recently published books in process thought...
2006
Allan, George and Malcolm D. Evans, eds. A Different Three R’s for Education: Reason, Rationality, Rhythm. (Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2006).
[
View Abstract
] [amazon.com]
This book of twelve essays applies the holistic theories of process philosophy to the educational challenges that teachers face in today’s complexly changing world. Topics range from staff development to spirituality, exploring issues of student and teacher motivation, developmental stages of learning, imaginative thinking and writing, nourishing relationships, moral and environmental education, and the development of hospitable learning environments.
Bangert, Byron C. Consenting to God and Nature: Toward a Theocentric, Naturalistic Theological Ethics. (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications/Wipf and Stock, 2006).
[
View Abstract
] [amazon.com]
Bangert shows how the work of three major contemporary Protestant thinkers, James M. Gustafson, Sallie McFague, and David Ray Griffin, may be fruitfully appropriated for the articulation of an ethics that is responsive to the Christian tradition while sharing the modern commitment's appeal to human experience and reason. Each of these three thinkers eschews a priori appeal to the authority of religious tradition, as each takes seriously scientific knowledge of our world. Each accents ways in which current scientific understandings inform, and in some cases are informed by, contemporary appropriations of the language and thought of Christian tradition. Each is also concerned to relate his or her approach to human valuing, life, and action. A critical appraisal of their work shows that none provides a sufficient basis for an intellectually and religiously adequate theological ethics, but that each contributes elements necessary to the articulation of such an ethics within the Protestant Christian tradition as it confronts the religious and intellectual challenges of today's world.
Beets François, Michel Dupuis, and Michel Weber – La science et le monde moderne d’Alfred North Whitehead – Alfred North Whitehead’s Science and the Modern World (Frankfurt/Paris/Lancaster: Ontos Verlag, 2006). ISBN 3938793074
Bracken, Joseph A. S.J., Christianity and Process Thought: Spirituality for a Changing World (Philadelphia: Templeton Foundation Press, 2006).
[
View Abstract
] [amazon.com]
If someone were to ask, ˜Where is God?, how would you respond?
Joseph A. Bracken, S.J., uses this question as a springboard to introduce the process-relational metaphysics of Alfred North Whitehead and other process theologians as he reconciles the sometimes-conflicting views of traditional Christian doctrines and the modern scientific world. To present this material in an accessible manner to a wider audience, Bracken discusses Whiteheadian models of the God-world relationship, showing that God is involved in an ongoing, ever-changing relationship with humans and other creatures. He also discusses the work of other contemporary theologians to help Christians come to terms with their role in our multi-dimensional pluralistic society.
Bracken examines divine and human creativity, the collective power of good and evil, divine providence and human freedom, prayer, and altruism, and he addresses the question, What is truth? He shows how Whitehead’s process thought approach to these issues in fact harmonizes traditional Christian beliefs and contemporary culture, benefiting both faith and reason.
Understanding the God-world relationship subtly influences our attitude toward ourselves, toward other human beings, and indeed toward all of God’s creatures, says Bracken. His study of Whitehead’s metaphysical vision of a cosmic community shows how modern views of the world and God can be accepted and kept in balance with the traditional biblical views found in the Christian faith and how this balance can help Christians make better choices in a world shaped both by contemporary natural science and by traditional Christian spirituality.
Joseph A. Bracken, S.J., uses this question as a springboard to introduce the process-relational metaphysics of Alfred North Whitehead and other process theologians as he reconciles the sometimes-conflicting views of traditional Christian doctrines and the modern scientific world. To present this material in an accessible manner to a wider audience, Bracken discusses Whiteheadian models of the God-world relationship, showing that God is involved in an ongoing, ever-changing relationship with humans and other creatures. He also discusses the work of other contemporary theologians to help Christians come to terms with their role in our multi-dimensional pluralistic society.
Bracken examines divine and human creativity, the collective power of good and evil, divine providence and human freedom, prayer, and altruism, and he addresses the question, What is truth? He shows how Whitehead’s process thought approach to these issues in fact harmonizes traditional Christian beliefs and contemporary culture, benefiting both faith and reason.
