Process Thought & Ecological Civilization 2024
2024-05-29 16:00 - 17:30, 2024-06-05 16:00 - 17:30, 2024-06-12 16:00 - 17:30, 2024-06-19 16:00 - 17:30, 2024-06-26 16:00 - 17:30, 2024-07-03 16:00 - 17:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online Event
Exploring Crises and Possibilities for Ecological Justice and Wellbeing

This course explores visions of ecological civilization, drawing upon process-relational understandings of the cosmos; the history of ecological struggles and movements; and central ideas and practices that have emerged in philosophical, scientific, economic, artistic, religious, and activist communities of reflection. The purpose is to gather and build upon practical wisdom that has power to transform the downward spiral of ecological destruction and to foster movements for protecting, healing, and regenerating our broken planet. The course is an invitation for participants to travel into the midst of crises and seek possibilities for ecological justice and wellbeing.

Over the course of six sessions, we will identify and analyze dominant assumptions about the human and more-than-human natural world, critiquing and reshaping them from the standpoint of process-relational and other traditions of thought. We will explore these assumptions through case studies, readings and videos, presentations by experts, student projects, and probing conversations.

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Learning Circle: Process & Coffee
2024-05-30 08:00 - 09:00, 2024-06-06 08:00 - 09:00, 2024-06-13 08:00 - 09:00, 2024-06-20 08:00 - 09:00, 2024-06-27 08:00 - 09:00, 2024-07-04 08:00 - 09:00, 2024-07-11 08:00 - 09:00
Process & Coffee is about spiritual integration and exploration. We meet weekly to dive into books by mystics and sages. The discussion that follows helps to deepen our own spiritual lives.

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Course: 12 Universal Spiritual Principles to Freedom and Intimacy
2024-05-30 17:00 - 18:00, 2024-06-06 17:00 - 18:00, 2024-06-13 17:00 - 18:00, 2024-06-20 17:00 - 18:00, 2024-06-27 17:00 - 18:00 | Online Event
Dealing With Difficulties in a Healthy and Holistic Way

Over the course of life, most people experience serious challenges, like death of a loved one, conflict within marriage, the loss of a job, an addiction, serious problems with a child, loss of life purpose, etc. When such challenges require help beyond one’s own resources, the 12 spiritual principles covered in this course open the path to outside help which solves the challenge. This is the way to deal with the difficulties one faces in a healthy and holistic way.

In this six-session course, Karl Y. will guide participants in a brief study of the twelve spiritual principles for solving any human personal problem and how the solution increases intimacy with oneself, others, and the power of help outside oneself. The twelve universal spiritual principles are generalized from the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. We will link these principles to the writing of Alfred North Whitehead in order to understand them in transreligious spiritual ways that are compatible with process-relational thought.

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John Cobb & Friends Gathering: Andrew Schwartz
2024-06-04 10:00 - 12:00 | Online Via Zoom
Topic: Learning from Living Systems: Biomimicry and the Principles of Ecological Civilization

Presenters: Andrew Schwartz

We’re familiar with Dr. William Andrew Schwartz for his long-time leadership roles in the process community: Executive Director of the Center for Process Studies, and Co-founder and Executive Vice President of the Institute for Ecological Civilization. He earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion and Theology at Claremont Graduate University. As Assistant Professor of Process and Comparative Theology at Claremont School of Theology, his academic interests are broad, including Comparative Religious Philosophies, Process Thought, Ecology, Education and more. He’s been focused on high-impact philosophy and the role of big ideas in the transition toward ecological civilization. Explore his website to find podcasts, publications, and courses to remind you of the breadth of his experiences exploring various aspects of ecological civilization.

This Tuesday he will expand upon the lecture he prepared for last month’s Eco Forum at Claremont, sponsored by the Center for Postmodern Development of China. Biomimicry is his focus. What can we learn from living systems about the principles of ecological civilization?

