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Center for Process Studies

The Center for Process Studies (CPS) is a faculty research center of Claremont School of Theology at Willamette University.

Influenced by the work of philosopher and mathematician Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947), CPS was founded in 1973 by professors John B. Cobb, Jr. and David Ray Griffin to conduct cutting edge interdisciplinary research guided by the view that interconnection, change, and intrinsic value are core features of the universe. CPS seeks to harmonize fragmented disciplinary thinking in order to develop more integrated and holistic modes of thought. Through innovative conferences, courses, and events, a visiting scholars program, several book series, a peer-reviewed journal, and the world’s largest library/archives of process-relational thought, CPS explores the implications of process principles across a range of disciplines and topics in science, ecology, psychology, philosophy, religion, education, art, political theory, and more.

What We Do

Ecological Civilization & Sustainability

Currently our fastest growing program, CPS has a long history of promoting alternative paradigms for planetary flourishing and the common good. From the 1972 publication of John Cobb's book Is It Too Late?: A Theology of Ecology, in conjunction with the "Alternatives to Catastrophe" conference in Claremont that same year, the Center for Process Studies was founded on and committed to putting philosophy to work toward addressing our most pressing social and environmental challenges. This work was reinforced with the 2015 "Seizing an Alternative" conference, bringing together nearly 2000 participants from around the world to explore process thought and ecological civilization on a range of issues such as agriculture, energy, economics, and more.

Want to get involved in our work on the wellbeing of people and the planet? Contact us.

Education

In his well-known book The Aims of Education and Other Essays, Alfred North Whitehead states that “Education is the acquisition of the art of the utilisation of knowledge.” Those who advocate process-relational perspectives in education challenge the pursuit of “object knowledge” through “value-free” research, instead promoting education with a purpose. Featuring transdisciplinary, whole-person, models of education for the common good, process perspectives on education are guided by the realization that students and teachers are alive! CPS promotes work on educational theory and practice that engages a process perspective, houses the archives for the Association for Process Philosophy of Education (APPE), and continues to conduct conferences, and commission publications pertaining to Whitehead’s philosophy of education. To see what this looks like practice, check out our partners at the Whitehead Kindergarten in Beijing.

Want to get involved in our work on transforming education? Contact us.

Film & Arts

Beauty, imagination, and narrative are among the core themes of a process perspective. For this reason, process philosophy is described by some as an aesthetic philosophy. Recognizing the transformative power of film and art, Professor Marjorie Suchocki launched the Center for Process Studies’ Whitehead International Film Festival in 2001. In 2018, the annual festival was renamed the Common Good International Film Festival, continuing the founding vision to celebrate films from around the world that foster social and personal responsibility to others and the earth.

Want to get involved in our work on beauty, film, & the arts? Contact us.

International & Cultural Studies

Diversity is a core principle of the process-relational perspective. Just as a healthy ecosystem depends on biodiversity, so to do healthy human communities depend on a beautiful tapestry of diverse cultures. CPS works locally and globally to promote the development of process thought through cross-cultural engagement. This work consists of translation programs (including Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, and Korean), an International Scholar Exchange Program, and a wide range of international conferences and joint training programs. Our most promising work has been in the Pacific Rim regions. Process thought has flourished in China like nowhere else in the world, with more than 36 centers for process studies established in universities across China in collaboration with the CPS China Project. More recently, the Korea Project of CPS has partnered with various NGO’s, universities, and several departments of the Seoul Metropolitan Government to promote process-related solutions to social and environmental challenges.

Want to get involved in one or more of our cultural programs? Contact us.