Understanding the God-world relationship subtly influences our attitude toward ourselves, toward other human beings, and indeed toward all of God’s creatures, says Bracken. His study of Whitehead’s metaphysical vision of a cosmic community shows how modern views of the world and God can be accepted and kept in balance with the traditional biblical views found in the Christian faith and how this balance can help Christians make better choices in a world shaped both by contemporary natural science and by traditional Christian spirituality.
Brubaker, Pamela K., Rebecca Todd Peters, and Laura A. Stivers. Justice in a Global Economy: Strategies for Home, Community, and World. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006).
[
View Abstract
] [amazon.com]
"Your well-paying computer job has been outsourced to India; you are unable to pay your health insurance premiums; you discover that 80 percent of the food you eat is genetically modified, that all of your elected politicians are millionaires, and that corporate advertising is inundating your kids’ schools. As an American you might have experienced one or all of these negative effects of economic globalization. The situation is considerably worse for two-thirds of the people in the world. . . . [They] lack basic necessities such as suitable housing, clean water, food, health care, and education. Although poverty is an age-old problem, in many places economic globalization has exacerbated, not alleviated, it."
—from the introduction
Today’s complex social and economic problems leave many people in the affluent world feeling either overwhelmed or ambivalent. Even the small percentage of us who have examined the ethics behind our financial decisions and overcome the often-deterring factors of self-interest rarely know what to do to make any difference. By providing tools for examination and concrete actions for individuals, communities, and society at large, Justice in a Global Economy guides its readers through many of today’s complex societal issues, including land use, immigration, corporate accountability, and environmental and economic justice. Beginning with a basic introduction to the impact of economic globalization, these ethicists and theologians provide both critical assessments of the current political-economic structures and examples of people and communities who are actively working to transform society. Each chapter concludes with questions for discussion and reflection.
—from the introduction
Today’s complex social and economic problems leave many people in the affluent world feeling either overwhelmed or ambivalent. Even the small percentage of us who have examined the ethics behind our financial decisions and overcome the often-deterring factors of self-interest rarely know what to do to make any difference. By providing tools for examination and concrete actions for individuals, communities, and society at large, Justice in a Global Economy guides its readers through many of today’s complex societal issues, including land use, immigration, corporate accountability, and environmental and economic justice. Beginning with a basic introduction to the impact of economic globalization, these ethicists and theologians provide both critical assessments of the current political-economic structures and examples of people and communities who are actively working to transform society. Each chapter concludes with questions for discussion and reflection.
Cooper, John W. Panentheism: The Other God of the Philosophers – From Plato to the Present. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2006).
[
View Abstract
] [amazon.com]
The God of classical theism is often referred to as "the God of the philosophers." Today, however, the contemporary theological landscape has shifted in the direction of "the other god of the philosophers": panentheism. This intricate and complex worldview literally means that "all is in God."
While panentheism is not a new theological system, it has experienced a renaissance, especially among thinkers who study the intersection of science and religion. Philosopher and theologian John Cooper's Panentheism--The Other God of the Philosophers is the first text of its kind written in English. The author traces the development and proliferation of panentheism from Plato to Alfred North Whitehead and beyond. Along the way, Cooper examines the panentheism of several contemporary thinkers such as Jürgen Moltmann, Wolfhart Pannenberg, Philip Clayton, and John Polkinghorne. Furthermore, he discusses how panentheism has influenced liberation, feminist, and ecological theologies. The discussion also examines the so-called open view of God to consider whether this view is panentheistic.
The concluding chapter offers a judicious analysis of panentheism, as Cooper explains his commitment to a modified classical theism over panentheism. He believes that classical theism is more adequate than panentheism for "providing a biblically faithful, philosophically sound articulation of Christian theology, salvation history, and the Christian worldview." While he ultimately sides with classical theism, Cooper's aim throughout is to provide a fair, "accurate, and empathetic overview of panentheism that is helpful for all readers, including panentheists."
While panentheism is not a new theological system, it has experienced a renaissance, especially among thinkers who study the intersection of science and religion. Philosopher and theologian John Cooper's Panentheism--The Other God of the Philosophers is the first text of its kind written in English. The author traces the development and proliferation of panentheism from Plato to Alfred North Whitehead and beyond. Along the way, Cooper examines the panentheism of several contemporary thinkers such as Jürgen Moltmann, Wolfhart Pannenberg, Philip Clayton, and John Polkinghorne. Furthermore, he discusses how panentheism has influenced liberation, feminist, and ecological theologies. The discussion also examines the so-called open view of God to consider whether this view is panentheistic.