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Seeing Nature Through a Process Lens
2024-06-10 08:30 - 10:00, 2024-06-17 08:30 - 10:00, 2024-06-24 08:30 - 10:00, 2024-07-01 08:30 - 10:00 | Online Event
A Learning Circle Exploring Nature Authors Guided by Process Thought

In this four-session learning circle we will read and discuss the writings of various nature authors, such as Loren Eiseley, Mary Oliver, John Muir, and others. The group will use some of the Cobb Institute’s “What is Process Thought? 20 Key Ideas” slideshow as a means to learn more about nature and process thought.

The learning circle will meet four times for an hour and a half each session. We will begin session one with a discussion of five of the 20 Key Ideas. In each of the other three sessions there will be a brief review of the biography of the authors and an overview of their works.

Knowledge of the authors we will study or process thought is not necessary. A desire to learn more about both is both helpful and desired.

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John Cobb & Friends Gathering: George Strawn
2024-06-11 10:00 - 12:00 | Online Via Zoom
Topic: AI Today Means Machine Learning

Presenters: George Strawn

George Strawn is a life-long professional computer scientist who also has a keen life-long interest in History, Philosophy, Religion, Physics, and Biology. As a former trustee of the Claremont School of Theology, he counts it a privilege to know John Cobb, and to have participated in the 2015 Claremont conference, “Seizing an Alternative.” He says, “After 80 years of development, Machine Learning may have reached an ‘inflection point,’ called Generative AI—that is, rather than just finding cute cat pictures on the Web, it can generate cute cat pictures from scratch. It can also generate articles, computer programs, and other artifacts that we thought only humans could create.” In Tuesday’s talk George Strawn will relate the history of this important development, describe how complicated it is on the inside, and how simple and powerful it is on the outside.

George Strawn has been a life-long professional computer scientist. For 30 years he was on the faculty of Iowa State University’s Department of Computer Science, where he was sometime department chair and director of the computer lab. For another 30 years he served at the National Science Foundation, assisted the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the White House, and worked with the National Academy of Science. See this article about his Distinguished Service Award from ISU.

Prior to joining the Academies, Strawn was the director of the National Coordination Office (NCO) for the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Program and co-chair of the NITRD interagency committee. Strawn held these positions while on leave from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Whitehouse.

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Learning Circle: Processing Difference & Repetition
2024-06-17 14:30 - 16:00, 2024-07-15 14:30 - 16:00 | Online Event
A Collective Processing of Gilles Deleuze’s Masterpiece

Processing Difference & Repetition is a learning circle dedicated to exploring Gilles Deleuze’s seminal work, Difference and Repetition. Its goal is to collectively process the rich themes within the book, occasionally identify resonances with the larger process tradition, and foster insightful discussions along the way.

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John Cobb & Friends Gathering: Lynn De Jonghe
2024-06-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Online Via Zoom
Topic: Truth Under Attack: Talking Past Each Other in a Polarized Society

Presenters: Lynn De Jonghe

Lynn De Jonghe frequently participates in our Tuesday conversations. On June 18 she’ll ask how we should respond to those who profoundly disagree with us without dissembling and without further inflaming the spirit of growing hatred in our struggling democracy. Discussions in liberal and academic communities may assume that most intelligent people possess a shared understanding of truth and goodness. However, Amy Chua has argued that this thinking fails to address the increasingly tribal spirit of society polarizing the politics of this country. In fact J.D. Vance has declared, “The professors are the enemy.”

De Jonghe argues that many fierce policy disagreements and clashing truth claims have their roots in different understandings of the meanings of goodness and truth. After examining the historical roots of these disagreements, she shows how these differences can be manipulated and even weaponized by individuals for their own political ambitions. She then turns to address those whose righteous anger may be genuine. She concludes that grappling with such different perspectives may require strategies that go beyond philosophical argument to more direct forms of informal communication.

Lynn De Jonghe’s career in progressive education has spanned more than forty years. She served as the founding Head of East Bay Sierra School, which later merged with another school to form Prospect Sierra School, to become one of the preeminent schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. Prior to her work in independent schools, Lynn spent fifteen years in public education administering federal funds to innovative programs, advocating for project learning as an alternative to textbooks, and pushing for integration in Massachusetts schools. She received her BA degree in History from Harvard University and an MS in Library Science from Simmons College before completing her PhD in Education at Cornell University. Her doctoral work on children’s problem solving led her to push for challenging educational programs that encourage all students to pursue learning in depth and to use problem solving skills, collaborative learning, and exploration of values in an integrated curriculum. She has served as a trustee of numerous non-profit educational organizations. Her book, Starting with Whitehead: Raising Children to Thrive in Treacherous Times was published by Rowman Littlefield August 2022.

