An Annotated Bibliography for Introductions to Process Thought
When people ask what they might read to get into process theology, the answer is difficult. It depends on background and current interest, but there is rarely time to explore these. This bibliography is designed to facilitate an intelligent decision. It is by no means complete and is largely limited to books.
A. For the General Reader -- Very Introductory
(For those who want to sample the fare without a large investment of time and energy, the following are recommended as among the easiest points of entry.)
1. John Cobb, Praying for Jennifer. A theological treatment of intercessory prayer in story form.
2. John Cobb, Liberal Christianity at the Crossroads. Based on sermons preached at the Church of the Crossroads in Honolulu.
3. Ed Carothers, The Pusher and the Puller. A Methodist mission executive writes for the general reader.
4. George W. Cornell, The Untamed God. A fresh theological statement by a well-known newspaper columnist deeply influenced by process theology.
5. Alan Anderson, The Problem is God: The Selection and Care of Your Personal God. A lively guide to reflection about God.
6. Robert Brizee, Where in the World is God? Explores relationships, among humans and between humans and the divine, using the image of God as Caring Friend.
7. Leslie Muray, An Introduction to the Process Understanding of Science, Society and the Self: A Philosophy for Modern Society. Major tenets of process thought applied to a variety of topics, including politics, education, psychology, and others.
B. For the Well-Read General Reader
1. Norman Pittenger, Catholic Faith in a Process Perspective. Of Pittenger's many books this may be the best general statement.
2. Norman Pittenger, Process Thought and Christian Faith. This earlier book is somewhat more descriptive of what Whitehead, Hartshome, and others have said.
3. Norman Pittenger, God in Process. Brief discussion of God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the church, and eschatology in process perspective.
4. Robert Mellert, What is Process Theology? Another successful general introduction to process theology. The author is Roman Catholic.
5. John Cobb, God and the World. A presentation of process reasons for believing in God originally directed to college students.
6. Russell Pregeant, Mystery Without Magic. A well-written text for use as an introduction to religious studies.
7. Peter Hamilton, The Living God and the Modern World. A comprehensive introduction to theology based on the thought of Whitehead.
8. Harvey H. Potthoff, God and the Celebration of Life. A broad discussion of Christian Faith and life correlated with a process doctrine of God.
9. David Tracy and John Cobb, Talking About God. Tracy's simplest statement of his highly nuanced theological method, together with essays by Cobb on God in relation to science, Buddhism, and feminism.
10. Harry James Cargas and Bernard Lee, eds. Relisious Experience and Process Theology. A collection of essays emphasizing the relevance of process theology to Christian life and varying in readability.
11. Charles Curtis, The Task of Philosophical Theology. Examines major Christian doctrines in terms of process conceptuality.
12. Richard Rice, The Openness of God. A Seventh-Day Adventist theologian adopts most features of the process doctrine of God taking pains to explain where he differs.
13. Paul Sponhiem, Faith and Process: The Significance of Process Thought for Christian Faith. A careful explanation of how process concepts can assist Lutherans and others in the formulation of faith today.
14. Paulos Gregorios, The Human Presence. Relates process theology to classical Eastern Orthodox thinking.
15. John Haught, What Is God? How To Think About the Divine. Whiteheadian and Jungian influenced approach for reflecting upon mystery in everyday life.
16. Marjorie Suchocki, God, Christ, Church. Major theological topics presented in process perspective with feminist sensitivity.
17. Sally McFague, Models of God: Theology for an Ecological, Nuclear Age. Systematic, constructive, innovative--part of McFague's continuing experiment in "metaphorical theology", trying out different images for the divine.
18. Henry Nelson Wieman, Science Serving Faith, edited by Creighton Peden and Charles Willig. A good introduction to Wieman's thought, developed by the editors from a manuscript and notes.
19. Eugene H. Peters, The Creative Advance: An Introduction to Process Philosophy as a Context for Christian Faith. One of the first efforts to explain process theology to the general reader and still very usable.
C. For Academics
1. Daniel Day Williams, The Spirit and Forms of Love. The best systematic theology from the process perspective, treating a wide range of traditional theological topics.
2. _____, Essays in Process Theology. A collection of some of Williams’ finiest essays.
3. John B. Cobb, Jr. and David Ray Griffin, Process Theology: An Introductory Exposition. Unlike Williams, this book talks about process theology and the arguments in its favor--less rich in development of particular theological ideas other than God.
4. David A. Pailin, God and the Processes of Reality: Foundations of a Credible Theism. Defends the panenthesim of Whitehead and Hartshorne as an important way of understanding the relationship between God and the processes of reality.
5. Schubert Ogden, The Reality of God. The fullest statement of Ogden's distinctive formulation of the process doctrine of God and arguments for it.
6. David Tracy, Blessed Rase for Order. A foundational theology closely related to Ogden's but drawing on the whole range of recent theological thinking.
7. Delwin Brown, Ralph James, and Gene Reeves, eds., Process Philosophy and Christian Thought. A wide-ranging collection of essays that give a good indication of the variety of authors and ideas included in the community of process theology.
8. Ewert Cousins, ed., Process Theology. A collection of essays and book chapters by Whiteheadian and Teilhardian writers.
9. David Ray Griffin and Thomas Altizer, eds., John Cobb's Theology in Process. Critical responses to Cobb's theology together with his replies.