The concluding chapter offers a judicious analysis of panentheism, as Cooper explains his commitment to a modified classical theism over panentheism. He believes that classical theism is more adequate than panentheism for "providing a biblically faithful, philosophically sound articulation of Christian theology, salvation history, and the Christian worldview." While he ultimately sides with classical theism, Cooper's aim throughout is to provide a fair, "accurate, and empathetic overview of panentheism that is helpful for all readers, including panentheists."
David, Robert. D'éli_L'écriture Paramètres théoriques et pratiques d'herméneutique du procès. (Montréal: Médiaspaul, 2006).
[
View Abstract
]
Le titre de ce livre a probablement suscité en vous une
question: que peut bien signifier «Déli_»? Ces quelques lettres ne vous sont
pas inconnues mais, à elles seules, n’ont pas de sens. Vous sentez que vous
devez combler une lacune. Vous entrez alors, sans doute à votre insu, dans
la spirale de la rencontre transformatrice où s’interpellent mutuellement
l’entité lectrice, le texte à lire et, dans une certaine mesure, l’auteur du
texte. Ce jeu continuel de l’aller-retour entre texte et lecture ouvre
l’espace nécessaire pour l’élaboration de significations inédites. Celles-ci
émergent d’une lecture sans cesse renouvelée parce que produite par des
personnes en perpétuel devenir.
Dans ce contexte, on comprendra qu’un réel souci de confronter les lectures traditionalistes et souvent sclérosées des textes de l’ÉCRITURE guide chaque page de cet ouvrage. S’y combinent, pour la première fois dans le domaine de l’exégèse processuelle, une réflexion théorique avec huit démarches pratiques d’analyse visant à stimuler la rencontre créatrice entre les textes issus d’un héritage plusieurs fois millénaire et les personnes qui s’interrogent sur leur pertinence pour aujourd’hui. L’approche processuelle privilégiée ici offre un terreau original permettant de réfléchir et de s’approprier différemment (présent) des héritages théologiques (passé) en vue de l’élaboration de discours et de pratiques (futur) qui s’inscrivent dans la mouvance des préoccupations existentielles de notre temps. Une invitation à entrer activement dans la ronde des sens à construire individuellement et collectivement, à se laisser interpeler par des façons novatrices de lire les interconnexions entre soi, les autres, le monde et le divin.
Dans ce contexte, on comprendra qu’un réel souci de confronter les lectures traditionalistes et souvent sclérosées des textes de l’ÉCRITURE guide chaque page de cet ouvrage. S’y combinent, pour la première fois dans le domaine de l’exégèse processuelle, une réflexion théorique avec huit démarches pratiques d’analyse visant à stimuler la rencontre créatrice entre les textes issus d’un héritage plusieurs fois millénaire et les personnes qui s’interrogent sur leur pertinence pour aujourd’hui. L’approche processuelle privilégiée ici offre un terreau original permettant de réfléchir et de s’approprier différemment (présent) des héritages théologiques (passé) en vue de l’élaboration de discours et de pratiques (futur) qui s’inscrivent dans la mouvance des préoccupations existentielles de notre temps. Une invitation à entrer activement dans la ronde des sens à construire individuellement et collectivement, à se laisser interpeler par des façons novatrices de lire les interconnexions entre soi, les autres, le monde et le divin.
Dorrien, Gary J. The Making of American Liberal Theology: Crisis, Irony, and Postmodernity: 1950-2005. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006).
[
View Abstract
] [amazon.com]
In this concluding volume of his magisterial trilogy, Gary Dorrien sustains his previous definition of liberal theology and his mixture of theological, philosophical, and historical analysis, while emphasizing the unprecedented diversity of liberal theology in the postmodern age. Dorrien argues that liberal theology has been in crisis for the past half-century, yet despite the crisis, and also because of it, it has also experienced a hidden renaissance of intellectual creativity. Liberal theology in the early twenty-first century is more diverse, complex, and marginalized than ever before in its history, he concludes, but its essential idea creating a progressive, credible, integrative third way between orthodox over-belief and secular unbelief remains as necessary as ever.