Philosophy

For a Center inspired by the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead, it should come as no surprise that philosophy is a central concern for the work of CPS. In recent years, much work has been done to put process philosophy in dialogue with poststructuralist and postmodern philosophies, as well as Indic and East Asian philosophies, where many affinities with process thought have been noted. Some have gone so far to describe process philosophy as a form of “constructive postmodernism.” The Whitehead Research Project (WRP) is our most rigorous philosophical program, created to explore and analyzes the relevance of Whitehead’s thought in dialogue with contemporary philosophies in order to unfold the consequences of his “philosophy of organism” for the modern and postmodern world. In addition to conferences and events, a major aspect WRP work includes the Critical Edition of Whitehead project, which has been digitizing, transcribing, and publishing largely unpublished materials (from correspondence, lecture notes, and more) that help illuminate the thought and life of Alfred North Whitehead.

Want to get involved in our work on philosophy? Contact us.

Psychology

Process philosophy portrays the world as a community of subjects (as opposed to a collection of objects). Notions like feeling, experience, and personhood are core features of the process perspective. Many interested in psychology have found process views helpful—including but not limited to areas such as panpsychism, positive psychology, developmental psychology, and parapsychology. Among the exciting edges of our current work include philosophy of psychedelic experiences. Much of this work is being conducted through the CPS Process Phenomenology Project.

Want to get involved in our work on psychology? Contact us.

Religion & Spirituality

Process thought has had a significant impact in the areas of theology, religion, and spirituality. From the work of theologians like John Cobb, David Griffin, and Marjorie Suchocki, Process Theology (as well as Open-Relational Theology), has inspired new formulations of the nature of God―including special attention to notions of power, love, and God’s relation to the world. The impact of process theology continues to evolve and expand as new generations of process theologians (like Roland Faber, Philip Clayton, and Andrew Schwartz) have contributed to discourse on science and religion, theopoetics, de/constructive theology, eco-process theology, poststructuralist theology, transreligious discourse, and more. CPS also has a long history as a leader in discourse on religious pluralism and interreligious dialogue, understood as a practice toward mutual transformation and peace. Some of this work is conducted through the Process and Faith (P&F) program of CPS, which provides process-relational resources for faith communities.

Want to get involved in our work on religion & spirituality? Contact us.

Science

Process philosophy provides a unique way of understanding the world as an emergent interconnected process. As such, process thought has contributed much to study of the natural sciences. From the work of physicists like David Bohm and Tim Eastman to biologists like Lynn Margulis and Charles Birch, many leading scientists have found in process thought an alternative explanation (alternatives to reductive physicalism or mechanistic dualism) that can more adequately demonstrate what we observe of the natural world. Among the exciting frontiers where process thought is playing a significant role are quantum physics and systems sciences.

Want to get involved in our work in the natural sciences? Contact us.

The Center for Process Studies

Faculty & Staff

Executive Director - Wm. Andrew Schwartz

Executive Director - Wm. Andrew Schwartz
Wm. Andrew Schwartz is Executive Director of the Center for Process Studies and Assistant Professor of Process Studies & Comparative Theology at Claremont School of Theology, as well as Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of the Institute for Ecological Civilization (ecociv.org). Dr. Schwartz earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion and Theology at Claremont Graduate University. His academic interests are broad, and include Comparative Religious Philosophies, Process Thought, Ecology, Education, and more. His recent work has been focused on high-impact philosophy and the role of big ideas in the transition toward ecological civilization. As Executive Director, Andrew has overall strategic and operational responsibility for CPS, including development and implementation of the CPS mission, programs, and strategic vision.


Faculty Co-Director - Philip Clayton

Faculty Co-Director - Philip Clayton
Philip Clayton is Ingraham Professor of Theology at Claremont School of Theology and affiliated faculty with Claremont Graduate University. A constructive Christian theologian, Philip has been a leader in dialogues with science, contemporary philosophy, and religious traditions East and West. He is particularly interested in the evolving understanding of Christian faith in the 21st century, and the societal changes that are necessary for establishing sustainable forms of civilization on this planet.


