." Phipps is a major supporter of the Center for Process Studies China Project, based on his career in US-China trade and citizen diplomacy and his study of Whitehead and physics. He is Founder and President of China Products North America, Co-founder and former Chair of US-China People’s Friendship Association. Phipps conducted research on Whitehead and physics with Professor Henry Leonard, a personal assistant to Whitehead.
Date Recorded: January 23, 2013 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: January 2013
Dialogue: John B. Cobb and Tu Weiming 杜維明 Featuring: John B. Cobb and Tu Weiming
This dialogue between John B. Cobb and Tu Weiming 杜維明 was held in Claremont, CA on 2012.02.25.
Tu Weiming: Lifetime Professor in Philosophy and Director of Institute for Advanced Humanistic Studies at Peking University and Research Professor and Senior Fellow of the Asia Center at Harvard University.
John B. Cobb: American United Methodist theologian who played an important role in the development of process theology applying it to applied it to social justice issues. He was a professor at Claremont School of Theology from 1958 until 1990.
Date Added: November 2012
Whitehead's Account of the 6th Day
Featuring: Isabelle Stengers, Donna Haraway, and Richard Rorty
Isabelle Stengers, Donna Haraway, and Richard Rorty discuss Whitehead's ideas at a colloquium at Stanford called "Whitehead's account of the 6th day"
Here is a short (2 minute) YouTube video introducing Alfred North Whitehead's philosophy of organism.
Date Added: November 2012
Crossing the Threshold: Emergence of Life's Normative Functions and Referential Information Featuring: Terrence Deacon
Terrence W. Deacon is Professor of Anthropology at UC Berkeley. He earned Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology from Harvard University. His areas of specialization include: brain development and evolution, origins of language, bio-cultural evolution, and emergence. Professor Deacon’s research has combined human evolutionary biology and neuroscience, with the aim of investigating the evolution of human cognition. His work extends from laboratory-based cellular-molecular neurobiology to the study of semiotic processes underlying animal and human communication, especially language. Many of these interests are explored in his 1997 book, The Symbolic Species: The Coevolution of Language and the Brain. His most recent book is titled, Incomplete Nature: How Mind Emerged from Matter.
Date Recorded: November 14, 2012 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: November 2012
Saving Experience: Lecture Series Featuring: Ronny Desmet
Ronny Desmet, of the Center for Logic and Philosophy of Science at Free University, Brussels, gave a four-part lecture series titled: Saving Experience (click here for more details). His main area of research involves the evaluation of contemporary structural realism in the philosophy of science by means of the thought of Alfred North Whitehead. Desmet is currently doing postdoctoral research which addresses the potential of Whitehead’s philosophy to provide an ontology for quantum mechanics (2010-2013).
October 10, 17, 24, 31 (2012)
Claremont School of Theology
Brain and Subjectivity?: Kant, Whitehead, and the Hard Problem Featuring: Georg Northoff
Georg Northoff, MD, PhD is EJLB-CIHR Michael Smith Chair in Neurosciences and Mental Health and holds a Canada Research Chair for Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics at the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research (IMHR). He completed his initial training in medicine/psychiatry and philosophy in Germany. Dr. Northoff’s previous academic positions included Professorships at the University of Magdeburg, Germany, and Harvard University. With over 100 scientific publications, his current focus is predominantly on the self – having developed the concept of cortical midline structures.
Date Recorded: October 18, 2012 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: October 2012
Development of Industrialized Agriculture Featuring: Evaggelos Vallianatos
Evaggelos Vallianatos is a historian and environmental analyst. He specializes in agriculural alternatives such as biodynamic, organic, and community supported agriculture. Vallianatos is the author of This Land Is Their Land (2006), in which he advocates for an agricultural paradigm shift - modeled after indigenous and Third World practices. We are honored to have Dr. Valliantos address our community.
Date Recorded: September 26, 2012 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: September 2012
Ecumenical, Evangelical, Eucharistic, and Evolving: Process Theology and a New Kind of Christianity
Featuring: Bruce Epperly
Theologian, pastor, spiritual guide, author, and recognized leader in lay and pastoral faith formation, Bruce Epperly talks about a new kind of Christianity inspired by process theology. Epperly has written over twenty books. His most recent books are Starting with Spirit: Nurturing Your Call to Pastoral Ministry, Philippians: An Interactive Adult Bible Study, and Process Theology: A Guide for the Perplexed.