Dombrowski, Daniel A. Rethinking the Ontological Argument: A Neoclassical Theistic Response. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006).
[
View Abstract
] [ amazon.com]
In recent years, the ontological argument and theistic metaphysics have been criticized by philosophers working in both the analytic and continental traditions. Responses to these criticisms have primarily come from philosophers who make use of the traditional, and problematic, concept of God. In this volume, Daniel A. Dombrowski defends the ontological argument against its contemporary critics, but he does so by using a neoclassical or process concept of God, thereby strengthening the case for a contemporary theistic metaphysics. Relying on the thought of Charles Hartshorne, he builds on Hartshorne’s crucial distinction between divine existence and divine actuality, which enables neoclassical defenders of the ontological argument to avoid the familiar criticism that the argument moves illegitimately from an abstract concept to concrete reality. His argument, thus, avoids the problems inherent in the traditional concept of God as static.
Durand, Guillaume. Des événements aux objets. La méthode de l’abstraction extensive d’Alred North Whitehead. (Frankfurt/Paris/Lancaster: Ontos Verlag, 2006). ISBN 3938793368
Griffin, David Ray, John B. Cobb, Jr, Richard A. Falk, and Catherine Keller. The American Empire and the Commonwealth of God: A Political, Economic, Religious Statement (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006.
[
View Abstract
] [amazon.com]
What do you get when you put three theologians together with an attorney? Not a joke, but a deadly serious, academic analysis of our nation, its past and its future. This collection of nine essays addresses the ideological and practical evidence and consequences of what the authors see as an often disguised imperial agenda inherent in the founding and development of the United States. The authors, besides sharing the conviction that the United States "is seeking to become the world's first borderless empire" whose imperialist policies constitute "the primary threat to the survival of the human species," share an affinity for the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead. While they object to imperialism on "political, economic and ecological grounds" as well as on "religious-spiritual-moral grounds," they spend most of the book making their secular statement; only the last three essays speak directly of religion. Keller's contribution contains a particularly interesting "debate" between the people she calls "Bush-Doctrine Idealists and the great idol-smasher John Calvin." Students of American history, government and political science, will feel quite at home within these pages, but nonacademics may need to dust off their college texts to remember the particulars of, say, the Marshall Plan.
Herstein, Gary. Whitehead and the Measurement Problem of Cosmology. (Frankfurt/Paris/Lancaster: Ontos Verlag, 2006).
[
View Abstract
] From the Process Thought series
Einstein's General Theory of Relativity links the metrical structure of the cosmic order (or "cosmology") to the contingent distributions of matter and energy throughout the universe, one of the chief areas of investigation in astrophysics. However, presently we have neither devised nor discovered a system of uniform relations whereby we can make our cosmological measurements intelligible. This is "the measurement problem of cosmology." Using both historical ideas (such as A.N. Whitehead's work in the 1920s) and contemporary evidence and theories, I argue that the measurement problem has neither been fully understood nor rightly interpreted. With a better grasp of this problem, such as I am attempting to provide, the prospects for a solution look brighter.
Einstein's General Theory of Relativity links the metrical structure of the cosmic order (or "cosmology") to the contingent distributions of matter and energy throughout the universe, one of the chief areas of investigation in astrophysics. However, presently we have neither devised nor discovered a system of uniform relations whereby we can make our cosmological measurements intelligible. This is "the measurement problem of cosmology." Using both historical ideas (such as A.N. Whitehead's work in the 1920s) and contemporary evidence and theories, I argue that the measurement problem has neither been fully understood nor rightly interpreted. With a better grasp of this problem, such as I am attempting to provide, the prospects for a solution look brighter.
Ingram, Paul O., ed. Constructing a Relational Cosmology. (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications/Wipf and Stock, 2006).
[
View Abstract
] [amazon.com]
This collection of five essays is both a dialogical engagement with and critical assessment of Nancy R. Howell's book 'Constructing a Relational Cosmology'. The collection includes three essays written from a Whiteheadian process perspective (by Marit A. Trelstad, Kathlyn A. Breazeale, and Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki), one from the perspective of narrative theology (Lisa Stenmark), and one from the Soto Zen Buddhist perspective (Stephanie Kaza). Howell, responding as a Whiteheadian feminist philosopher of religion, takes the critiques and suggestions of her dialogical partners with the utmost seriousness as her foundation for suggesting new directions for ecofeminist thought -- an example of what Whiteheadians call "the process of creative transformation."