10. Schubert M. Ogden, On Theology. Ogden considers the meaning and truth of the Christian witness in light of common human experience.
11. Santiago Sia, ed., Process Theology and the Christian Doctrine of God. A collection of essays focusing upon Hartshorne's doctrine of God.
12. Eulalio R. Baltazar, God Within Process. A Roman Catholic theologian uses Teilhardian categories to reconcile science with theology.
13. _____, The Dark Center: A Process Theology of Blackness. Using depth psychology and Teilhardian categories, the author shows the positive aspects of blackness.
D. Histories of Process Theology
1. Creighton Peden, The Chicago School: Voices in Liberal Religious Thought. An exposition of the views of seven early 20th Century members of The Chicago School of the Divinity School, University of Chicago.
2. Charles Harvey Arnold, Near the Edge of the Battle: A Short History of the Divinity School and the "Chicago School of Theology" 1866-1966. A former student (1950's) of the school takes a look at its history.
3. Randolph Crump Miller, The American Spirit in Theology. The variety in liberal American religious thought is outlined, including radical empiricism, pragmatism, instrumentalism, process theology, and so forth. .
4. William Dean, American Religious Empiricism. American empirical theology is viewed as postmodern--from Jonathan Edwards to the present.
5. George R. Lucas, Jr., "Outside the Camp: Recent Work in Whitehead's Philosophy, ....”
a. Part One, Transactions of the Charles S. Pierce Society, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Winter 1985), pp. 49-75. Discusses recent studies on the topics of "Freedom, Agency, and Endurance" and "Naturalism and the Status of the Past."
b. Part Two, Transactions of the Charles S. Pierce Society, Vol. 21, No. 3 (Summer 1985), pp. 327-382. Includes summaries of recent studies in of "Exegetical Studies," "Philosophy of Nature," and "Philosophy and Theology."
6. William Dean, History Making History: The New Historicism in American Religious Thought. Locates the Chicago school within the larger flow of American thought.
E. Critiques of Process Thought
1. Ronald Nash, ed., Process Theology. A collection of essays by evangelical theologians critically assessing process theology.
2. David Basinger, Divine Power in Process Theism: A Philosophical Critique. Clearly written critique focusing upon the issue of divine power as viewed by process theologians and classical theology.
3. Robert Neville, Creativity and God: A Challenge to Process Theology. Whiteheadian process theology is critiqued--as basically incoherent, inadequate to religious experience, and failing to adequately address basic ontological issues, and more.
4. Royce Gordon Gruenler, The Inexhaustible God: Biblical Faith and the Challenge of Process Theism. An evangelical (and former process theologian) demonstrates the superiority of "biblical" theology to process theology, "in every way."
(Many readers have special interest in particular traditional theological topics. The books listed in this section vary in difficulty, but they are all written for the general theological reader from the process perspective. None presupposes prior knowledge of process theology.)
A. Christology
1. Norman Pittenger, Christolozy Reconsidered. The most readable process Christology, emphasizing the continuity of Jesus with others.
2. David R. Griffin, A Process Christology. Emphasizes how the belief that Jesus is the decisive revelation of God can be illumined by process philosophy.
3. John Cobb, Christ in a Pluralistic Age. Emphasizes God's incarnation in the world and the distinctive form it took in Jesus.
4. Schubert Ogden, The Point of Christology. Although Ogden is a leading process theologian, his distinctive Christology is especially shaped in its dialogue with Bultmann.
5. Rita Brock, Journeys by Heart: A Christology of Erotic Power. Feminist approach to salvaging and transforming the image/power of Christ from its patriarchal limitations.
B. The Holy Spirit and the Trinity
1. Norman Pittenger, The Holy Spirit. One of the best general expositions of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. This one is explicitly written from the process perspective.
2. Joseph Bracken, The Triune Symbol. Suggests that process categories enable us to understand three persons as truly united into one.
3. Norman Pittenger, The Divine Triunity. Historical and systematic formulation emphasizing the divine unity.
C. Hope and Eschatology
1. Norman Pittenger, 'The Last Thinzs' in a Process Perspective. Surveys and interprets the range of eschatological themes in traditional Christianity.
2. William Beardslee, A House for Hope. Hope is related to the open-endedness of the future together with the assurance of God's working in the world and of our life in God.
3. Daniel Day Williams, God's Grace and Man's Hope. Rich theological discussion with Reinhold Niebuhr and others.
4. Marjori, Suchocki, The End of Evil: Process Eschatolosy in Historical Context. A feminist, Whiteheadian response to the issues of evil, theodicy, and eschatology--historical, philosophical, and theological.
D. Anthropology
1. Norman Pittenger, Cosmic Love and Human Wrong. Sin and sinfulness interpreted in process perspective.
2. _____. Goodness Distorted. An account of evil and the love that is distorted by it.
3. John Cobb, The Structure of Christian Existence. Locates and describes Christian existence in the evolutionary and historical context of the structures of existence.
4. William D. Dean, Love Before the Fall. The proposal of a new understanding of love--aesthetic love--and its differences from agape and eros.
5. Jean Christian Lambert, The Human Action of Forgiving. A Whiteheadian account of agency in general and forgiving in particular.
6. Linda L. Stinson, Process and Conscience: Toward a Theology of Human Emergence. Combines Whiteheadian philosophy with the theology of John Henry Newman developing a Christian theology of human emergence.
