Our Team
Institute Board
Joseph Atman
Joseph Atman's life's work is Middle Tree, a nonprofit supplemental education center in Claremont, CA. His goal with Middle Tree is to fix the broken education system by focusing on students’ individual needs, interests, and unique learning styles. Middle Tree is available to any and all students regardless of socioeconomic status and provides flexible support via creative resources and unlimited time to work.
Dr. Atman writes extensively in the fields of Philosophy and Education and has authored two books which can be found in the library for free download. In addition, he has numerous recorded philosophical talks which can be found under podcasts.
Joseph received his B.A. and M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in writing and philosophy from Hofstra University. After accepting an offer from Claremont Graduate University’s School of Religion as a PhD Fellow in the Philosophy of Religion and Theology, he later obtained his doctorate degree in Sacred Theology from Saint Mary's Seminary.
Board Member
Richard Bunce
Richard Bunce is retired from a career in social service management and pastoral ministry. Currently, he is an active volunteer in organizations addressing social challenges such as poverty, homelessness, and the climate crisis. He lives with his wife in Pomona, California.Vice Chair
Pat Delaney
Pat Delaney received her B.A. in biology from Trevecca Nazarene College before pursuing graduate studies in philosophy at the University of Cincinnati. After the birth of her daughter she turned her attention to child development and pursued a teaching career in Manhattan Beach, California. Her lifelong interest in philosophy brought her to Claremont School of Theology summer institutes and the 2015 conference, Seizing the Alternative to an Ecological Civilization. Her emerging interest in the young child resulted in opportunities to offer seminars and collaborate with teachers at the Whitehead Kindergarten outside of Beijing, China. Pat was first drawn to process thought as a way to explain the problem of consciousness as well as the mystery and variety of subjective feelings—complex far beyond what survival would seem to require.Board Member
Bruce Hanson
Dr. Bruce Hanson is an Emeritus Professor of Business at Concordia University Irvine. He has a PhD in Organizational Behavior from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, and is active in teaching, consulting and publishing internationally. His primary research interests are in Action Research and Organizational Development and Design. He has taught in the PhD program in Organizational Development at Assumption University in Thailand, as well as teaching in MBA programs at Shanghai University and Wuhan University over the course of two decades. He particularly engaged in the Institute for Post Modern Development in China and actively promoting goodwill between the US and China through the Living Earth Movement toward the development of an Ecological Civilization. Bruce lives in Ojai, California and is engaged in the conservation activities and social art.Board Member
Ronald Hines
Ronald Hines is the Secretary of the Board and Meeting Coordinator. He is a United Methodist ordained elder in the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference. He served as pastor at Seattle First Church (associate), Prosser, Tacoma Asbury, Puyallup First, and Yakima Wesley. He was Superintendent of Seven Rivers District from 2001 through 2009. Under supervision of United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, he served as pastor at Knox UMC, Manila, and the ecumenical University Church on the campus of Philippine Christian University and Union Theological Seminary, where I served on the faculty from 1986-94. He received an M.Div. from United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio, in 1970 and a Ph.D. in Personality and Religion, focus on education, from School of Theology at Claremont, California, 1976.John Cobb & Friends Gatherings Coordinator
Catherine Keller
Catherine Keller is the George T. Cobb Professor of Constructive Theology in the Theological School and Graduate Division of Religion of Drew University. She teaches courses in process, political, and ecological theology, and practices theology as a relation between ancient hints of ultimacy and current matters of urgency. Within and beyond Christian conversation, she has mobilized the transdisciplinary potential of feminist, philosophical, and pluralist intersections with religion. Her books include Facing Apocalypse: Climate, Democracy, and Other Last Chances, Political Theology of the Earth: Our Planetary Emergency and the Struggle for a New Public, Intercarnations: On the Possibility of Theology, and Cloud of the Impossible: Negative Theology and Planetary Entanglement.Board Member
Leslie King