Jaffey, Alan. Awakening the Spirit of Philosophy. (Frederick, MD: PublishAmerica, 2006).
[
View Abstract
] [amazon.com]
Awakening the Spirit of Philosophy has been a life’s work, and began to form in the mind of the author when, as a teenager, he couldn’t reconcile the Holocaust and everyday tragedies in relation to God. The purpose of the book is to develop a philosophy of God that is rational, meaningful, beautiful and ethical. The author uses a dialectic method of reasoning to uncover and resolve some of the most interesting conundrums of science and philosophy. The conclusions are compared and contrasted with the work of Spinoza, Kant, Plato, Aristotle, Buber, Sartre, Whitehead, Bohm, Einstein, Hawking, Popper, Tarski, Wittgenstein, Quine, Chomsky, and theories such as the Big Bang theory, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, quantum theory and the process of evolution. It culminates in a universal system of ethics that is rational and elevates morality to an art form. The result is a tapestry of knowledge that, when encountered as a whole, has a sense of inevitability. A system of philosophy emerges that approaches knowledge with the totality of human experience, grounded in the encounter between man and God. It pertains to all humanity, regardless of religion and culture. The spirit of philosophy that moved the vision of Plato, Spinoza and Kant to sublime heights is renewed in the modern world, and in so doing, the human spirit is awakened.
Kelly, Thomas and Mark Dibben, eds. Applied Process Thought: Frontiers of Theory & Research. (Frankfurt/Lancaster: Ontos Verlag, 2006). Forthcoming
Lee, Chung Soon. Alfred North Whitehead and Yi Yulgok: Toward a Process-Confucian Spirituality in Korea. (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2006).
[
View Abstract
] [amazon.com]
This book explores the Confucian-Christian dialogue in Korea through a comparative study of the cosmologies of Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947), the founder of process philosophy, and Yi Yulgok (1536-1584), the great scholar of Korean Neo-Confucianism. Despite coming from different philosophical traditions, Yulgok and Whitehead had similar perspectives on the universe. This study argues that Whitehead's theory of eternal object-actual entity has affinities with Yulgok's theory of principle-material force and offer insights into encouraging interreligious spirituality in Korea.
Malone-France, Derek. Deep Empiricism: Kant, Whitehead and the Necessity of Philosophical Theism. (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books/Rowman & Littlefield, 2006).
[
View Abstract
] [amazon.com]
Deep Empiricism: Kant, Whitehead and the Necessity of Philosophical Theism offers a critical and comparative engagement of two great philosophers who are rarely treated together: Immanuel Kant and Alfred North Whitehead. Derek Malone-France provides insightful readings of Kant and Whitehead as he bridges the gap between those who study Kant's transcendental idealism and scholars of Whitehead's organic realism.
Nelson, Julie A. Economics for Humans. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006).
[
View Abstract
] [amazon.com]
At its core, an economy is about providing goods and services for human well-being. But many economists and critics preach that an economy is something far different: a cold and heartless system that operates outside of human control. In this impassioned and perceptive work, Julie A. Nelson asks a compelling question: If our economic world is something that we as humans create, aren’t ethics and human relationships—dimensions of a full and rich life—intrinsically part of the picture? Is it possible to take this thing we call economics and give it a body and a soul?
Economics for Humans argues against the well-ingrained notion that economics is immune to moral values and distant from human relationships. Here, Nelson locates the impediment to envisioning a more considerate economic world in an assumption that is shared by both neoliberals and the political left. Despite their seemingly insurmountable differences, Nelson notes that they both make use of the metaphor, first proposed by Adam Smith, that the economy is a machine. This pervasive idea, Nelson argues, has blinded us to the qualities that make us work and care for one another—qualities that also make businesses thrive and markets grow. We can wed our interest in money with our justifiable concerns about ethics and social well-being. And we can do so if we recognize that an economy is not a machine, but a living, beating heart that circulates blood to all parts of the body while also serving as an emblem of compassion and care.