7. Norman Pittenger, Freed to Love: A Process Interpretation of Redemption. Pittenger shows how God, conceived as "Love/Lover-in-Act," reconciles the world through Christ, so that people can be "freed to love."
8. Bernard Meland, The Reawakening of Christian Faith. The tragedy of life (esp. WWII) is challenged by Christian faith.
E. God and Evil
1. David Ray Griffin, God, Power, and Evil: A Process Theodicy. A demonstration of process theology's claim to deal satisfactorily with the problem of theodicy, together with detailed critique of other positions.
2. Barry Whitney, Evil and the Process God. A clear statement of what process thinkers, especially Hartshorn,, have said on theodicy.
3. Rabbi Harold Kushner, When Bad Things Happen to Good People. Best-seller, not heavily influenced by process thought, but very compatible.
4. Norman Pittenger, Goodness Distorted. The centrality of love makes possible a triumph over evil.
F. Biblical Interpretation
1. Russell Pregeant, Christology Beyond Dogma. Emphasizes human responsibility in Jesus' message.
2. David Lull, The Spirit in Galatia. Process ideas are used to illumine Paul's doctrine of the Holy Spirit.
3. William Beardslee and David Lull, eds., "Old Testament Interpretation from a Process Perspective." Semeia 24, 1982. Exegetical and expository essays.
4. _____, "New Testament Interpretation from a Process Perspective." Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Vol. 47, No. 1. Exegetical essays together with an account of how process thought has been related to Biblical studies.
5. Clark Williamson, ed., "Process Philosophy and Biblical Theology." Encounter, Vol. 36, No. 4. Papers from a conference held at Christian Theological Seminary.
6. Lewis Ford, The Lure of God. Process philosophical theology integrated with Old Testament interpretation.
G. The Church and its Ministry
1. Bernard Lee, The Becoming of the Church. A Catholic ecclesiology in process perspective emphasizing connectedness through internal relations.
2. Norman Pittenger, The Christian Church as Social Process. A good introduction to process thought focusing on the understanding of the church.
3. Norman Pittenger, The Ministry of All Christians. A broad view of the church, focusing on the ministry of the laity.
4. Norman Pittenger, Preaching the Gospel. A general introduction to homiletics in process perspective.
5. Norman Pittenger, The Pilgrim Church and the Easter People. Public lectures delivered in Fall 1983 (Cleveland, Ohio) on the topic, "The Church and Its Ministry."
H. Religious Education
1. Mary Elizabeth Moore, Education for Continuity and Change. The educational task of the church illumined by Whitehead and Mead.
2. Randolph Crump Miller, The Theory of Christian Education Practice. A leader in the field of Christian education makes extensive use of the process perspective.
3. Randolph Crump Miller, The Language Gap and God: Religious Language and Christian Education. Language analysis and process thought and their relevance for Christian education.
4. Gloria Durka and Joan Marie Smith, Modeling God. A brief but effective statement on Christian education.
5. Harold Rosen, Relgious Education and Our Ultimate Commitment: An Application of Henry Nelson Wieman's Philosophy of Creative Interchange. A process perspective on religious education, broadly conceived, by a Unitarian minister.
I. Pastoral Care
1. Daniel Day Williams, The Minister and the Care of Souls. An important statement on ministry by a major process theologian.
2. John Cobb, Theology and Pastoral Care. Comments on how theology (of a process variety) can inform pastoral care, especially pastoral counseling.
3. Gordon Jackson, Pastoral Care and Process Theology. A more technical presentation of how process categories enable theology to inform counseling.
4. Don S. Browning, Atonement and Psychotherapy. Interprets atonement in its relation to therapy and a process view of God.
5. Robert L. Kinast, Pastoral Theology and Death Experiences. Specific experiences theologically interpreted with practical implications explained.
6. Archie Smith, Jr., The Relational Self: Ethics and Therapy from a Black Church Perspective. Combines therapy and ethics in contributing to personal and social transformation.
J. Prayer
1. Paul R. Sponheim, ed., A Primer on Prayer. Collection of essays by various authors covering "The Heritage of Prayer," "Understanding Prayer," and "The Practice of Prayer."
2. Norman Pittenger, Praying Today: Practical Thoughts on Prayer. Non-technical discussion of prayer--its definition, its goals, its exercise, and more.
3. John B. Cobb, Jr., To Pray or Not To Pray. Part of the "Prayer in My Life" series (Upper Room), containing Cobb's personal reflections upon the role of prayer in his life.
4. Martha Rowlett, In Spirit and in Truth. A guide to the practice of prayer written for lay people.
5. Carolyn Stahl, Opening to God. An introduction to guided imagery meditation based upon the Christian scriptures.
(Others have a focused concern with particular features of the current discussion. Process theology is involved in some of these, and books dealing with such topics may be the best entree for some people.)
A. Political and Liberation Theology
1. Delwin Brown, To Set at Liberty. The process understanding of freedom is theologically developed in dialogue with liberation theologians.
2. Schubert Ogden, Faith and Freedom. An argument for maintaining the primacy of redemption while recognizing the great importance of political emancipation.
3. John Cobb, Process Theology as Political Theology. An appreciative but critical dialogue with German political theologians.
4. John Cobb and Widick Schroeder, eds., Process Philosophy and Social Thought. A collection of essays on social issues written by process theologians and their critics.
