PROCESS RELATIONAL

PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY:

INTENSIVE

Monday � Friday 7th -11th February

9 a.m. � 3 p.m. 

IB 04

St Paul�s Theological College/BCT Unit

(Ph. 07 36218900)

Unit Outline

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Objectives:

(a) Participants will acquire a general familiarization with and a critical appreciation of process relational research programs in philosophy, ethics, and systematic or constructive theology in their world-wide manifestations.

(b) Participants will acquire a detailed knowledge of process relational thinking in an area of their own choosing.

 

Structure of the unit

 

1.     Definition and Historical Background

 

2.     Brief exposition of the Process-Relational Metaphysical Vision

 

3.     �God� and �Evil� in Process-Relational Thought

 

4.   Creation and Original Sin

 

5.   Process Relational Trinitarian Theology

 

6.   Christology, Church and Sacraments

 

7.   Eschatology in Process-Relational Perspective

 

8.   Intersections with Feminist and Liberation Theologies

 

9.   Inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue (esp. Buddhism)

 

10. Process Relational Ecological Theology

 

11. Facing up to some of the problems

 

All items will be covered though not all in the same detail.

 

 

Teaching/Learning Strategies and Resources 2005 First Semester /Summer Intensive

 

1.  Major input will be over five days Monday to Friday 7th -11th February, from 9 a.m. to around 3 p.m.  There will be two short breaks in the morning, a break for lunch and one short break in the afternoon.

 

2.  As well as lectures, there will be opportunity for discussion.  After the first day, there will be an article from the book of readings to discuss each day.

 

3.  Depending on the willingness of the participants and their technical abilities, we will try to set up an on-line discussion group, and possibly even try to organize a few on-line meetings.

 

4.  Lecture Notes and personal articles and papers will be available on CD.  Most of the papers are already available off my web site, at www.mpx.com.au/~gjmoses .

 

5.  There will be a hardcopy book of readings containing basic material supporting class input and some material for essay writing.

 

6.  There are copious hardcopy resources in the St Paul�s/ACU library, and some resources in other BCT libraries. 

 

7.   Additionally, the lecturer/co-ordinator has a variety of written resources collected over the years, which will be put in a central place and made available for short-term loan. See later for details.

 

8.  The Internet is an excellent resource for access into world-wide process.  Start with the following: www.processnetwork.org ;  www.alfred.north.whitehead.com ;  www.ctr4process.org .  This should give people access to lots of on-line articles and papers, as well as a knowledge of most of the major contemporary players.

 

 

Method of Assessment doubling as learning strategies:

 

Two essays, of approximately equal length, overall length and intensity depending on the level at which the unit is taken:

 

1.  The Process Relational Metaphysical Vision and its consequences for imaging the Divine, taking account of tsunami�s and such like, as well as the human propensity for evil.

 

2.  Process Relational Thought AND (one of more of the following)

          Creation                                 OR    Philosophy of Education

          Original Sin                                      Psychology

          Christology and Soteriology           Physics

          Church and Sacraments                 the Mind-Body Problem

          Feminist Theology                          Personal Identity

          Eco-Theology                                  Science-Religion debates

          Eschatology                                     Complexity Theory

          Inter-religious dialogue/Buddhism  Management

          Liberation Theologies                     Etc.

          Contemporary Spirituality

          Etc.

 

Conceivably, people could meld this into one long paper, as is common with Specialized Studies.  But I�d like the first half or so in some form or other by the end of April  (Easter is too early this year, end of April = April 30th sounds like a more appropriate date).  The second paper or second half of the one long paper/final version of the long paper is due before the end of semester.

 

 

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Bibliography

Full bibliographical information will be made available in the unit.  The following is a very, very basic introduction (one per key person) focussed on Process Relational Theology, arranged in alphabetical order:

 

Bracken, Joseph A., S.J.  The Triune Symbol: Persons, Process and Community. University of America Press, Lanham, MD, 1985.

 

Cobb, John B., Jr., and David Ray Griffin. Process Theology: An Introductory Exposition. Westminster Press, Philadelphia, 1976.

 

Cobb, John B., Jr. Christ in a Pluralistic Age. The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, 1975.

 

Ford, Lewis S.  The Lure of God: A Biblical Background for Process Theism. Fortress Press, Philadelphia, 1978.

 

Griffin, David Ray.  God, Power and Evil: A Process Theodicy. University Press of America, N.Y. 1991, originally published Westminster, Philadelphia, 1976.

 

Hartshorne, Charles.  The Divine Relativity. 1948.

 

Keller, Catherine.  From a Broken Web: Separation, Sexism and the Self.  Beacon Press, Boston, 1986.  Her latest: Face of the Deep, Routledge, London, 2003.