Faculty Co-Director - Roland Faber

Faculty Co-Director - Roland Faber
Roland Faber is Kilsby Family/John B. Cobb, Jr., Professor of Process Studies at Claremont School of Theology, Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Claremont Graduate University, Faculty Co-Director of the Center for Process Studies (CPS), and Executive Director of the Whitehead Research Project (WRP). As Founder of WRP, he is the initiator of the series of International Conferences of WRP since 2007 and their publication, the co-editor of the Contemporary Whitehead Studies series, and co-initiator of the Critical Edition of Whitehead’s Works. Research and publications are developed at whiteheadresearch.org. Professional information is provided at faber.whiteheadresearch.org.


Program Director - Andrew M. Davis

Program Director - Andrew M. Davis
Andrew M. Davis is a philosopher, theologian, and scholar of world religions. He holds B.A. in Philosophy and Theology, an M.A. in Interreligious Studies, and a Ph.D. in Religion and Process Philosophy from Claremont School of Theology (CST). He is a poet, aphorist and author or editor of four books including How I Found God in Everyone and Everywhere: An Anthology of Spiritual Memoirs (2018, with Philip Clayton); Propositions in the Making: Experiments in a Whiteheadian Laboratory (2019, with Roland Faber and Michael Halewood); Depths as Yet Unspoken: Whiteheadian Excursions in Mysticism, Multiplicity, and Divinity (2020, with Roland Faber); and Mind, Value, and Cosmos: On the Relational Nature of Ultimacy (Lexington). For more about Andrew’s work and research interests, visit his website at andrewmdavis.info.


Cross-Community Coordinator - Jon Ivan Gill

Cross-Community Coordinator - Jon Ivan Gill
Jon Ivan Gill is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Gustavus Adolphus College, USA, Lecturer in Philosophy at California State University, Dominguez Hills, USA, and an Adjunct Professor at Norco College, USA, teaching Philosophy and Religious Studies. He earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion and Theology from Claremont Graduate University. Gill has written multiple articles on religion, hip-hop, philosophy, and theology and often lectures in these fields too. He is also a hip-hop musician and rapper. As Cross-Community Coordinator for CPS, Gill's main responsibilities are to foster fruitful working relationships between the Center and other movements, ideas, organizations, and centers of cultural life and expression. The purpose of this role is to co-create progressively evolving local and global contributions to the common good. Working creatively at the intersection of thought and practice, Gill leads initiatives on social justice, art scenes, interfaith youth efforts, LGBTQI discourse and praxis, and underrepresented socioeconomic and racial communities.


Faculty Co-Director - Zhihe Wang

China Project Co-Director - Zhihe Wang
Zhihe Wang, Ph.D., a former member of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, received his Master's Degree in Western Philosophy from Peking University, China, his Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion from Claremont Graduate University, USA, and is a leading figure in constructive postmodern movement in China. He has published numerous books and articles. His recent books include Process and Pluralism: Chinese Thought on the Harmony of Diversity, Second Enlightenment (with Meijun Fan).He also helped establish more than 20 research institutes on process thought and constructive postmodern studies in China. He is director of CPS China Project where his major responsibility is to charge the communication between the Western Process community and Chinese community by organizing international conferences, arranging lectures, translating process books, and Chinese visiting scholar program.


China Project Co-Director - Meijun Fan

China Project Co-Director - Meijun Fan
Meijun Fan, Ph.D., former Vice-Chair and Professor of the Philosophy Department at Beijing Normal University, China. She completed doctoral studies at Beijing Normal University, specializing in Chinese traditional aesthetics and aesthetical education. She is the author of six books, and a co-author of six books. Her book, Contemporary Interpretation of Chinese Traditional Aesthetic, was granted the "Excellence Award in Philosophy and Social Science" in China in 1998. As Co-Director of the China Project, Meijun is primarily responsible for Cultural Communication, a newspaper of the China Project. She is also responsible for the Chinese visiting scholar program and works on publicity and web development.