Rev. Dr. Leslie King is the Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Waco. She received her BA from Kansas University (’91) and her Masters of Divinity from McCormick Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Chicago (‘94). In 2010 she completed her Doctor of Ministry at Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City Missouri with an emphasis in Spirituality and Organizational Change. She began her service to First Presbyterian Church of Waco in 2012. Process Theology has been a passion since 2007 when she began her Doctor of Ministry.Since September 2020, she is a yoga instructor (RYT 200) with Spirit Bear Yoga and (RYT 500) with My Vinaysa Practice. She's a member of Yoga Alliance. She enjoys leading yoga flows for the youth and adults of the church. Her particular interest is in Yin and Restorative yoga as it relates to spiritual well-being. Piano competency is slowly emerging and music is a source of joy.She has been married to DJ King since November of 1996 and together they enjoy watching their three young adult children, Cody, Katie and Claire make their way in the world. With a menagerie of stray animals, the Kings are glad to call Waco home.Board Member
Jay McDaniel
Jay McDaniel is Willis Holmes Professor of Religious Studies at Hendrix College in Arkansas, and founder of the website Open Horizons, which focuses on exploring a process outlook on life and way of living in the world. Active in the development of process thought in China, he is a consultant to the China Project of the Center for Process Studies in Claremont, California, and a member of the advisory board of the Institute for Postmodern Development of China. His books include With Roots and Wings: Christianity in an Age of Ecology and Dialogue; Living from the Center: Spirituality in an Age of Consumerism; and Gandhi’s Hope: Learning from Other Religions as a Path to Peace.Board Member
Mary Elizabeth Moore
Mary Elizabeth Moore is Dean Emerita and Professor of Theology and Education in Boston University School of Theology. Her passion is to journey with others to build compassionate and prophetic communities, and a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world. She feels privileged to work toward those ends as a board member of the Cobb Institute, especially in the practices of nurturing spirit, building justice, resisting violence, struggling against oppression, and caring for the earth. Her books include: Teaching as a Sacramental Act; Covenant and Call; Ministering with the Earth; Teaching from the Heart: Theology and Educational Method; and Education for Continuity and Change. She has engaged actively in justice work in the church and in intercultural, interreligious relationship-building in local, professional, and academic settings.Chair
Richard Rose
Rev. Dr. Richard Rose is an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He is currently an assistant minister at Bethel A.M.E. Church in Monrovia, CA. Dr. Rose currently serves as Executive Director of the Ecumenical Center for Black Church Studies of Southern California. His current research examines global issues related to interfaith dialogue and religious pluralism. This life’s work has led to the creation of the Institute for Common Good (ICG) at the University of La Verne. ICG’s engagement with Community Partners working in areas of sustainability allows for an interdisciplinary learning approach to issues of social and ecological sustainability leading to a Beloved Civilization.Dr. Rose is also the author of An Interreligious Approach to a Social Ethic for Christian Audiences (2017) and 7 Meditations on the Lord’s Prayer (2016), both published by Christian World Imprints, New Delhi, India.Board Member
Andrew Schwartz
Wm. Andrew Schwartz is Executive Director of the Center for Process Studies and Assistant Professor of Process & Comparative Theology at Claremont School of Theology, as well as Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of the Institute for Ecological Civilization. Dr. Schwartz earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion and Theology at Claremont Graduate University. He is the author of The Metaphysics of Paradox: Jainism, Absolute Relativity, and Religious Pluralism, and co-author of What Is Ecological Civilization?: Crisis, Hope, and the Future of the Planet and Putting Philosophy to Work: Toward an Ecological Civilization. His recent work has been focused on high-impact philosophy and the role of big ideas in the transition toward ecological civilization.Board Member
Xinlin (Vivian) Song
Xinlin (Vivian) Song is an educator, writer, and program director at Yunhe Centre, a place-based learning center in China's Sichuan Province. Her work focuses on forming cross-sector Glocal collaborations to create meaningful dialogues that ignite social change. At Yunhe Center, her work focuses on developing pedagogy and programs that engage locals and visitors with meaningful dialogues towards cultural appreciation, self-development and ecological restoration. Xinlin writes bilingually about regeneration and worldview change, pedagogy of indigenous ecological wisdom, and re-valuing the countryside for various publications within China and beyond. She works with various cultural institutions on developing exhibitions, publications and cultural programs, including the Guggenheim Museum, Museum of Chinese in America, Hethem Museum, Hongkong University Shanghai Centre. Beijing Design week, and Shenzhen/Hongkong Biennale.Board Member
Staff
Richard Livingston