B. Feminism
1. Penelope Washburn, Becoming Woman. Process perspective informs this vision of woman's experience.
2. Sheila Devaney, ed., Feminism and Process Thought. Essays displaying the overlap and mutual contributions of the two movements.
3. Catherine Keller, From a Broken Web: Separation, Sexism and Self. An important advance in feminist process theology, developing an original anthroplogy.
4. Susan Dunfee, Beyond Servanthood: Christianity and the Liberation of Women. Argues for the importance of moving from Christianity as self-sacrificial service to mutuality and friendship.
C. Sexuality
1. Norman Pittenger, Love and Control in Sexuality. The norms of sexuality are found in love alone.
2. Norman Pittenger, Making Sexuality Human. An ethic of sexuality that includes an affirmation of its homosexual expression.
D. Ecology & Animal Rights
1. Kenneth Cauthen, Christian Biopolitics. A vision of the future that takes the physical world seriously.
2. Charles Birch and John Cobb, The Liberation of Life. A wide-ranging treatment of biology, anthropology, ethics, theology and public policy based on an ecological model of life.
3. Gerald and Dorothy Slusser, Technology: The God that Failed. An early response to the awareness of the environmental crisis.
4. Eric C. Rust, Nature: Garden or Desert? An Essay in Environmental Theology. Biblical, scientific, philosophical and theological perspectives are integrated.
5. John Cobb, Is It Too Late: A Theology of Ecology. A small popularly written statement of the needed philosophical and theological changes.
6. Daniel A. Dombrowski, Hartshome and the Metaphysics of Animal Rights. Explains Hartshorne's views regarding God and animals, including human beings, and provides a defense for philosophical vegetarianism.
E. Other Religious Traditions
1. Clark Williamson, Has God Rejected His People? Reformulation of Christian teaching to overcome Christian anti-Judaism.
2. John Cobb, Beyond Dialogue. How full openness to others, especially Buddhists, can lead to mutual transformation.
3. George Nordgulen, Perspectives in World Religions, Vol 1. Shows how a process theism can go far toward integrating the contributions of major religious traditions.
4. Robert Neville, The Tao and the Daimon. Broad-ranging reflections on religion and the religions.
5. Steve Odin, Process Metaphysics and Hua-Yen Buddhism. Displays their similarity, arguing for certain advantages in each.
6. Paul O. Ingram, The Modern Buddhist-Christian Dialogue: Two Universalistic Religions in Transformation. Process thought used in a discussion of interfaith dialogue.
7. Nolan Pliny Jacobson, Buddhism and the Contemporary World. The first book in a trilogy explaining Buddhism and comparing Buddhism with process thought.
8. _____, Understanding Buddhism. The second book in Jacobson's trilogy.
9. _____, The Heart of Buddhist Philosophy. The third book in Jacobson's trilogy.
F. Science and Religion
1. Ian Barbour, Issues in Science and Religion. A widely used text by a physicist-theologian relying extensively on Whitehead.
2. Harold Schilling, The New Consciousness in Science and Religion. A physicist with keen interest in religion finds Whitehead fruitful.
3. Langdon Gilkey, Religion and the Scientific Future. A theologian not usually identified with process thought uses Whitehead in this area.
4. Kenneth Cauthen, Science, Secularization and God. Theology for the future in light of secularization and science.
5. Frederick Ferre, Shaping the Future. Calls for a post-modern consciousness and shows its implications for religious, educational, political, and economic institutions.
6. Richard H. Overman, Evolution and the Christian Doctrine of Creation. Shows how process conceptuality can interpret purpose in nature without positing one overarching goal.
7. Charles Birch, Nature and God. A biologist's reflection on the mutual implications of evolutionary science and Christian faith.
8. John F. Haught, The Cosmic Adventure. The discernment of purpose in nature in the light of science.
9. Claude Y. Stewart, Nature in Grace. Examines nature from a variety of perspectives including that of a Whiteheadian theology.
10. David Ray Griffin, ed., The Reenchantment of Science: Postmodern Proposals. Collection of essays describing the move from modern, mechanistic science to postmodern, organismic science. Includes essays on physics, biology, ecology, medicine, and more.
11. Henry Nelson Wieman, Religious Experience and Scientific Method. Wieman attempt to show that science and religion have a reciprocal relationship--each needing the other to be adequate.
12. _____, Seeking a Faith for a New Age: Essays on the Interdependence of Religion, Science, and Philosophy (edited by Cedric L. Hepler). 16 Wieman essays spanning 1917-1968 including two dissertation chapters; includes a limited bibliography.
G. Religious Language
1. Lyman Lundeen, Risk and Rhetoric in Religion. A process approach to language locating the view in the context of the European discussion.
2. Frank Burch Brown, Transfiguration. A study of religious language in process perspective especially in relation to poetry.
3. Bowman L. Clarke, Language and Natural Theology. The work uses Whitehead's view of metaphysics to show the relation between formal and religious language.
4. Sally McFague, Metaphorical Theology: Models of God in Religious Language. McFague presents insights into the nature of religious language, especially the use and function of metaphors and models.
5. Stephen Franklin, Speaking from the Depths. A detailed examination of Whitehead's theory of language applied to religious experience.
H. Religious Studies
Beardslee, William, First Corinthians: A Commentary for Today (Chalice Press, 1994).
