John B. Cobb
Encyclopedia
John B. Cobb, Jr. is an American
United Methodist theologian
who played a crucial role in the development of process theology
. He integrated Alfred North Whitehead
's metaphysics
into Christianity
, and applied it to issues of social justice
.
, Japan
in 1925 to parents who were Methodist missionaries. In 1940, he moved to Georgia
to go to high school. After graduation he attended a junior college, Emory College
(now Oxford College of Emory University
) at Oxford, Georgia
. He was deeply devout and held strong moral convictions, fighting racism
and prejudice
among his peers. Joining the army
in 1944, he met intellectuals from other religions including Judaism
and Catholicism
, who showed him new perspectives. It was about this time that he had a religious experience which led him to become a minister.
These experiences gave him a taste for intellectual thought. He entered an interdepartmental program at the University of Chicago
, where he tested his faith by setting out to learn all the modern world's objections to Christianity, so that he could answer to them. His faith did not come out intact. Cobb became disillusioned with much of his previous belief. Hoping to resolve his crisis of faith and reconcile the modern worldview with his Christian faith, he went to University of Chicago Divinity School in 1947. He was successful primarily with the help of Richard McKeon
, a philosophical relativist, and Charles Hartshorne
, who taught him Whiteheadian
metaphysics and philosophy, which Hartshorne had integrated into what would become known as process theology. This gave him renewed confidence in the idea of God. Cobb received his MA in 1949 and PhD in 1952 from the University of Chicago.
After graduating he taught at Candler School of Theology
of Emory University
until 1958 when he moved to Claremont School of Theology
, where he stayed until his retirement in 1990. He collaborated with Lewis S. Ford in 1971 to start a journal called Process Studies. In 1973 he worked with David Ray Griffin
in founding the Center for Process Studies.
. He sought to reconcile the particularity of the Christian faith with the need for pluralism
and openness, establishing a christology
which demanded tolerance and open-mindedness. He did this by understanding Christ as a "creative transformation", more a process than a person. This creative transformation demanded not just tolerance, but open discourse with other faiths, with the goal of transforming both participants.
The second trajectory, initiated by his son, Cliff, confronted ecological
issues from a Whiteheadian perspective. In this trajectory, the two of them collaborated with Herman Daly
in writing For the Common Good: Redirecting the Economy Toward Community, the Environment, and a Sustainable Future (1989), which constituted Cobb's contribution to economics
.
The third trajectory advocated "theology in the service of the church". Here he emphasized the central importance of Christ as the hope of the world, and the church's central importance in proclaiming Christ. He spoke to ethical and communitarian issues regarding the church.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
United Methodist theologian
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
who played a crucial role in the development of process theology
Process theology
Process theology is a school of thought influenced by the metaphysical process philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead and further developed by Charles Hartshorne . While there are process theologies that are similar, but unrelated to the work of Whitehead the term is generally applied to the...
. He integrated Alfred North Whitehead
Alfred North Whitehead
Alfred North Whitehead, OM FRS was an English mathematician who became a philosopher. He wrote on algebra, logic, foundations of mathematics, philosophy of science, physics, metaphysics, and education...
's metaphysics
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
into Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, and applied it to issues of social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
.
Biography
John Cobb was born in KobeKobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 1925 to parents who were Methodist missionaries. In 1940, he moved to Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
to go to high school. After graduation he attended a junior college, Emory College
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
(now Oxford College of Emory University
Oxford College of Emory University
Oxford College is a two-year residential college specializing in the foundations of liberal arts education, and is one of nine divisions of Emory University. The college is located on Emory University's original 1836 campus in Oxford, Georgia, 38 miles east of the main Atlanta campus...
) at Oxford, Georgia
Oxford, Georgia
Oxford is a city in Newton County, Georgia, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,892. It is the location of Oxford College of Emory University. The entire town is also designated as a shrine of the United Methodist Church. Additionally, Confederate soldiers are...
. He was deeply devout and held strong moral convictions, fighting racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
and prejudice
Prejudice
Prejudice is making a judgment or assumption about someone or something before having enough knowledge to be able to do so with guaranteed accuracy, or "judging a book by its cover"...
among his peers. Joining the army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
in 1944, he met intellectuals from other religions including Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
and Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
, who showed him new perspectives. It was about this time that he had a religious experience which led him to become a minister.
These experiences gave him a taste for intellectual thought. He entered an interdepartmental program at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, where he tested his faith by setting out to learn all the modern world's objections to Christianity, so that he could answer to them. His faith did not come out intact. Cobb became disillusioned with much of his previous belief. Hoping to resolve his crisis of faith and reconcile the modern worldview with his Christian faith, he went to University of Chicago Divinity School in 1947. He was successful primarily with the help of Richard McKeon
Richard McKeon
Richard McKeon was an American philosopher.-Life, times, and influences:McKeon obtained his undergraduate degree from Columbia University in 1920, graduating at the early age of 20 despite serving briefly in the U.S. Navy during the First World War...