Richard Livingston is the Executive Director. He was the Director of Operations from 2019 - 2021, and received his PhD in 2015 from Claremont Graduate University, where he specialized in Philosophy of Religion and Theology. He taught as an adjunct instructor in philosophy and religious studies at four colleges in Southern California from 2011-2019, and has worked in IT since the early 1990s. He holds a Master's Degree in Theology from the University of Chicago (2005) and a Bachelor's Degree in Near Eastern Studies from Brigham Young University (2001).Executive Director
Kathleen Reeves
The Reverend Kathleen Reeves is the leader of the Spiritual Integration group, and a fundraising and social media consultant. She is a writer, artist and published poet. She holds a Master of Divinity in interfaith theology, and is an ordained interfaith minister. She has been active in interfaith peace, and is a member of the Inland Valley Interfaith Working Group for Middle East Peace. She is the President of the Upland Interfaith Council, and has held leadership positions in Unitarian Universalists congregations. Her community interfaith ministry led her to volunteer with Syrian refugees as they settled into their new country. Her deep connection with one special family is captured in her series of stories she wrote for the Huffington Post. She is a student of Japanese tea ceremony through the international Chado Urasenke Tankokai associations of the Urasenke school in Kyoto, Japan. Kathleen has also trained in Restorative Practice, and she follows an earth-based religion and belongs to The Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids. She is working on ways to build a process -relational community through small group ministry.Community Relations Specialist
Jared Morningstar
Jared Morningstar lives in Madison, Wisconsin with his partner Haley and their cat Johnny. He graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 2018 with degrees in religion and Scandinavian studies. During that time he also participated in the Gustavus Wind Orchestra and spearheaded interfaith events on campus. Since graduating he has stayed engaged with the field of religious studies through founding a digital Islamic studies publication, ‘Alif: Traditional Wisdom in Review, and hosting regular online reading groups focused on major texts in philosophy of religion. In his free time, Jared pursues hobbies of digital art, photography, and most recently, classical Ottoman music where he plays flute alongside friends in a three-piece ensemble.Operations Assistant
Advisory Board
Ignacio Castuera
Jan Chase
Louis Chase
Lynn De Jonghe
Damian Geddry
Devon Hartman
Nora Jacob
Susan Jain
Eric Kowalczyk
Mark Longanecker
Mario Morales
Elaine Padilla
Rochelle Rose
Eugene Shirley
Jeanyne Slettom
Sung Sohn
Dick Tipping
Debrah Van Zihl
In Memoriam
John Gingrich
John Gingrich served as the first Chair of the Cobb Institute Board, the Educational Development Leader, and Treasurer. John completed his Ph.D. at Claremont Graduate University in 1973, having studied with John Cobb as his academic mentor. Earlier, he received his M.Div. from Bethany Theological Seminary, and is ordained in the Church of the Brethren. Most of his career was spent at the University of La Verne, where he began as the Campus Minister, and gradually moved into full-time teaching and administration. He served the university as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences for sixteen years and retired in 2005. During his tenure as Dean, he helped to shape the general education curriculum at ULV that included various Process themes. He also worked with Dr. Cobb and the Center for Process Studies to sponsor joint conferences centering on Process-related themes at ULV. He and his wife Jacki, served as the Directors of Brethren Colleges Abroad – an academic exchange program – in Marburg, Germany at Phillips Universitat, during the 1979-80 academic year. In addition to his academic work, John was a professional choral singer for 16 years as a member of the Los Angeles Master Chorale and the Roger Wagner Chorale.
John passed away on Monday, December 7th, 2020, moving forward into the next phase of his journey. We miss him very much. Read More
Founding Chair
John B. Cobb, Jr.
John B. Cobb, Jr. was an American theologian, philosopher, and environmentalist known for his work across multiple disciplines and sectors of society. He taught theology at the Claremont School of Theology from 1958 to 1990. Author of more than 50 books, most recently Confessions (2023), his work For the Common Good: Redirecting the Economy Toward Community, Environment, and a Sustainable Future (1989), co-authored with Herman Daly, won the Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order. In 2014, Cobb was elected to the prestigious Academy of Arts and Sciences.
In retirement John Cobb lived at Pilgrim Place in Claremont, California. In 1973, with David Griffin, he established the Center for Process Studies. Throughout his career he has contributed to Whitehead scholarship and promoted numerous process programs and organizations. During his final years he gave special attention to supporting work toward the goal of building an ecological civilization. Toward this end he led the efforts to found Pando Populus in 2014, Institute for Ecological Civilization in 2015, Cobb Institute in 2019, and Living Earth Movement in 2022.
John passed away on Thursday, December 26, 2020, surrounded by family and friends. We dearly miss him, and will continue to further his vision and advance his legacy. Read More
Founder