_____, Margins of Belonging: Essays on the New Testament and Theology (Scholars Press, 1991).
Birch, Charles, A Purpose for Everything: Religion in a Postmodern Worldview (Twenty-Third Publications, 1990).
Bracken, Joseph A. The Divine Matrix: Creativity as Link Between East and West (Orbis, 1995).
Brown, Delwin, Ralph E. James, Jr. and Gene Reeves, ed., Process Philosophy and Christian Thought (Bobbs-Merrill, 1971).
Cargas, Harry J. and Bernard Lee, ed., Religious Experience and Process Theology (Paulist Press, 1976).
Cauthen, Kenneth, Process Ethics: A Constructive System (New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 1984).
Cobb, John B., Jr. Becoming a Thinking Christian (Abingdon, 1993).
_____. Beyond Dialogue: The Transformation of Christianity and Buddhism (Fortress, 1982).
_____. Praying for Jennifer: An Exploration of Intercessory Prayer in Story Form (Upper Room, 1985).
_____. "Process Thougth." Conference Paper: "Philosophy and Religion Now." Claremont Graduate University, February 1999.
_____, The Structure of Christian Existence (Seabury 1979 [1967]).
Cobb, John B., Jr. and David Ray Griffin, Process Theology: An Introductory Exposition (Westminster, 1976).
Griffin, David Ray, God, Power, and Evil: A Process Theodicy (Westminster, 1976).
_____, God and Religion in the Postmodern World (State University of New York, 1989).
_____, William Beardslee, and Joe Holland, Varieties of Postmodern Theology (State University of New York, 1989).
Griffin, D. and Huston Smith, Primordial Truth and Postmodern Theology (State U. of New York, 1989).
Charles Hartshorne, The Divine Relativity: A Social Conception of God (Yale University Press., 1948).
_____, Omnipotence and Other Theological Mistakes (State University of New York, 1984).
Hurtubise, Denis. “Difficult Connections: Philosophical Process Theology and Chrisitan Faith.” Eglise et Theologie 30 (1999): 364-384.
Kaufman, Rabbi William E., The Case for God (Chalice Press, 1991).
McDaniel, Jay, With Roots and Wings: Christianity in an Age of Ecology and Dialogue (Orbis, 1995).
Meland, Bernard. Essays in Constructive Theology: A Process Perspective (Exploration Press, 1988).
_____. Fallible Forms and Symbols: Discourses of Method in a Theology of Culture (Fortress, 1976).
Mesle, Robert. Process Theology: A Basic Introduction (Chalice Press, 1993).
Miller, Randolph Crump. “Process Thought, Worship and Religious Education.” In Aesthetic Dimensions of Religious Education. Eds. Gloria Durka and Joanmarie Smith (New York: Paulist Press, 1979): 107-20.
Moore, Mary Elizabeth Mullino. Education for Continuity and Change: A New Model for Christian Religious Education (Abingdon, 1983).
_____, Teaching from the Heart: Theology and Educational Method (Fortress, 1991).
Neville, Robert, Creativity and God: A Challenge to Process Theology (Seabury, 1980).
_____. “Response to Ford’s ‘Neville on the One and the Many’.” Southern Journal of Philosophy 10/1 (Spring 1972).
Ogden, Schubert M., The Reality of God and Other Essays (Harper & Row, 1963).
Pittenger, Norman, Catholic Faith in a Process Perspective (Orbis, 1981).
Polk, David, ed., What’s a Christian to Do? (Chalice Press, 1991).
_____, ed., Now What’s a Christian to Do? (Chalice Press, 1994).
Sarkar, Anil Kumar, Buddhism and Whitehead’s Process Philosophy (South Asian Publishers, 1991).
Suchocki, Marjorie, The End of Evil: Process Eschatology in Historical Context (State Univ. of New York, 1988).
_____, The Fall to Violence: Original Sin in Relational Theology (Continuum, 1994).
_____, God Christ Church: A Practical Guide to Process Theology (Crossroad, 1989 [1982]).
Whitehead, A. N., Religion in the Making (Meridian, 1960 [1926]).
_____. “Aspects of Freedom.” In Freedom: Its Meaning, ed. Ruth Handa Aushen (New York: Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1940), 42-67.
Williams, Daniel Day, The Spirit and the Forms of Love (University Press of America, 1981 [1967]).
Young, Henry James, Hope in Process: A Theology of Social Pluralism (Fortress Press, 1990).
IV. Philosophical Writings
A. Whitehead's Own Writings
1. Science and the Moderm World. This shows how modern science interacted with other intellectual and cultural traditions including Christianity and provides the outline of the needed more organic understanding of nature.
2. Religion in the Making. Whitehead's major work on religion.
3. Modes of Thought. A mature statement, quite non-technical. It may prove deceptively simple.
4. Adventures of Ideas. Chapters are uneven in difficulty, but most of the book is accessible to the non-specialist. It includes a summary of the position developed in Process and Reality.
5. Process and Reality. Very difficult in parts, but the last part, "God and the World," contains Whitehead's most extensive discussion about God.
6. Donald Sherburne, A Key to Process and Reality. Selections from Process and Reality are organized and explained in a way that makes them accessible to the general philosophically inclined reader.
B. Secondary Sources--Whitehead
1. Norman Pittenger, Alfred North Whitehead. The shortest and simplest introduction.
2. Victor Lowe, Understanding Whitehead. This provides both biographical information and an explanation of major features of his thought.