Whitehead Research Project Chief Archivist and Assistant Editor - Joseph Petek

Whitehead Research Project Chief Archivist and Assistant Editor - Joseph Petek
Joseph Petek studied Philosophy of Religion at the University of Chicago and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Process Studies at Claremont School of Theology. He is the lead Assistant Editor for the Whitehead Research Project and has recently begun coordinating WRP’s conferences. He is also a Writing Associate at Claremont School of Theology’s Writing Center and the English Coordinator for the Balkan Journal of Philosophy. His interests include Whiteheadian process thought, pragmatism, post-structuralism, philosophy of language, philosophy of death and personal identity, and the theology of Teilhard.


Whitehead Research Project Editorial Assistant - Jenna C. Petsche

Whitehead Research Project Editorial Assistant - Jenna C. Petsche
Jenna is a master’s student in Western Philosophy at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA, and she is the Editorial Assistant for the Whitehead Research Project. Prior to Gonzaga, she attended Clarke University in Dubuque, IA, where she studied Western Philosophy, Mathematics, and Music. Her research interests include the following: process thought, pragmatism, philosophy of language, and general analytic philosophy.


Korea Project Director - Aidan Dongwoo Lee

Korea Project Director - Aidan Dongwoo Lee
Rev. Aidan Dongwoo Lee is a Ph.D. student in Religion, specializing in Process Studies at Claremont School of Theology. He received M.Div. from San Francisco Theological Seminary, holds a B.A. in theology from Presbyterian College & Theological Seminary, and another B.A. in Economics from Seoul National University. His primary academic focus is in the Process philosophy of Whitehead, theology of organism, Postcolonialism, liberation theology, Minjung theology, French Poststructuralism, postmodern theology, comparative studies in interreligious dialogue in Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. He has responsibility on researching and translating books from Process scholars, on developing and maintaining relationships between the Western Process communities and Asian communities, on organizing international seminars and conferences, and on maintaining web pages, SNS and Podcast communities. He is a director of Institute of Ecological Civilization in Korea.


Korea Project Assistant - Heeyoung Jung

Korea Project Assistant - Heeyoung Jung
Heeyoung Jung is currently a Ph.D. student in Process Studies at Claremont School of Theology. She received an S.T. M from Union Theological Seminary in New York and an M.Div from Drew University in New Jersey. She also holds a Th.M in systematic theology from Yonsei University and a B.A in Theology from Methodist Theological University in Seoul. Her academic interests and researches in Process studies are eco-theology, eco-feminist theology, feminist studies, religious philosophies, postmodern studies, comparative studies, and educations from a Korean woman perspective. Her research is highly cross-cultural, interreligious, and intersecting Western philosophy, theology, and Asian philosophies and religions, including Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism. She is currently an assistant to Ecological Civilization in Korea project and works on researching and translating books, articles, and newspapers to support the Korea project.


CPS Archivist - JungEun Park

CPS Archivist - JungEun Park
Jungeun Park is a Korean Methodist Church Pastor and Ph.D. student at Claremont School of Theology (at Willamette University) in Process Studies. Her research interests include Ecofeminism; Eco-Process Thought; Political Theology; Christian Social Ethics. She is very excited to serve as an Archivist of the world-renowned Center for Process Studies.


CPS Archivist - Geonyul Byeon

CPS Archivist - Geonyul Byeon
Rev. Geonyul Byeon is an M. Div. student at Claremont School of Theology. He received Th. M. in Systematic Theology at Hanshin University in Korea. His major academic concerns are Minjung theology and organic philosophy of Process theology. Throughout his pastoral experience in the local congregation, he is also interested in the theme of suffering and sympathy. He wants to research how Process thinking can express the Deity in the midst of pain.


Communications Director - Hanna Lee

Communications Director - Hanna Lee
Hanna Lee is an M. Div. student at Claremont School of Theology. She holds a B.A. in theology from Hannam University. She is studying at CST to build a community for refugees and immigrants. She manages the CPS website and social media accounts. Hanna Lee may be reached by emailing hlee@ctr4process.org.


