Andrew Davis | The Global Philosophy of Religion Project | Process Theology

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Today, we explore Process Philosophy and Theology with Dr. Andrew Davis, a philosopher, theologian and scholar of world religions. We stress understanding Process Philosophy and Theology, and Metaphysics, in its own context, and then, if and where relevant, in comparison with other religions.
Andrew M. Davis is a philosopher, theologian and scholar of world religions. He is Program Director for the Center for Process Studies at Claremont School of Theology at Willamette University. 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. An educator and advocate of cross-cultural knowledge and religious literacy, his studies have led him to a variety of religious contexts and communities around the world, including India, Israel-Palestine, and Europe.
The Global Philosophy of Religion Project aims to make the philosophy of religion a truly global field by promoting the scholarly work of researchers from underrepresented regions and religious traditions. It is led by Professor Yujin Nagasawa and hosted by the University of Birmingham. This interview was conducted by Robert Lawrence Kuhn, host of Closer To Truth.
Learn more about the project: www.global-phi...
This project was made possible in part through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this video are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

[@sheilaeisele8490]

As someone who formally studied theology and finds process theology most closely aligns with two Near-Death experiences I had, I offer relational quantum physics as support for this. The interrelational is fundamental to the emergence of the particular. I loved this; I hope to hear more conversations with Andrew Davis. Thank you!

[@TheForeignersNetwork]

This conversation is so complicated but from what I'm gathering, Process Theology has a lot in common with Buddhist Madhyamaka. Buddhism doesn't affirm the existence of an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent being that singularly controls the world and the beings in it, but it does affirm that 1) suffering is inevitable in the universe and that 2) there is a way out of suffering through developing your mind. Madhyamaka philosophy similarly affirms that everything is interdependent, and thus, the nature of interdependence is emptiness (which is the same as limitless potential). Emptiness is the mental induction by which the world is experienced--In other words, the very mental PROCESSES that allow the world to come into being are the exact same processes that allow it to constantly change and, ultimately, liberate itself.

[@adisduderija3605]

So grateful that this conversation took place

[@johnbuckner2828]

Good one. Loving this philosophy of religion project. U always ask good questions.

[@jonjon3378]

Intelligent and meaningful conversation! This helped me understand process theology adequately compared to some short essays I read.

[@krishnakalekar5003]

Mr Lawerence ,iam very much obsessed that I want to know who am I ,what is my identity, why I am here on earth, what is the purpose and what is my destiny.

[@ElGhoulSoufedj]

Just read the Quran once in your life. See if you can find answers to your questions.

[@owencampbell4947]

It's not a secret who we are. We are born as continuation of a developing species we call human beings. Our purpose of our limited life is to reproduce to a better prototype that will be able to explore the whole universe. This is a long procedure as we can experience and will take many generations to fulfill. At the same time through this procedure, we can live a life of our own, with beginning and end, but the main purpose is to reproduce. Notice, each one is exactly born the way he is, to be who he is, and to accept how he is. Only the recognition and acceptance of these facts will lead to a balanced and peaceful contribution to the purpose.

[@REDPUMPERNICKEL]

YOU are a self and you own a body. Your self is an instance of the being conscious process. Your name identifies you. You do not begin with a purpose though you may find one. Your destiny is to cease being conscious at which you nightly practice. Between beginning and ceasing may your self enjoy the food, the friends, the flowers. the sunsets...

[@bcmoe1]

Mr Jung is an amazing individual. Keep asking questions. Seek and Ye shall find the Truth.

[@stevenhoyt]

what "metaphysical principles"? is that also just a term reified? when asked for a process conception of god, no intelligible answer was given. (i think if you removed the term "deep" from this video, its run length would be halved)

[@ezrawilson6986]

I'm wondering if process theology can help to resolve the tension between being and becoming; or, rather, dismiss the illusion of tension between the two.

[@TheSergius80]

Could God be understood as consciousness of the universe?

[@jamesruscheinski8602]

Could existence be moving from infinitesimal time to infinite space?

[@drawn2myattention641]

Process Theology will always be a religion for intellectuals: the average person needs a God who is religiously available. The distraught father wants a God who can remove his 3 y.o. daughter's tumor, not a God who might, if lucky, persuade it to leave.

[@ReadingAde]

Unfortunately God doesn’t remove tumors. Most people have this child-like view of God

[@cobyleebrooks]

we all want a god who will remove suffering! the question is, why does one suffer yet God not intervene? it seems to me that people don’t have a choice here. it’s either we become smarter (evolve), and more approachable in our learning of this subject matter, or we understand God as sadistic and unwilling to help (though God supposedly attains the power to do so). the basic understanding that God in reality is constrained not to “deliver” me from suffering by forced change, but instead help woo me past the cynicism of my small understanding when experiencing the pain, is what the common man needs to know. It saved me from giving up. and i’m just a grocery worker. it’s crazy how metaphor can save your life.

[@projectkairos2231]

Process Theology still has hope. Emotional resonance is less about theology and more about symbolism, stories, religious experience, practice, and prayer. What we think about God doesn't change who God is.

[@liladas1]

You misunderstand the notion of persuasion.

[@sjorsvanhens]

Why should we believe that process god is good? Is it personal preference or knowledge? If the former, then it's as good as anyone's; if the latter, then whence comes this knowledge? Do (Christian) process theologians believe in divine revelation? Then why do they freely entertain notions such as no afterlife, non punitive hell, that clearly contradict scripture? What about the verses from scripture that seem to refute process theology (off the top of my head: James 1:17)? Mr. Davis says that the Christian tradition affirms Classical ideas "based on Greek philosophy" (notice the rhetoric here). But any apologist can easily justify those from scripture. It's not for nothing that the Church Fathers adopted concepts from Greek philosophy. They didn't have an uncritical relationship with Greek philosophy at all; on the contrary. Then the next question would be: Why consider oneself a Christian at all?