3. Ivor Leclerc, Whitehead's Metaphysics. Those familiar with classical philosophy will find this an excellent introduction.
4. Paul Kuntz, Alfred North Whitehead. A biographical and philosophical introduction.
5. A. H. Johnson, Whitehead's Theory of Reality. A good orientation by one of Whitehead's own students.
6. William A. Christian, An Interpretation of Whitehead's Metaphysics. A major analytic study, especially of Process and Reality.
7. Elizabeth Kraus, The Metaphysics of Experience: A Companion to Whitehead's Process and Reality. Very helpful for anyone tackling Whitehead's magnum opus.
8. Lewis Ford, The Emergence of Whitehead's Metaphysics. Analyzes the stages of Whitehead's development not only between books but also within them.
9. Kenneth F. Thompson, Jr., Whitebead's Philosophy of Religion. A descriptive account of Whitehead's own views.
C. Philosophy of Religion--Charles Hartshorne
Charles Hartshorne is the most important process figure in philosophy of religion.
1. Charles Hartshorne, Beyond Humanism. An early work pointing the way beyond the impasse of classical theism and atheistic humanism, an impasse that seems to have become important again.
2. Charles Hartshorne, Man’s Vision of God. Hartshorne richly develops his ideas about God and argumemts in favor of belief.
3. Charles Hartshorne, The Divine Relativity. Hartshorne's most sustained polemic against the sheer Absolute of classical Theism.
4. Charles Hartshome, Natural Theology for Our Time. Hartshome organizes his major contributions to religious thought as a natural theology.
5. Charles Hartshorne, Creative Synthesis and Philosophic Method. Although this does not focus on philosophy of religion, it clarifies the wider vision within which Hartshorne's thought about religion is set.
6. Charles Hartshore, Omnipotence and Other Theolozical Mistakes. Hartshorne's most popularly written book is a lively polemic against features of traditional theism to which process theologians object.
7. Charles Hartshorne, Wisdom as Moderation: A Philosophy of the Middle Way. Philosophical wisdom presented as a mean between extremes, in both theory and practice.
8. Charles Hartsborne, Insights and Oversights of Great Thinkers: An Evaluation of Western Philosophy. Hartshome takes a fresh look at the Occidental philosophical tradition.
9. Charles Hartshome, Born to Sing. Based on a hypothesis generated by process thought, Hartshome amasses evidence that one reason birds sing is for subjective enjoyment.
10. Charles Hartshore, Philosophy and Psychology of Sensation. Shows that different senses particularize common emotional tones or affects.
D. Secondary Sources--Hartshorne
1. Alan Gragg, Charles Hartshorne. A volume in the "Makers of the Modern Theological Mind" series making Hartshome accessible to lay people.
2. Santiago Sia, God in Process Thought. One of the best secondary accounts of Hartshorne's contributions to philosophy of religion.
3. John C. Moskop, Divine Omniscience and Human Freedom. Compares Thomas Aquinas and Hartshorne on this topic, favoring Hartsborne.
4. Sheila Greene Devaney, Divine Power: A Study of Karl Barth amd Charles Hartshorne. A study of two of the 20th Century's most influential thinkers.
5. Robert Kane and Stephen H. Phillips, eds., Hartshorne: Process Philosophy and Theology. A collection of papers beginning with a thorough exposition of Hartshorne's thought by David Griffin and concluding with Hartshorne's largely appreciative response to each essay.
6. John B. Cobb, Jr. and Franklin I. Gamwell, eds., Existence and Actuality: Conversations with Charles Hartshornc. A collection of essays, both critical and supportive, about Harthshorne's views; Hartshorne provides a response to each essay.
E. Philosophy of Religion--Other Authors
Other philosophically interested readers may want to see how process thought works in philosophy of religion, philosophical theology, and natural theology.
1. John Cobb, A Christian Natural Theology. Whitehead's philosophy is adopted and adapted for Christian use.
2. Bernard Meland, Fallible Forms and Symbols. Meland draws on a wide stream of American philosophy and religious thought and employs it for interpreting culture.
3. David Ray Griffin, God and Religion in the Postmodern World: Essays in Postmodern Theology. Griffin presents portions of a postmodern, natural theism--deeply religious and fully scientific.
4. George Nordgulen and George W. Shields, ed., Faith and Creativity: Essays in Honor of Eugene H. Peters. Collection of essays by process thinkers on a variety of topics.
5. Nancy Frankenberry, Religion and Radical Empiricism. A study of radical empiricism and how such empiricism can be involved in justifying religious truth claims.
6. Forrest Wood, Whiteheadian Thought as a Basis for a Philosophy of Religion. An attempt to show how Whitehead's thought can be used to illuminate the problem of evil and the question of immortality.
7. Kenneth E. Thompson, Jr., Whitehead's Philosophy of Religion. A careful study of the philosophy of religion found in Whitehead's own writings.
8. William Dean and Larry E. Axel, The Size of God: The Theology of Bernard Loomer in Context. Loomer's "The Size of God" essay plus responses by other process thinkers to that essay.
9. Ernest Wolf-Gazo, ed., Process in Context: Essays in Post-Whiteheadian Perspectives. A collection of process writers continue the dialogue with Whitehead, each writer in their own field of research.