Nothing less than a manifesto, Economics for Humans will both invigorate and inspire readers to reshape the way they view the economy, its possibilities, and their place within it.
Economics for Humans argues against the well-ingrained notion that economics is immune to moral values and distant from human relationships. Here, Nelson locates the impediment to envisioning a more considerate economic world in an assumption that is shared by both neoliberals and the political left. Despite their seemingly insurmountable differences, Nelson notes that they both make use of the metaphor, first proposed by Adam Smith, that the economy is a machine. This pervasive idea, Nelson argues, has blinded us to the qualities that make us work and care for one another—qualities that also make businesses thrive and markets grow. We can wed our interest in money with our justifiable concerns about ethics and social well-being. And we can do so if we recognize that an economy is not a machine, but a living, beating heart that circulates blood to all parts of the body while also serving as an emblem of compassion and care.
Nothing less than a manifesto, Economics for Humans will both invigorate and inspire readers to reshape the way they view the economy, its possibilities, and their place within it.
Rescher, Nicholas. Essais sur les fondements de l’ontologie du procès (Frankfurt/Paris/Lancaster: Ontos Verlag, 2006). ISBN 3938793163
__________. Process Philosophical Deliberations. (Frankfurt,/Paris/Lancaster: Ontos Verlag, 2006).
[
View Abstract
] From the Process Thought series
Process philosophy has established itself as one of the 20th century's prime contributions to philosophical thought and Nicholas Rescher has for many years figured among its prime exponents. His new book Process Philosophical Deliberations collects together ten studies illuminating various aspects of this many-sided philosophical approach. Among the topics treated are the nature of process philosophy itself, as well as its implementation in such areas as epistemology, value theory, moral philosophy, and the philosophy of science.
Process philosophy has established itself as one of the 20th century's prime contributions to philosophical thought and Nicholas Rescher has for many years figured among its prime exponents. His new book Process Philosophical Deliberations collects together ten studies illuminating various aspects of this many-sided philosophical approach. Among the topics treated are the nature of process philosophy itself, as well as its implementation in such areas as epistemology, value theory, moral philosophy, and the philosophy of science.
__________. Reason and Reality: Realism and Idealism in Pragmatic Perspective. (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2005).
[
View Abstract
] [amazon.com]
Reason and Reality expounds a pragmatic metaphysics that offers a new approach to this subject's traditional objective of providing us with a secure cognitive grip on the nature of reality. The characteristic nature of this metaphysical approach lies in its commitment to the idea that the requisite security is best and most reliably provided by functional considerations of pragmatic efficacy service the aims and purposes of rational inquiry and effective communication.
Rolston, Holmes III. Science and Religion: A Critical Survey. (Philadelphia: Templeton Foundation Press, 2006).
[
View Abstract
] [amazon.com]
This landmark book, first published in 1987, is now back in print, with a new introduction by its award-winning author. An interdisciplinary approach to the central themes of scientific and religious thought, this book was widely heralded upon its publication for the richness and depth of its contribution to the science and religion dialogue.
According to Holmes Rolston III, there are fundamental questions that science alone cannot answer; these questions are the central religious questions. He uses the scientific method of inquiry to distill key issues from science, and then he integrates them in a study that begins with matter and moves through life, mind, culture, history, and spirit.
Incorporating religious and scientific worldviews, he begins with an examination of two natural sciences: physics and biology. He then extrapolates examples from two human sciences: psychology and sociology. Next, he moves to the storied universe and world history, raising and addressing religious questions. “Never in the histories of science and religion have the opportunities been greater for fertile interaction between these fields, with mutual benefits to both,” states Rolston.The re-publication of this book provides current researchers and students in the field an invaluable, timeless methodological resource. The new introduction offers updated insights based on new scientific research.
According to Holmes Rolston III, there are fundamental questions that science alone cannot answer; these questions are the central religious questions. He uses the scientific method of inquiry to distill key issues from science, and then he integrates them in a study that begins with matter and moves through life, mind, culture, history, and spirit.
Incorporating religious and scientific worldviews, he begins with an examination of two natural sciences: physics and biology. He then extrapolates examples from two human sciences: psychology and sociology. Next, he moves to the storied universe and world history, raising and addressing religious questions. “Never in the histories of science and religion have the opportunities been greater for fertile interaction between these fields, with mutual benefits to both,” states Rolston.The re-publication of this book provides current researchers and students in the field an invaluable, timeless methodological resource. The new introduction offers updated insights based on new scientific research.