Date Recorded: September 24, 2012 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: September 2012
Science Set Free: 10 Paths to New Discovery
Featuring: Rupert Sheldrake
Rupert Sheldrake is one of the world’s most innovative biologists and writers. His new book, Science Set Free: 10 Paths to New Discovery, is the American edition of his book The Science Delusion: Freeing the Spirit of Enquiry, which was published in the UK and Ireland.
On October 31 and November 1, 2011, CPS held a conference with Sheldrake featuring the then unpublished manuscript of his book, Science Set Free, which is being officially launched this September. The American version is expected to differ slightly from the British, as a result of discussions had during that meeting.
Curtis Rigsby led a seminar on Buddhist-Christian Dialogue. Rigsby illuminated the work of Katsumi Takizawa, along with thinkers like Kitaro Nishida, Masao Abe, and John Cobb.
Rigsby earned is PhD in Philosophy from University of Hawai'i at Manoa
in 2008. He is currently a professor of religion at University of
Guam. Rigsby is particularly interested in the history and philosophy
of religion, and spent two years researching Japanese philosophy at
Kyoto University in Japan.
Date Recorded: July 19, 2012 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: July 2012
Celebrating Reenchantment: The Philosophical, Religious, and Political Thought of David Ray Griffin
The Center for Process Studies celebrated the lifetime achievements of one of its founders and co-directors, David Ray Griffin. 18 video segments capture this three-day event, which concluded with Griffin's reprise of his scholarly journey.
Date Recorded: April 12-14, 2012 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: July 2012
Science, Buddhist, Christian Trialogue at the Boundaries
Featuring: Paul O. Ingram
Buddhist/Christian dialogue has rarely touched on its interaction with science, yet its importance has immense implications. Ingram's 2008 publication, Buddhist-Christian Dialogue in an Age of Science, provides the groundwork for this seminar, offerring a fresh and exciting view on the ideas, themes, and people engaged in the three-way dialogue between Christianity, Buddhism and the natural sciences.
Paul O. Ingram is Professor of Religion Emeritus at Pacific Lutheran University (Tacoma, Washington). He has been a leading propenant of Buddhist-Christian dialogue, and has authored many books. Among his most notable works are: 'Wrestling with the Ox, 'The Modern Buddhist-Christian Dialogue, and The Dharma of Faith.
Date Recorded: June 13, 2012 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: July 2012
Second International Forum on Ecological Agriculture
Featuring: Wes Jackson, John B. Cobb, Jr., Lester Young, Yingkuan Wang, & Edward Huang
It is no secret that China’s agriculture is facing many disturbing problems as she marches toward modern agriculture. Finding an alternative to current form of modern agriculture has become an urgent issue. How can China avoid ecological catastrophes, continuing to expand the gap between the rich and the poor, destroying local communities? How can China develop a sustainable and healthy agriculture? How do protect the eco- diversity? How do develop a green Agricultural Engineering Technology? The purpose of the conference is to contribute to fresh reflections on these questions.
Date Recorded: May 11, 2012 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: May 2012
Money-Creation in a Finite World
Featuring: George Crowell, Ellen Brown, Timothy A. Canova, Mark Anielski, Joshua Farley, and Carl Herman
Who creates money and how? The purpose of this conference is to integrate research on governmental creation of money with ecological economics. The superiority of governmental money-creation is usually discussed interms of its contribution to the growth economy. But a growth economy is not sustainable. The concern of this conference is to reformulate ideas about public money-creation to help solve the problems of a sustainable economy.
Date Recorded: April 10-12, 2012 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: April 2012
Process Philosophy and Governance
Featuring: Margaret Stout & Carrie M. Staton
An interactive workshop to discuss the collective work of Stout and Staton, which links process philosophy to governance, considering: ontology, subjectivity, spirituality, epistemology, social theory, practice, economic theory, political theory, ethical theory, administrative theory, and others.
Date Recorded: March 28, 2012 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: March 2012
Process Thought and Christian Scriptures
Featuring: Jon Berquist
Rev. Dr. Jon L. Berquist, President of the Disciples Seminary Foundation, leads a seminar on the topic of Process Thought and Christian Scriptures.
Date Recorded: March 21, 2012 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: March 2012
Creating Women's Theology: A Movement Engaging Process Thought
Featuring: Monica A. Coleman, Nancy R. Howell, Helene Tallon Russell, and Mary Gergen
Monica A. Coleman, Nancy R. Howell, and Helene Tallon Russell have recently co-edited a book titled Creating Women’s Theology: A Movement Engaging Process Thought. This event is a seminar that will address the theme of the book, followed by a book signing with all three co-editors. With a response by Mary Gergen.
