Christianity and Process Thought: Spirituality for a Changing World - Softcover

Bracken, Joseph A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1932031987 ISBN 13: 9781932031980

Publisher: Templeton Press, 2006

Synopsis

Aims to reconcile the sometimes conflicting views of traditional Christian doctrines and the modern scientific world. The author introduces Alfred North Whitehead's model of the God-world relationship, and also discusses the work of other contemporary theologians to help Christians reconcile their role in a multi-dimensional pluralistic society.

About this title

Book Description:

“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 theprocess-relational metaphysics of Alfred North Whitehead and other processtheologians as he reconciles the sometimes conflicting views of traditionalChristian doctrines and the modern scientific world. To present this materialin an accessible manner to a wider audience, Bracken discusses Whitehead’s“model” of the God-world relationship, showing that God is involved in anongoing, ever-changing relationship with humans and other creatures. Healso discusses the work of other contemporary theologians to help Christianscome to terms with their role in our multi-dimensional pluralistic society.Bracken examines divine and human creativity, the collective power ofgood and evil, divine providence and human freedom, prayer, and altruism,and he addresses the question, “What is truth?” He shows how Whitehead’sprocess thought approach to these issues in fact “harmonize” traditionalChristian beliefs and contemporary culture, benefiting both faith and reason.Understanding the God-world relationship subtly influences our attitudetoward ourselves, toward other human beings, and indeed toward all ofGod’s creatures, says Bracken. His study of Whitehead’s metaphysical visionof a cosmic community shows how modern views of the world and God canbe accepted and kept in balance with the traditional biblical views found inthe Christian faith and how this balance can help Christians make betterchoices in a world shaped both by contemporary natural science and by traditionalChristian spirituality.“If we truly believe that in God we live and move and have our being and that as aresult we share with the divine persons in a deeply communitarian way of life togetherwith all of God’s creatures, we may be more readily inclined to make the periodicsacrifice of personal self-interest so as to pursue the higher good of sustained lifein community. In the end, it is simply a matter of seeing the ‘bigger picture,’ realizingwhat life is ultimately all about.”

About the Author:

Joseph A. Bracken, S.J., is a retired professor of theology and director emeritus of the Edward B. Brueggeman Center for Dialogue at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is the author of seven books and editor or co-editor of two other works in the area of philosophical theology. His focus in recent years has been on the God-world relationship both as it figures in the religion and science debate and in interreligious dialogue. He is a long-time student of the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead but has modified it in some measure so as to make it more compatible with traditional Christian beliefs such as creation out of nothing, the doctrine of the Trinity and eschatology.

About this edition

• Publisher: Templeton Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1932031987
• ISBN 13: 9781932031980
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 176