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John Cobb & Friends Gathering: Brian McLaren
2024-06-25 10:00 - 12:00 | Online Via Zoom
Topic: Life after Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart!

Presenters: Brian McLaren

This popular religion writer will discuss his most recently published book, Life after Doom: Wisdom & Courage for a World Falling Apart. Sheri Kling, director of the Process & Faith program, will assist our conversation.

Brian McLaren’s website describes this prolific author/lecturer in this way:

Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” – just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for the common good. He is an Auburn Senior Fellow, a contributor to We Stand With Love, and a leader in the Convergence Network, through which he is developing an innovative training/mentoring program for pastors and church planters.

He has been appreciated by those who do theology in process and open and relational ways. Tripp Fuller describes his interview with McLaren about Life After Doom. “In it, we wrestle with redefining faith, civilization, and ecological consciousness. We delve into theological reflections, reinterpreting religious practices to align with Jesus’s teachings, advocating for a paradigm shift in societal structures, and emphasizing the urgent need for sustainable living. Moreover, we discuss creating inclusive spaces for spiritual growth and action.” For a discussion of McLaren’s work from a process point of view, see Jay McDaniel’s “Seven Lessons We Can Learn from Brian McLaren” in Open Horizons.

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John Cobb & Friends Gathering: The Legacy of James M. Lawson Jr.
2024-07-09 10:00 - 12:00 | Online Via Zoom
Topic: The Legacy of James M. Lawson Jr.

Presenters: TBA

A memorial service on July 6 at Holman United Methodist Church in Los Angeles honored the legacy of Dr. James M. Lawson, Jr., who was their pastor for 25 years. He served the American civil rights movement by training young people in the methods of non-violent resistance. There were tributes from Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass, President Joe Biden, educators, and leaders of labor organizations. Pulitzer prize winning presidential historian Jon Meacham said, “James Lawson is a latter day founding father, an architect of America as worthy of our respect and our reverence as Washington or Jefferson, Adams or Hamilton, Douglass or King.” We will listen to selected portions of that service and reflect on his legacy. You may find a collection of Lawson videos on the Holman website, including Lawson’s tribute to the late John Lewis. You’ll find an archived recording of James Lawson’s January 11, 2022 conversation with Cobb and Friends, marking the publication of his book, Revolutionary Nonviolence: Organizing for Freedom.

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Process Thought & Science 2024
2024-07-10 12:00 - 14:00 | Online Event
Applying Process Thought Across the Natural Sciences

This course introduces students to Alfred North Whitehead’s process philosophy by exploring its relevance to contemporary natural science and cosmology. The facilitator will introduce Whitehead’s way of thinking about the philosophical presuppositions of science. The course also includes sessions with guest lecturers offering examples of Whiteheadian and other process-oriented approaches to physics, biology, neuroscience, and consciousness studies.

In light of his protest against the modern bifurcation of nature into separate physical and psychical domains, the course examines the ways Whitehead’s process-relational ontology allows us to understand the knowledge produced by natural science as compatible with human experience, including the presuppositions of ethical social relations and cultural self-understanding. Whitehead’s “organic realism” makes it possible to re-enchant the world without contradicting the latest scientific findings. In fact, his Philosophy of Organism provides us with one of the most promising means of integrating the increasingly fragmented natural and social sciences into a comprehensive and potentially civilization renewing vision.

Students can expect to gain a basic understanding of Whitehead’s cosmology and the major categories of his metaphysical scheme. Students will be introduced to Whitehead’s novel interpretations of relativity, quantum, evolutionary, and complexity theories, and will become familiar with the usually unspoken metaphysical assumptions underlying contemporary physicalist cosmology. Students will also come to appreciate the importance of overcoming the artificial modern divide between natural science and the humanities.

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