Date Recorded: March 7, 2012 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: March 2012
Iconism vs. Aniconism: A Buddhist Perspective
Featuring: Donald Swearer
Donald K. Swearer, a former Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Center for the Study of World Religions, Harvard Divinity School, and the Charles & Harriet Cox McDowell Emeritus Professor of Religion, Swarthmore College presents on the topic of Buddha Statues.
Date Recorded: February 29, 2012 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: February 2012
North-East Asian Views on Process and Feminism
Featuring: Boram Jeong, Jung Yeup Kim, and Sarah Kim
On February 3, 2012 the Korea Project of the Center for Process Studies hosted a winter seminar titled: North-East Asian Views on Process and Feminism. The seminar included three papers and three responses. Introductory remarks were made by John Cobb. Papers presented include: “A Processual Understanding of "Centrality (中)" in the Book of Changes” by Boram Jeong; “Morality and Beauty in Whitehead and Confucius” by Jung Yeup Kim; and “The Third Eve in the Making: The Adventure of the New Genesis as Art” by Sarah Kim
Date Recorded: February 3, 2012 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: February 2012
Postmodern Youth Ministry Under the Influence of Whitehead
Tripp Fuller leads a seminar titled "Postmodern Youth Ministry Under the Influence of Whitehead." Fuller is a graduate of Campbell University and the Divinity School of Wake Forest University. He is currently finishing his PhD in Philosophy of Religion and Theology at Claremont Graduate University. Fuller is an ordained minister and serves as the Minister of Youth at Neighborhood Church of Palos Verdes, CA. He is also the co-founder of the very successful Homebrewed Christianity Podcast.
Date Recorded: Jan. 25, 2012 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: January 2012
AAR - Open and Relational Theologies Session Creatio ex Nihilo: Arguments For and Against
The Open and Relational Theologies session at AAR included a panel and conversation on Creatio ex Nihilo: Arguments For and Against. The panel included: Philip Clayton, Claremont School of Theology, Claremont Lincoln University; Monica A. Coleman, Claremont School of Theology, Claremont Lincoln University; Catherine Keller, Drew University; Michael Lodahl, Point Loma Nazarene University; Richard Rice, Loma Linda University, and Marit Trelstad, Pacific Lutheran University.
Date Recorded: Nov. 20, 2011 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: November 2011
Buddha Statues: Symbol of Faith or Interior Decoration?
Featuring: Ven. Chanju Mun, Ph.D.
This event included a lecture by Ven. Chanju Mun, Ph.D., titled "Buddha's Statue as the Symbol of Faith vs. As Interior Decoration: What is the Difference?" The event was in conjunction with the "22nd Anniversary of Modern Buddhism of America and the 15th Exemplary Buddhist Faith Award."
Date Recorded: Nov. 14, 2011 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: November 2011
Identity and Religious Conflict
Featuring: Helmut Maasssen
Dr. Helmut Maassen's lecture titled “Identity and Religious Conflict,” addressed particular theories of truth, and their role in establishing religious identity. Not only so, but Maassen contends that some theories of truth and identity are geared toward conflict. Maassen concludes that a Whiteheadian understanding of truth can provide a peaceful alternative.
Date Recorded: Nov. 14, 2011 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: November 2011
Conversations about Whitehead and Category Theory
Featuring: Michael Epperson, Gary Nelson, Granville C. Henry, and Kevin Clark
After writing Principia Mathematica with Bertrand Russell, Whitehead seems to have lost interest in the formalization of his system. However, some believe that new developments in mathematical logic, in particular "category theory," make possible such formalization. This discussion explores what is involved and what value such a project would have.
Date Recorded: Nov. 2, 2011 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: November 2011
Conversations with Rupert Sheldrake
Featuring: Rupert Sheldrake
These discussions involve Sheldrake's ideas broadly, with special attention on his theory of “morphic resonance,” and how it relates to Whitehead’s conceptuality.
Date Recorded: Oct. 31 - Nov. 1, 2011 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: November 2011
Session 1: Rupert Sheldrake on The Failure of Materialism Session 2: Discussion of The Failure of Materialism
Session 3: Rupert Sheldrake on Morphic Resonance and Morphogenesis Session 4: Discussion of Morphic Resanance and Morphogenesis, led by Brian Henning
Session 5: Rupert Sheldrake on Memory Session 6: Discussion of Memory, led by John Cobb
Session 7: Rupert Sheldrake on Causation and response by Dr David Griffin Session 8: Discussion of possible futures, retrocausation, precognition, clairvoyance, telepathy and cosmic connectivity
Religion and Neuroscience: Decoding Religious Beliefs
by Dr. Thandeka and Dr. Georg Northoff
Dr. Thankdeka and Dr. Georg Northoff presented a double lecture on the topic of Religion and Neuroscience. Watch or listen to the lecture below!
