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The path that through the centuries led Christian theology away from the dynamic and interactive God of the biblical writings to the immutable deity of classical theologians also involved a de-emphasis upon divine love in favor of divine power. David Polk traces this path with great care in remarkably accessible language, showing how at numerous points the ideas of creative thinkers, pointing to a better way, were largely ignored. With equal care and lucidity, Polk traces the eventual turn, still in progress, toward a new understanding that recovers what was lost and provides the groundwork for a creative resolution to age-old theological conundrums appropriate to our contemporary situation. Concluding with a resolution of the love-power question through a concept of empowering love, the book makes an important contribution to contemporary theological reflection. I can heartily recommend it not only as a textbook for college and seminary students but also as material for advanced-level adult study groups in local churches. It is not an easy task to speak to such a wide spectrum of persons, and we should be grateful to Polk for having done so. Russell Pregeant, Professor of Religion and Philosophy and Chaplain, Emeritus, Curry College

In these remarkably intimate and forthcoming "reminiscences," theologian and philosopher John B. Cobb, Jr., reflects on major theological developments of the last sixty years, from the Latin American, feminist, and black liberation theologies, to Vatican II, the "death of God," and the shift from existentialist to process philosophies. A major conviction of Cobb's work-amply displayed in these reflections-is that theology must engage contemporary issues. To that end, he followed a transdisciplinary approach throughout his career, integrating insights from many different areas of study and bringing different specialized disciplines into fruitful communication. As a result, Cobb has been influential in a wide range of disciplines, including theology, ecology, economics, biology and social ethics. His descriptions of these encounters are rich in personal detail and refreshingly honest.

As the world increasingly grapples with the consequences of global warming and its resulting climate changes, the urgency of the crisis has become inescapable, despite continuing corporate-led efforts at fomenting doubt and denial. Then in June 2015 there occurred a powerful intervention into the discussion by Pope Francis. His encyclical, Laudato Si' On the Care for Our Common Home, called for swift action on climate change. Almost simultaneously with the official publication of this encyclical, there was the biggest-ever conference of the movement known as process thought, based primarily on the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead. This conference discussed various ways in which process thought could be helpful with respect to the global environmental crisis, especially climate change.In this book, David Ray Griffin undertakes to show why process thought--meaning process philosophy, theology, and social/economic thought--provides a natural and helpful context in which to expound and defend the ecological message in the pope's encyclical. In concise arguments, Griffin shows that the position of Whitehead-based process thought on climate change and related matters is remarkably similar to that of Pope Francis in the encyclical. This similarity is important for two reasons. First, as process thought and the pope's encyclical come out of very different traditions, the similarity allows each to add credibility to the other. Second, process thought, which embodies a long-standing type of philosophical theology that is consistent with today's best science and has been growing in influence, can be used to support dimensions of the pope's encyclical that might be rejected by secular minds.

On June 18, 2015, Pope Francis addressed the world about the fate of the planet, focusing especially on the threat of climate disaster. He called for a worldview that would emphasize the interconnectedness of things and what he called an "integral ecology."In Claremont, CA, earlier the same month, a conference called "Seizing an Alternative," keynoted by Bill McKibben, also focused attention on climate change and called for a new worldview that would reflect the interconnectedness of all things, or an "ecological civilization." The conference leaders saw that their aims and hopes now had a global leader. The goals of an integral ecology and an ecological civilization are the same. The task now for those who care about the fate of the world is to give whatever support they can to Pope Francis. As a first step, more than 60 persons involved in that conference answered the pope's call for dialogue and wrote responses to the pope's encyclical letter, Laudato si'. This book is a collection of those essays, written by people representing a diversity of faith traditions and cultures and many fields of activity and inquiry. They offer support, constructive criticism, and proposals for implementing the pope's ideas. To engage a larger public, it is important to engage the encyclical seriously, by widening and deepening the discussion. This book is offered in the hopes of facilitating that conversation.

Mary Parker Follett, a Progressive Era theorist called the "prophet of management" by Peter Drucker, is winning transdisciplinary converts as the world catches up with her. But as the authors argue, her work cannot be appreciated without understanding its grounding in relational process ontology. This book not only provides that necessary key, but it presents in one volume the major ideas and disciplines found in her work. The authors provide the structure, but fill it with Follett's own words-a wonderfully wise decision that lets readers be converted by Mary Parker Follett herself.