 

McDaniel, Jay B.  Of God and Pelicans: A Theology of Reverence for Life. Westminster/John Knox Press, Louisville, 1989.

 

Mesle, C. Robert.  Process Theology: A Basic Introduction. Chalice Press, St Louis, Mo., 1993.  With a concluding chapter from John B. Cobb.  Very easy to read.

 

Ogden, Schubert Miles.  The Reality of God and Other Essays. Harper and Row, N.Y., 1977.

 

Suchocki, Marjorie Hewitt.  God-Christ-Church: A Practical Guide to Process Theology..  Crossroad, N.Y., 1982.  Revised version 1989.

 

Van der Veken, Jan, editor.  God and Change: Process Thought and the Christian Doctrine of God. Leuven, 1987.

 

Whitehead, Alfred North.  Process and Reality. Part I and Part V. Macmillan, N.Y., 1929.

 

Young, Henry James.  Hope in Process: A Theology of Social Pluralism.  Fortress Press, Philadelphia, 1990.

 


Process Philosophy and Theology

Index of Notes and Personal Papers

In approximate order of deployment

These will be all made available on CD.  The articles/papers are already online: see www.mpx.com.au/~gjmoses , also www.alfred.north.whitehead.com  and www.ctr4process.org .

There will be a hardcopy of the Unit Outline and the third item below, the Process Relational Theology overheads. The input will be structured around these Process Relational Theology overheads, with other material inserted as relevant.

 

Unit Outline

 

Bibliography  (see Book of Readings for another one)  File is named: probibr.doc

For more recent bibliographical information, see www.ctr4process.org .

 

Process Relational Theology: An Outline (prosemprintable2k5.doc)

 

Introduction to Process Philosophy (following Hartshorne)  (fulpro3r.doc)

 

�Big Things from Small Things�  (bgsml2k2.doc)

 

(Philosophy of Religion overheads � available on line off web site)

 

Process and Trinity Notes (trinity1.doc)

 

�God and Evil in Process Perspective� (proevilr.doc)

 

Process Thought and Human Existence (proche.doc)

 

�Process Relational Eco-Theology� (ecotheol2kr1.doc and ecothohd.htm )

 

Process Philosophy and Buddhism (processbuddhism.doc): a starting bibliography.

 

�In Praise of Process Pluralism� (praiseprocess.doc)

 

�A Renovated Process Theology, on the other side of Dupre and Gauchet�: towards a much deeper God.  From neworleanslecture.doc

 

And article on �Whitehead and Plato�  (whitplatr.doc)

 

Plus Chapters 1-4 of Mesle draft for book on Process Philosophy.  (Ch_1 etc, Ch_2 etc, Ch_3 etc, Ch_4 etc).  This is a counterpart to his little book on Process Theology.  Mesle is noted for making Process Philosophy and Theology intelligible to the general reader.

 

 

 

Hardcopy Resources other than Book of Readings include the following:

 

Claremont Sabbatical Papers (around 1991): in the following folders

Bibliographies

(A) Introductions/Overviews

(B) God and Religion (A large folder, lots of material, including critique)

(C) Personal Identity

(D) Plato and Whitehead

(E) Japanese/Chinese/Indian Philosophy

(F) ?

(G) The Compound Individual Controversy (backup to my article)

(H) Economics

(I) Natural Science

(J) Miscellaneous: mostly Social and Political, Philosophy and Ecology

(K) Aesthetics

(L) �Thinking about God in Process Thought and Classical Theism (= Compass article)

 

Silver Anniversary Whitehead Conference Claremont 1998: in the following folders:

Folder 1: Process Thought and the Common Good � critique of contemporary  economics and globalism

Folder 2: Inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue

Folder 3: Physics, Maths, First Philosophy, Brains and Minds, Consciousness and Computers

Folder 4: Theology, Spirituality and Feminist Theology (including critique)

Folder 5: Miscellaneous

Some of the papers are online, off the CPS website, in the members only section.

 

China Conference (2002)

Values philosophy, Process thought, Marxism, Postmodernism, East and West, Globalization, Ethics, Education and Science, Corporate Management.  Theology is downplayed, mostly in the margins � for obvious reasons. 

All in one volume.

 

Korea Conference (2004): in books, with the following titles:

Keynote Lectures

Process Theology

Philosophy and Korean Culture

Feminism and Ecology

Social Science, Natural Science

Whitehead, Religion, Psychology

Education

Philosophy and East Asian Thought

 

Australasian Conferences

Sydney 1997, Brisbane 1999, Melbourne 2001.

Go to www.alfred.north.whitehead.com , in the on-line journal and also among the discussion papers.

I have hardcopy of some of the Brisbane ones.

 

 

Process Studies 1994- present day.

 

 

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