10. David Ray Griffin, William A. Beardslee, and Joe Holland, Varieties of Postmodern Theology. Dialogue between constructive postmodern theology and each of three other forms of postmodern theology--deconstructive, liberationist, and conservative.
Barbour, Ian, Religion in an Age of Science. San Fransisco: Harper & Row, 1990.
Birch, Charles and John B. Cobb, Jr., The Liberation of Life. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990 [1981].
Cobb, John B., Jr., Matters of Life and Death. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1991.
_____, Sustainability: Economics, Ecology & Justice. Maryknoll: Orbis, 1992.
_____ and W. Widick Schroeder, ed., Process Philosophy and Social Thought. Chicago: Center for the Scientific Study of Religion, 1981.
Daly, Herman and John B. Cobb, Jr., For the Common Good: Redirecting the Economy Toward Community, the Environment, and a Sustainable Future. Beacon, 1994 [1989].
Griffin, David Ray, ed., Archetypal Process: Self and Divine in Whitehead, Jung, and Hillman. Northwestern University Press, 1989.
_____, ed., Physics and the Ultimate Significance of Time: Bohm, Prigogine, and Process Philosophy. Albany: State University of New York, 1986.
_____, ed., The Reenchantment of Science: Postmodern Proposals. Albany: State Univ. of New York, 1988.
_____, ed., Spirituality and Society: Postmodern Visions. Albany: State University of New York, 1988.
Keip, Margaret. “Actualizations of Potentiality.” (unpubl.) [Introduction to Whitehead; Diagram of Adventures of Ideas]
Keller, Catherine, From a Broken Web: Separation, Sexism, and Self. Beacon, 1986.
Morris, Randall, Process Philosophy and Political Ideology. Albany: State University of New York, 1991.
Sturm, Douglas, Community and Alienation: Essays on Process Thought and Public Life. Univ. of NotreDame Press, 1988.
Whitehead, A. N., Science and the Modern World. New York: Free Press, 1953 [1929].
A. Physics & Mathematics
1. A. N. Whitehead, The Principle of Relativity. Although Whitehead's theory is quite different from Einstein's and has been largely ignored, it is still viable and may come into its own.
2. Murray Code, Order and Organism. Mathematics and natural science in process perspective.
3. Robert Palter, Whitehead's Philosophy of Science. A relational theory of space and time avoids difficulties in the classical concept of the material world.
4. J. M. Burgers, Experience and Conceptual Activity. A physicist uses Whitehead's thought for the unification of science and values.
5. Ivor Leclerc, The Nature of Physical Existence. In this comprehensive survey of the history of the philosophy of nature, Whitehead's important role becomes clear.
6. David Griffin, ed., Physics and the Ultimate Significance of Time. Ilya Prigogine, David Bohm, and Henry Stapp interact with process philosophers and theologians.
7. Zygon. Vol. 20, No. 2, "David Bohm's Implicate Order: Physics, Philosophy, and Theology."
8. David Bohm, Wholeness and the Implicate Order. A new model of reality, compatible with process thought, from a noted physicist.
9. David Bohm and F. David Peat, Science, Order, and Creativity. Two physicists collaborate to produce a highly readable book reflecting a wholistic view of the cosmos with affinity to process thought.
10. Richard F. Kitchener, ed., The World View of Contemporary Physics: Does It Need a New Metaphysics?. Collection of essays by physicists and philosophers.
11. Ilya Prigogine and Isabelle Stengers, Order out of Chaos: Man's New Dialogue with Nature. A history of conceptual transformations in science, from classical science to the present.
12. Granville C. Henry, Jr., Logos: Mathematics and Christian Theology. Shows the influence of Greek mathematics upon Judeo-Christian theology and indicates how recent changes in mathematics can impact contemporary theology.
13. Alfred North Whitehead, An Introduction to Mathematics. Whitehead's only textbook writing--a good one.
B. Biological Sciences
1. W. E. Agar, The Theory of the Living Organism. An early but still useful study of biology based on Whitehead's conceptuality.
2. John Cobb and David Griffin, ed., Mind in Nature. Leading biologists and process philosophers treat evolutionary theory.
3. Rupert Sheldrake, A New Science of Life. Partly influenced by Whitehead, and remarkably congenial, Sheldrake's controversial theory deserves full consideration.
4. Ralph S. Lillie, General Biology and Philosophy of Organism. Living beings are psycho-physical systems.
C. Social Sciences
1. W. Widick Schroeder, Cognitive Structures and Relisious Research. A study of the relationship of sociology and theology from a process perspective.
2. Robert Neville, The Cosmology of Freedom. Treatment of both personal and social freedom in the broader stream of process thought.
3. Franklin Gamwell, Beyond Preference. A political theory making use of Whitehead's philosophy.
4. Russell Kleinbach, Marx via Process. Implications of Whitehead's conceptuality for the clarification and development of Marxist social theory.
5. Ervin Laszlo, Essential Society: An Ontological Reconstruction. An inclusive approach to the study of society influenced by Whitehead.
6. Samuel H. Beer, The City of Reason. A liberal political philosophy derived from Whitehead.
7. W. Widick Schroeder and Franklin Gamwell, Economic Life: Process Interpretations and Critical Responses. Six essays on economic life and political economy by different authors; each essay is followed by a response from a religious social ethicist.