[@Andrew-M-Davis]

For Whitehead, God is unchanging and necessarily "Good" in the "primordial nature." As such God's own life constitutes the objectivity of value in the universe. But God is not *just* unchanging; divine goodness finds expression (and unfortunate repression) in a world of self-creativity.

[@owencampbell4947]

It's hard to believe, but it's much harder not to believe, wenn you know you are under pressure of an unidentified emotion, forcing you to believe.

[@zaw2654]

Existence & Consciousness "In the beginning, all things in existence existed as one thing. The Source of all things is information. Underlying and permeating our entire physical material existence is a field/plane of Quantum Information. Even when 'nothing' existed, something still did- the 'information of nothingness'. Through itself, the field created itself, from nothing. The field itself is nothing, which is still something. Through this field is generated all other things, including our universe. All particles, all states, all molecules, all atoms, etc. all existed as One. This One manifested through itself the individualization of all other particles, planes, dimensions, and universes. Time itself exsist within the One. All laws and rules exist within the One. The One is the Law itself. Eventually via the Great Cycle, all individualized particles will contract back into One, each cycle bringing a higher advancement in consciousness than the previous cycle. Each individualized unit of creation, also being an individualized unit of consciousness, brings back to the Source its own information." -Myself.

[@thomasridley8675]

And what would be the point ? Too return to the one. Then what ?

[@aqilshamil9633]

@@thomasridley8675 heaven ??

[@thomasridley8675]

@@aqilshamil9633 ,🤣🤣🤣🤣 If you believe such a thing is even possible.

[@souravrakshit4062]

SCHRODINGER cats is the future philosophy...we will never be before together...

[@jamesruscheinski8602]

God focus for humanity overcome political government; kingship authority for priests and ministers; substantive human rights confederation

[@faithleefeathers2223]

You know it's gonna be good when it freezes up before it even sart

[@InterestedInDansk]

22:40 *God in the World* are we saying that people who have died are not alive in God, the spiritual alive the Spirit that is God. According to Luke 20:34-38 those who die on God's gavour become sngrlic beings and remain so for a thousand years, they are then reborn in sn incorruptible body and Ascend to s higher heaven . Whilst those who are not ready must be constantly reborn in the World.

[@krishnakalekar5003]

Can you answer one question, why my hindu god is different from your God

[@Andrew-M-Davis]

Krishna, the differences would be philosophical and not just religious in orientation. I encourage you to look into the work of Jeffery Long, a Hindu-Process thinker. See for example his chapter in "Deep Religious Pluralism" edited by David Ray Griffin.

[@owencampbell4947]

Not only your hindu God but all God's, because they are man made.

[@yami4910]

Well for 1, Hindu's aren't Monotheists. So they have a different view and a different concept of God

[@yami4910]

@@owencampbell4947 You don't know that

[@owencampbell4947]

@@yami4910 but "you" know it....

[@markfischer3626]

Now here is something I found that a famous philosopher Immanuel Kant said that I can agree with. You can find it at 2:57 on the link below' "There is not freedom but everything in the world takes place entirely according to nature. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJjTeWCtdp2ra5I In short he is saying that there is no such thing as free will. Of course that contradicts anything he or anyone else said that presumes free will but self contradictions are not always a problem for philosophers and theologians. On the other hand, observations about human nature may be generally but not necessarily always true. We cannot presume to predict what everyone will do in a given situation. So those observations can often be described as stereotyping groups. That of course is very dangerous because for just about every generalized rule about people there are usually exceptions, sometimes many that prove the rule not merely false but absurd.

[@nivekvb]

God is found within. I'm agnostic, really.

[@laljohnkhuptong2110]

Welcome peeps

[@calebp6114]

Can anybody here give me a good reason to believe that God does not exist?

[@francesco5581]

removing the silly "i hate religions" or "show me your God" or "i am a science fanboy !!" i think the biggest challenge to the idea of God is the presence of nature cruelty, random tragedies, intolerable suffering (not cause by the free will of someone). This is something that make question God, even for a religious person. (discussed in the video above btw)

[@chyfields]

We are all Gods of our own universe. Look inside, you are the God that manages the balance of micro flora and fauna within your own body. Are you just? Do you eradicate beings you perceive as unhelpful?

[@bcmoe1]

Meant Mr Robert Kuhn. LoL . Sorry. Predictive text! LoL!

[@CloserToTruthTV]

No problem, Mo; I like the mixup with Carl. Best, Robert

[@jamesruscheinski8602]

Maybe God is existence becoming reality? Existence to reality through information and conscious experience?

[@metoo836]

why in the hill you Wana help a hopeless GOD?

[@magepunk2376]

Process theology > Classical theology.

[@thomasridley8675]

The only thing the spiritual and religious theologies have in common is an absolute belief in their speculations on reality being the correct one. No matter how silly that sounds. I don't think that any of the other episodes I have seen has used the word god this many times.🤣 Confirming the egomania of his Christian view. 🤣

[@izmark671]

Make believe with earnest does not make it real.

[@Andrew-M-Davis]

I challenge you Mark to engage Whitehead's thought and see if you can honestly draw the same conclusions. Uttering "make believe" is meaningless with respect to the topics covered in this conversation.

[@izmark671]

@@Andrew-M-Davis Uh, no. just send a god to talk. I'll be nice.