Sears, Robert T. S.J. and Joseph A. Bracken, S.J. Self-Emptying Love in a Global Context: The Spiritual Exercises and the Environment. (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books/Wipf and Stock, 2006).
[
View Abstract
] [amazon.com]
Care for the environment is an ever more pressing concern in today's world in which narrow self-interest has blinded us to the growing pollution of atmosphere and seas and the destruction of animal species caused by our indifference and neglect. Christianity has been blamed in part for this because of a misunderstanding of the Biblical call to "have dominion" over creation. Our spiritual tradition has indeed so focused on human salvation that the Earth has been seen simply as a transient environment that will be left behind in the end.
In response, this little book highlights another spiritual tradition within Western Christianity that affirms that creation itself will also be transformed with humanity through the self-emptying love of God. God's dominion, after all, is service rather than despotic control, the raising up of the lowly of this Earth and of the Earth itself as part of a cosmic community. The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius are examined in this light as a call not only to join Christ in redeeming humanity, but also in extending Christ's care and love to "all creation" that longs "for the freedom of the children of God."
In response, this little book highlights another spiritual tradition within Western Christianity that affirms that creation itself will also be transformed with humanity through the self-emptying love of God. God's dominion, after all, is service rather than despotic control, the raising up of the lowly of this Earth and of the Earth itself as part of a cosmic community. The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius are examined in this light as a call not only to join Christ in redeeming humanity, but also in extending Christ's care and love to "all creation" that longs "for the freedom of the children of God."
Sponheim, Paul R. Speaking of God: Relational Theology (St. Louis: Chalice Press, 2006).
[
View Abstract
] [amazon.com]
"In these pages Paul Sponheim presents a profound 'summary of basic Christian convictions concerning God.' If you are a college or seminary student or professor, a pastor, a reflective lay Christian, a curious or even skeptical non-Christian who wonders about what to think and say about God, I hope you will read this book. If you are looking for a resource to use in a congregational study group, a college or seminary class or pastors' or professors' book club, I hope you will select this book. With humble but firm conviction Sponheim enables all of us to think more clearly and speak more wisely concerning the mysterious, life-giving reality we call God."
Sprigge, Timothy L. S. The God of Metaphysics. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006).
[
View Abstract
] [amazon.com]
Can philosophy offer reasonable grounds for the existence of a God (or Absolute) possessing genuine (even if not orthodox) religious significance and not proposed simply as the solution to a purely intellectual philosophical problem? Certainly many contemporary thinkers have insisted that no genuine religion could be based upon metaphysics. In this book, however, T. L. S. Sprigge examines sympathetically the most notable metaphysical systems of the last four centuries which purport to put religion on a rational footing and, after a thorough examination of their claims, considers what kind of religious outlook they might support and (more briefly) how they actually affected the lives of their proponents. The thinkers studied include Spinoza, Hegel, T. H. Green, Bernard Bosanquet (together with a brief discussion of Bradley), Josiah Royce, A. N. Whitehead, and Charles Hartshorne, concluding with an exposition of the author's own viewpoint (pantheistic absolute idealism) and a general discussion on the relation between metaphysics and religion. There is also a chapter on Kierkegaard as the most important critic of metaphysical religion.
Trelstad, Marit. Cross Examinations: Readings on the Meaning of the Cross Today. (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2006).
[
View Abstract
] [amazon.com]
In today's theological landscape the significance of the cross has become strongly affirmed and radically questioned. This exciting volume gathers theologians and historians who have thought through these critical and constructive issues: Do traditional understandings of the cross valorize suffering or violence? Are the older soteriological models, which see redemption as a kind of ransom or debt satisfaction, fitting for the contemporary worldview? Do they produce a piety that acquiesces in needless suffering, or does the cross precisely meet the massive suffering and injustice of today’s world?
Following an expert introduction to the issues and options by editor Marit Trelstad, each author addresses the Christian symbol of the cross in the context of current theological, sociological, political, or environmental issues.