8. Douglas Sturm, Community and Alienation: Essays on Process Thought and Public Life. Essays emphasizing internal relations and a communitarian political theory, realism without pessimism.
D. Ethics and Value Theory
1. Lynne Belaief, Towards a Whiteheadian Ethics. The first book length treatment of ethics in Whiteheadian terms.
2. Kenneth Cauthen, Process Ethics: A Constructive System. The most comprehensive treatment of ethics, philosophical, theological, and social, from a process perspective.
3. Kenneth Cauthen, The Ethics of Enyoment. Practical guidance in a technological society.
4. Barbara Swyhart, Bio-ethical Decision Making. The first book to reflect on bio-ethics from a process perspective.
5.Henry Nelson Wieman, The Source of Human Good. A major essay on value theory and theology by an original process thinker.
6. James R. Gray, Process Ethics. A brief systematization of Whitehead's contribution to the understanding of moral decisions.
7. Kenneth Cauthen, The Passion for Equality. Historical survey of "equality" in the United States and a proposal for integrating equality into societal structures in the United States.
E. Art, Culture, and Language
1. Donald Sherburne, A Whiteheadian Aesthetic. A rigorously developed aesthetic theory making systematic use of Whitehead's influence.
2. F. D. Martin, Art and Religious Experience. An emphasis on participative experience informed by Heidegger and Whitehead.
3. Susanne Langer, Feeling and Form. A student of Whitehead has written major original treatises on art showing Whitehead's influence.
4. William Dean, Coming To: A Theology of Beauty. Affirms beauty as more fundamental than goodness or truth as the context of theology.
5. S. D. Ross, A Theory of Art. Emphasizes a synthetic approach to art influenced by Whitehead.
6. Mary Wyman, The Lure for Feeling. Relates Whitehead's thought to Wordsworth among many others.
7. A. P. Cappon, About Wordsworth and Whitehead. Compares the two thinkers biographically and intellectually.
8. David L. Hall, The Civilization of Experience. A theory of culture from a Whiteheadian point of view.
9. Bernard Meland, The Secularization of Modern Cultures. The nature and causes of secularization with reflections on the place of religion.
10. Bernard Meland, The Realities of Faith: The Revolution in Cultural Forms. Essays, growing out the Barrows Lectures (India and Burma), in which Meland deals with Christianity in a world context.
11. John Regan, ed., Whitehead and Lamb: A New Network of Connection. Verbatim of a conference on language.
12. George Allan, The Importance of the Past: A Meditation on the Authority of Tradition. Examines how tradition creates and sustains meaningful structures of social order, the role of emotion in the transformation of everyday experience into an awareness of the past.
13. Donald A. Crosby, The Specter of the Absurd: Sources and Criticisms of Modern Nihilism. A sensitive explanation of the pervasiveness of nihilistic tendencies showing how a process perspective can provide a more convincing alternative.
14. Edwin C. Garvey, Process Theology and Secularization.
F. Education
1. A. N. Whitehead, The Aims of Education. Whitehead's own philosophy of education continues to attract attention among educational theories.
2. Robert Brumbaugh, Whitehead, Process Philosophy and Education. A recent collection of essays by a leading philosopher.
3. Henry W. Holmes, The Educational Views of Whitehead. Emphasis on growth, utility, rhythmic process, ending in religion, aesthetics and adventure.
4. Harold B. Dunkel, Whitehead on Education. Creative advance by patterning available data.
5. Bernard E. Meland, Higher Education and the Human Spirit. Emotion bears on analysis, poetry on metaphysics.
6. Donald Oliver and Kathleen Gershman, Education, Modernity, and Fractured Meaning. Develops process educational theory as an alternative to the discrete functionalism of modernity.
G. Philosophy of Science
1. A. N. Whitehead, Essays in Science and Philosophy. A collection of essays by Whitehead on wide-ranging topics.
2. A. N. Whitehead, Principles of Natural Knowledge. A quite technical discussion of conceptual foundations of modern science.
3. Ann Plamondon, Whitehead's Organic Philosophy of Science. This locates Whitehead's philosophy of science in the current discussion.
4. Wolfe Mays, Whitehead's Philosophy of Science and Metaphysics. A British philosopher interprets Whitehead's contribution in a manner more acceptable to dominant contemporary ways of thinking.
H. General
1. Jack Sibley and Pete Gunter, ed., Process Philosophy: Basic Writings. A collection of essays on epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics.
2. Dorothy Emmet, The Effectiveness of Causes. Critical of Whitehead for subjectivizing causal relations.
3. David Ray Griffin, ed., Spirituality and Society: Postmodern Visions. Presents both a critique of modernity and a spirituality that transcends individualism.
4. Marcus Ford, ed., A Process Theology of Medicine: Interdisciplinary Essays. A collection of essays that begin to use process thought as a basis for a wholistic model of health care.
(Anyone interested in more detailed information on books, articles, dissertations, and unpublished papers on any of the above topics or others may write the Center for Process Studies, 1325 N. College Ave., Claremont, CA 91711. This service (within reason) is free for members. Or consult the following:)
1. Barry A. Woodbridge, ed. Alfred North Whitehead: A Primary-Secondary Bibliography. Bowling Green, Ohio: Philosophy Documentation Center, 1977.
2. George R. Lucas, The Genesis of Modern Process Thought: A Historical Outline With Bibliography.
3. Lewis S. Ford, ed., Process Studies,1971 - .