Date Recorded: Thursday, October 6, 2011 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: October 2011 Length: 2 hrs 5 min
Roland Faber, Executive Co-director of the Center for Process Studies and director of the Whitehead Research Project, presented the keynote lecture at a symposium to commemorate the donation of a letter written by Whitehead to his research assistant Henry Leonard.
Date Recorded: Thursday, February 17, 2011 Location: The Library of Congress Length: 40 min
Visit the LOC website to view the
entire symosium, which opens with
Faber's lecture.
Process Theology and the Future of the Planet
by Philip Clayton
In this timely presentation, Clayton argues that a process-relational worldview provides an highly compelling metaphysical framework within which to adequately understand and care for our world during this era of ecological crisis.
Main Presentation: 50 min
Q & A Session: 32 min
Date Recorded: Friday, January 20, 2011 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: March 2011 Download Presentation: (MP3 - 44Mb) Download Q&A: (MP3 - 29Mb)
Deep Postmodernism: Whitehead, Wittgenstein, Merleau-Ponty, and Polyani
by Jerry Gill
Jerry Gill, professor emeritus of philosophy and religious studies at the College of Saint Rose (Albany, New York) provides an insightful and accessible summary of his view of constronsuctive postmodernism as expounded in his recently published book, Deep Postmodernism: Whitehead, Wittgenstein, Merleau-Ponty and Polanyi.
Presentation: 84 min
Date Recorded: Thursday, October 7, 2010 Location: Claremont Graduate University Date Added: December 2010 Download Presentation: (MP3 - 85Mb)
Prayer in Troubled Times: A Process Perspective
by Marjorie Suchocki
Marjorie Suchocki, co-director of the Center for Process Studies and director of the Whitehead International Film Festival, offers a profound reflection on the meaning and significance of prayer in the contempoary context. Given a world that is filled with so much pain, ugliness, and turmoil, can prayer really make a difference? Why does prayer matter?
Date Recorded: Thursday, September 22, 2010 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: October 2010 Length: 40 min Download Presentation: (M4V - 220Mb)
I'd Rather Be Dead Than Be a Girl
by John Sweeney
John Sweeney, Adjunct Professor of Process Theology and Managing Director of the Center for Process Studies, discusses the background and main points of his recently published book, I'd Rather Be Dead Than Be a Girl. Through an analysis of the thought of Jean Piaget, Benjamin Whorf, and Alfred North Whithehead, Sweeney reviews his three-fold thesis that language influences how human beings perceive reality, that the development of theoretical constructs can help explain resistences to and possiblities for inclusive language, and that the implementation of inclusive language is an important goal for religious education.
Presentation: 75 min
Date Recorded: Monday, March 22, 2010 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: March 2010 Download Presentation: (MP3 - 71Mb)
The Practical Importance of Metaphysics
by John B. Cobb, Jr.
In this provocative presentation, John Cobb offers a critique of the dominant metaphysics of modernity, and argues that metaphysics does not simply have occasional practical consequences, but "that it is the most practical kind of thinking in which anyone ever engages."
Presentation: 48 min
Date Recorded: Tuesday, February 9, 2010 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: February 2010 Download Presentation: (MP3 - 56Mb)
Topics in Process Theism
by John B. Cobb, Jr.
John Cobb discusses a variety of questions about process theism with students at Claremont School of Theology. Questions include the following:
What kind of freedom does a process God have, given that it is not extreme voluntarism? For example, could God have chosen not to run the risk of human beings?
How do Process Naturalists (for example, Mesle) handle the issue of “ordered novelty” without a Divine “guide” involved? How is lapsing into chaos prevented?
How might “contrast” demonstrate itself in a molecule, or in other very small individuals? How do actual occasions compare with subatomic events like quarks?
Is process theology is at a crisis and a crossroads? Where do you feel God is luring process theologians today? What possibilities do you see for process theology over the next century or so?
Please explain your understanding of Whitehead’s “everlastingness” as the context on which finer religions are built.
Under the heading, “PEACE” and what Whitehead calls, “the spiritual consummation of our lives here and now,” how should this be interpreted by someone who is in the process of making peace with himself?
Discussion: 84 min
Date Recorded: Thursday, October 22, 2009 Location: Claremont School of Theology Date Added: October 2009 Download Discussion: (MP3 - 78Mb)