This revolutionary book fuses the enduring legacy of socialism-government for the common good-with the best of the environmental movement and the newest insights from sustainability studies. The result is a manifesto in the tradition of Bill McKibben's Eaarth-a roadmap forward in the face of the growing environmental catastrophe, which is the most complex crisis humanity has ever faced. Catherine Keller writes, "What an unexpected, discomforting and important work! If Marxism seemed to be abandoned in the West to a few academic leftists and nostalgic activists, the authors bring it roaring back into relevance."American conservatives like to say that Marxism was destroyed by its opponents and by the mistakes of Marxist governments. Organic Marxism provides the definitive answer to this charge. New economic evidence reveals that Marx's predictions are coming true in ways once thought impossible. Today the wealthiest class, the richest 1%, possesses more wealth and power than ever before, whereas the 99% are slipping economically, and the majority of humans live in increasing poverty.Above all else, the global environmental crisis changes everything. Clayton and Heinzekehr show how, over the last decades, rich individuals and multinational corporations have acted selfishly to increase their own wealth-with devastating ecological consequences. The data make it clear that the planet has reached the limits of its capacity. The authors trace the unimaginable environmental and social consequences that (scientists tell us) global warming will bring: mass extinctions, food and water shortages, violent weather, rising oceans. Why then do our governments continue to favor the wealthy? Why do they take no action ... or actually worsen the situation?Organic Marxism shows why the situation is not hopeless, however. The vast majority of humans favor sustainable systems and lifestyles. With this growing support, it's possible to begin laying the foundations for a new, ecological civilization on this planet. In these pages Clayton and Heinzekehr lay out the steps toward a fair and sustainable society, one run not in the interests of the rich but for the common good. This "fresh, energetic, and revolutionary manifesto" (Santiago Slabodsky) takes its leads from the core insights of Karl Marx, from process philosophers in China (Taoism) and in the West (Alfred North Whitehead), from ecology, and from the organic practices of sustainable communities. This "postmodern Marxism," the authors argue, is not deterministic and utopian. It allows for market forces while limiting corruption and excessive profit-taking by the wealthy. In the end, localized systems of production and trade, steeped in the cultural traditions of a given people, are far more sustainable and life-affirming than a globalized economy run by the richest banks and multinational corporations.The book is a call to action. We can no longer sit by passively and allow unlimited consumption by the wealthy when it means that there will be nothing left for our grandchildren. Without a planetary crisis, the rich would remain in power. As we approach the planet's limits, however, there is no other option but to shift to an organic, ecological civilization. Clayton and Heinzekehr show how scientists and economists, farmers and small business people, artists and religious leaders are coming together around the globe, building communities for the common good.

This book brings together two philosophical perspectives-process philosophy and Hartmannian formal axiology-to argue for a more appealing and persuasive approach to process ethics. The implications for spiritual practice bring fresh meaning to Whitehead's call to live, live well, live better."Whitehead's vision changes the way we think of ethics and values, but it does not include an ethical system. One problem has been that it has focused attention sharply on individual occasions of experience. Joseph Bracken has shown the need to attend to the unity of persons and societies in a fuller way. Edwards builds on that insight and incorporates other contributions into a richly articulated and highly original post-Whiteheadian account of ethics and values." John B. Cobb, Jr., Professor Emeritus, Claremont School of Theology

There are two Americas at this point in history, with two very different worldviews. One is the modern view of separated individuals defined by their right to pursue and protect material well-being in a world of free market capitalism and unlimited natural resources. The second worldview is pluralistic and relational, committed to sustainable practices that are supportive of democracy and promote the common good. These essays focus on the conflict between the two Americas as it is manifest in contemporary higher education. Higher education still stands as the gateway to adult life in a society that continues to assume an intimate connection between national well-being and educational opportunity. As such, it presents a way of understanding the underlying tension of American culture, and in some ways of global culture. Higher education itself can be an educative microcosm.Widespread availability of liberal education is an essential component of any society that seeks to sustain democratic institutions. Democracy is a form of governance that requires an active and informed citizenry who share material resources sufficiently to enable all members of society to participate. A crisis in liberal education is therefore a threat to democracy. The survival of America, perhaps the world, turns on whether we can become aware of the limitations of the worldview we have inherited and choose a better one, one more conducive to life.