Following an expert introduction to the issues and options by editor Marit Trelstad, each author addresses the Christian symbol of the cross in the context of current theological, sociological, political, or environmental issues.
Weber, Michel. Whitehead’s Pancreativism: The Basics. (Frankfurt/Paris/Lancaster: Ontos Verlag, 2006).
[
View Abstract
] From the Process Thought series
There is one question that any potential reader who suspects that Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947) might be important for past, contemporary, and future philosophy inevitably raises: how should I read Whitehead? How can I make sense of this incredibly dense tissue of imaginative systematizing, spread over decades of work in disciplines so different and specialized as algebra, geometry, logic, relativistic physics and philosophy of science? Accordingly, this monograph has two main complementary objectives. The first one is to propose a set of efficient hermeneutical tools to get the reader started. These straightforward tools provide answers that are highly coherent and probably the most applicable to Whitehead's entire corpus. The second objective is to illustrate how the several parts of Process and Reality are interconnected, something that all commentators have either failed to recognise or only incompletely acknowledged.
There is one question that any potential reader who suspects that Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947) might be important for past, contemporary, and future philosophy inevitably raises: how should I read Whitehead? How can I make sense of this incredibly dense tissue of imaginative systematizing, spread over decades of work in disciplines so different and specialized as algebra, geometry, logic, relativistic physics and philosophy of science? Accordingly, this monograph has two main complementary objectives. The first one is to propose a set of efficient hermeneutical tools to get the reader started. These straightforward tools provide answers that are highly coherent and probably the most applicable to Whitehead's entire corpus. The second objective is to illustrate how the several parts of Process and Reality are interconnected, something that all commentators have either failed to recognise or only incompletely acknowledged.
Weber, Michel and Pierfrancesco Basile, eds. Chromatikon II: Yearbook of Philosophy in Process. (Louvain-la-Neuve: Presses Universitaires de Louvain, 2006).
[
View Abstract
] [i6doc.com]
From The Chromatiques Whiteheadiennes Collection: The thought of Whitehead is a prism in which each one (E) can find matter to be thought. Indeed, its research related initially to the logical and mathematical fields, then on the philosophy of education, epistemology and philosophy of nature, and finally on metaphysics and natural theology.
Weber, Michel and Pierfrancesco Basile, eds. Subjectivity, Process, and Rationality. (Frankfurt,/Paris/Lancaster: Ontos Verlag, 2006).
[
View Abstract
] From the Process Thought series
This volume gathers prominent international scholars to celebrate the complex legacy of Reiner Wiehl, whose work has been instrumental in bringing together the European tradition of prima philosophia as represented by Plato, Spinoza, Kant and Hegel, with the adventurous speculative renewal of the twentieth century by Alfred North Whitehead. Grouped into four sections (Process and Universals, Nature and Subjectivity, Ethics and Civilization, Psychology and Phenomenology) the fifteen papers collected in this book cover a range of topics which is as wide and as intertwined as Wiehl's own expertise. The common thread running through all contributions is the problematic nature of subjectivity and especially of its process slant, which easily eludes the static and abstract schemes of rationality.
This volume gathers prominent international scholars to celebrate the complex legacy of Reiner Wiehl, whose work has been instrumental in bringing together the European tradition of prima philosophia as represented by Plato, Spinoza, Kant and Hegel, with the adventurous speculative renewal of the twentieth century by Alfred North Whitehead. Grouped into four sections (Process and Universals, Nature and Subjectivity, Ethics and Civilization, Psychology and Phenomenology) the fifteen papers collected in this book cover a range of topics which is as wide and as intertwined as Wiehl's own expertise. The common thread running through all contributions is the problematic nature of subjectivity and especially of its process slant, which easily eludes the static and abstract schemes of rationality.
NOTE: For the following 3 books check out: http://www.dharmaram.com/publication.htm At bottom of page click on “Want to buy/publish books?” and Email a request: dpinformation@yahoo.com
Kachappilly, Kurian, cmi. Process: Implications and Applications (Bangalore: Dharmaram Publishers, 2006).
__________. God-Talk: Contemporary Trends and Trials (Bangalore: Dharmaram Publishers, 2006).
Sia, Santiago. Philosophy in Context. The 2005 Dharma Endowment Lectures (Bangalore: Dharmamam Publishers, 2006).