Process and Faith Coordinator - David Grant Smith

Process & Faith Coordinator - David Grant Smith
The Rev. David Grant Smith is a D.Min. student at Claremont School of Theology. He earned his M.Div. in Pastoral Musicianship at Colgate-Rochester Divinity School and Bexley Hall Seminary in Rochester, NY. David has served in parish ministry, both lay and ordained, for many years, and his D.Min. studies are focused on the application of process theology into parish ministry. David may be reached at the Process & Faith office by emailing office@processandfaith.org or by calling 909-447-2533.


CGIFF Director - Jeremy Fackenthal

CGIFF Director - Jeremy Fackenthal
Jeremy Fackenthal is Director of the Common Good International Film Festival, the managing director of the Institute for Ecological Civilization, and an independent documentary filmmaker and videographer. After completing a Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion and Theology from Claremont Graduate University, he began using his philosophical background beyond the academy to raise questions and craft narratives. His love for moving im­ages grew together over the course of his adolescence, from his first experience wielding a VHS camcorder to his first 40-minute documentary produced during his senior year in college. In recent years, Jeremy's work has included video content produced for clients and shorter independent projects. In 2017 Jeremy shot and edited Spitting Fire, a short documentary on spoken word poetry as a means of personal formation for adolescents. His current ongoing project is a fea­ture-length documentary on the life and work of Walter Benjamin and the possibility of art as a site for radical political action.

Emeriti Co-Directors


Faculty Co-Director (Emeritus) - John B. Cobb, Jr.

Faculty Co-Director (Emeritus) - John B. Cobb, Jr.
John B. Cobb, Jr., is an American theologian, philosopher, and environmentalist. Described by historian Gary Dorrien as one of the two most important North American theologians of the twentieth century, Cobb is the preeminent scholar in the field of process philosophy and process theology, and the author of more than fifty books. In 2014, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Cobb is a founding co-director of the Center for Process Studies and Professor Emeritus of Claremont School of Theology and Claremont Graduate University.


Faculty Co-Director (Emeritus) - David Ray Griffin

Faculty Co-Director (Emeritus) - David Ray Griffin
David Ray Griffin is Professor of Philosophy of Religion and Theology, Emeritus, Claremont School of Theology and Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California, where he remains a co-director of the Center for Process Studies. He has published (as author or editor) 36 books in theology, philosophy, philosophy of religion, the relation between science and religion, and social and political issues. Author of Panentheism and Scientific Naturalism, God Exists but Gawd Does Not, and Protecting Our Common, Sacred Home: Pope Francis and Process Thought.


Faculty Co-Director (Emerita) - Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki

Faculty Co-Director (Emerita) - Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki
Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki is Professor Emerita, Claremont School of Theology, Faculty Co-Director Emerita of the Center for Process Studies, and Director of the Common Good International Film Festival (formerly, Whitehead International Film Festival). Among her many books are God Christ Church: A Practical Guide to Process Theology; The End of Evil: Process Eschatology in Historical Context; The Fall to Violence: Original Sin in Relational Theology; and Through a Lens Darkly: Tracing Redemption in Film.


Faculty Co-Director (Emerita) - Monica A. Coleman

Faculty Co-Director (Emerita) - Monica A. Coleman
Monica A. Coleman is Associate Professor of Constructive Theology and African American Religions and Co-Director of the Center for Process Studies at Claremont School of Theology in southern California. A writer, scholar and activist, Monica A. Coleman is committed to connecting faith and social justice. An ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, Coleman has earned degrees from Harvard University, Vanderbilt University and Claremont Graduate University. Coleman’s writings focus on the role of faith in addressing critical social issues. She is the author of The Dinah Project, Making a Way Out of No Way, Not Alone, and editor or co-editor of Ain’t I a Womanist Too? and Creating Women’s Theology.

Willamette University

The Center for Process Studies

Address
680 State Street
Salem Oregon 97301 U.S.A.
Phone
503-480-2344