, a philosophical relativist, and Charles Hartshorne
Charles Hartshorne
Charles Hartshorne was a prominent American philosopher who concentrated primarily on the philosophy of religion and metaphysics. He developed the neoclassical idea of God and produced a modal proof of the existence of God that was a development of St. Anselm's Ontological Argument...
, who taught him Whiteheadian
Alfred North Whitehead
Alfred North Whitehead, OM FRS was an English mathematician who became a philosopher. He wrote on algebra, logic, foundations of mathematics, philosophy of science, physics, metaphysics, and education...
metaphysics and philosophy, which Hartshorne had integrated into what would become known as process theology. This gave him renewed confidence in the idea of God. Cobb received his MA in 1949 and PhD in 1952 from the University of Chicago.
After graduating he taught at Candler School of Theology
Candler School of Theology
Candler School of Theology, Emory University, is one of 13 seminaries of the United Methodist Church. Founded in 1914, the school was named after Warren Akin Candler, a former President and Chancellor of Emory University and a Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South...
of Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
until 1958 when he moved to Claremont School of Theology
Claremont School of Theology
Claremont School of Theology is a graduate school located in Claremont, California, offering Master of Art, Masters of Divinity, Doctorate of Ministry and Ph.D...
, where he stayed until his retirement in 1990. He collaborated with Lewis S. Ford in 1971 to start a journal called Process Studies. In 1973 he worked with David Ray Griffin
David Ray Griffin
David Ray Griffin is a retired American professor of philosophy of religion and theology. Along with John B. Cobb, Jr., he founded the Center for Process Studies in 1973, a research center of Claremont School of Theology which seeks to promote the common good by means of the relational approach...
in founding the Center for Process Studies.
The three trajectories
Cobb came to identify his theological journey as being divided into three trajectories. In the first trajectory, he tried to reconstruct a vision of Christianity applying Whitehead's cosmologyReligious cosmology
A Religious cosmology is a way of explaining the origin, the history and the evolution of the universe based on the religious mythology of a specific tradition...
. He sought to reconcile the particularity of the Christian faith with the need for pluralism
Religious pluralism
Religious pluralism is a loosely defined expression concerning acceptance of various religions, and is used in a number of related ways:* As the name of the worldview according to which one's religion is not the sole and exclusive source of truth, and thus that at least some truths and true values...
and openness, establishing a christology
Christology
Christology is the field of study within Christian theology which is primarily concerned with the nature and person of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament. Primary considerations include the relationship of Jesus' nature and person with the nature...
which demanded tolerance and open-mindedness. He did this by understanding Christ as a "creative transformation", more a process than a person. This creative transformation demanded not just tolerance, but open discourse with other faiths, with the goal of transforming both participants.
The second trajectory, initiated by his son, Cliff, confronted ecological
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
issues from a Whiteheadian perspective. In this trajectory, the two of them collaborated with Herman Daly
Herman Daly
Herman Daly is an American ecological economist and professor at the School of Public Policy of University of Maryland, College Park in the United States....
in writing For the Common Good: Redirecting the Economy Toward Community, the Environment, and a Sustainable Future (1989), which constituted Cobb's contribution to economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
.
The third trajectory advocated "theology in the service of the church". Here he emphasized the central importance of Christ as the hope of the world, and the church's central importance in proclaiming Christ. He spoke to ethical and communitarian issues regarding the church.
Christocentric pluralism
Cobb advocated a theology that managed to be both christocentric and pluralistic in its approach to other faiths. He proclaimed that christocentrism is rooted in Sophia, or divine wisdom, which is the essence of God who is embodied in Christ. He asserted that it requires a Christian to reject arrogance, exclusivism, and dogmatism as obstacles to the christological creative transformation. In this understanding, other religions could approach Christ's essence without actually believing in Christ per se. Cobb saw Jesus as the center of history, but not the whole of history. He saw the need to expand this history to include those of other faiths. Even if the christological creative process leads one to displace Christ's central position in that history with something else, he says, that displacement itself is faithful and true to Christ.Works
- Varieties of Protestantism, 1960
- Living options in Protestant Theology, 1962
- A Christian Natural Theology: Based on the Thought of Alfred North Whitehead, Westminster Press, 1965, online edition
- The Structure of Christian Existence, 1967, University Press of America 1990 reprint, online edition
- God and the World, Westminster Press, 1969, online edition
- Is It Too Late? A Theology of Ecology, 1971 (revised edition, 1995)
- Living Options in Protestant Theology, Westminster Press, 1972, online edition
- Liberal Christianity at the Crossroads, 1973, online edition
- Christ in a Pluralistic Age, Westminster Press, 1975, online edition
- Process Theology: An Introductory Exposition, with David Ray GriffinDavid Ray GriffinDavid Ray Griffin is a retired American professor of philosophy of religion and theology. Along with John B. Cobb, Jr., he founded the Center for Process Studies in 1973, a research center of Claremont School of Theology which seeks to promote the common good by means of the relational approach...
, Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1976, ISBN 0-664-24743-1 - Theology and Pastoral Care, with David Ray GriffinDavid Ray GriffinDavid Ray Griffin is a retired American professor of philosophy of religion and theology. Along with John B. Cobb, Jr., he founded the Center for Process Studies in 1973, a research center of Claremont School of Theology which seeks to promote the common good by means of the relational approach...
, 1977 - Mind in Nature: the Interface of Science and Philosophy, edited with David Ray GriffinDavid Ray GriffinDavid Ray Griffin is a retired American professor of philosophy of religion and theology. Along with John B. Cobb, Jr., he founded the Center for Process Studies in 1973, a research center of Claremont School of Theology which seeks to promote the common good by means of the relational approach...
, University Press of America, 1977, online edition - The Liberation of Life: from the Cell to the Community, with Charles Birch, 1981
- Process Theology as Political Theology, Westminster Press, 1982, online edition
- Beyond Dialogue: Toward a Mutual Transformation of Christianity and Buddhism, 1982
- Existence and Actuality: Conversations with Charles Hartshorne, edited with Franklin I. Gamwell, University of Chicago Press, 1984, online edition
- Talking About God: Doing Theology in the Context of Modern Pluralism, with David Tracy, Seabury Press, 1983, online edition
- Praying for Jennifer, The Upper Room, 1985, online edition
- Christian Identity and Theological Education, with Joseph Hough, 1985
- Biblical Preaching on the Death of Jesus, with Beardslee, Lull, Pregeant, Weeden, and Woodbridge, 1989
- For the Common Good: Redirecting the Economy Toward Community, Environment, and a Sustainable Future, with Herman DalyHerman DalyHerman Daly is an American ecological economist and professor at the School of Public Policy of University of Maryland, College Park in the United States....
, 1989 (revised edition, 1994) - Doubting Thomas: Christology in Story Form, Crossroad Publishing, 1990, ISBN 0-8245-1033-X, online edition
- Death or Dialogue, with Leonard SwidlerLeonard SwidlerLeonard J. Swidler is Professor of Catholic Thought and Interreligious Dialogue at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA where he has taught since 1966. He is the co-founder and Editor of the Journal of Ecumenical Studies...
, Paul Knitter, and Monika Hellwig, 1990 - Matters of Life and Death, 1991
- Can Christ Become Good News Again?, 1991
- Sustainability: Economics, Ecology, and Justice, Orbis Books, 1992, online edition
- Becoming a Thinking Christian, 1993
- Lay Theology, Chalice Press, 1994, ISBN 0-8272-2122-3
- Sustaining the Common Good: A Christian Perspective on the Global Economy, Pilgrim Press, 1995, ISBN 0-8298-1010-2
- Grace and Responsibility: A Wesleyan Theology for Today, 1995
- Reclaiming the Church, Westminster John Knox Press, 1997, ISBN 0-664-25720-8
- The Earthist Challenge to Economism: A Theological Critique of the World Bank, Palgrave Macmillan, 1999, ISBN 0-312-21838-9
- Transforming Christianity and the World: A Way Beyond Absolutism and Relativism, Orbis Books, 1999, ISBN 1-57075-271-0
- Postmodernism and Public Policy: Reframing Religion, Culture, Education, Sexuality, Class, Race, Politics, and the Economy, State University of New York Press, 2001, ISBN 0-7914-5166-6
- Christian Faith and Religious Diversity: Mobilization for the Human Family, Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 2002, ISBN 0-8006-3483-7
- The Process Perspective: Frequently Asked Questions About Process Theology, Chalice Press, 2003, ISBN 0-8272-2999-2
- The Emptying God: A Buddhist-Jewish-Christian Conversation, Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2005, ISBN 1-59752-421-2
- 9/11 & American Empire: Christians, Jews, and Muslims Speak Out, co-editor with Kevin BarrettKevin BarrettKevin James Barrett is a former university lecturer, Muslim convert. He is a member of the Scientific Panel for the Investigation of 9/11 , and is a founding member of the Muslim-Jewish-Christian Alliance , established October 30, 2004 with the stated aim of improving "interfaith dialogue,...
and Sandra Lubarsky, Olive Branch Press, 2006, ISBN 1-566566-606
See also
- process theologyProcess theologyProcess theology is a school of thought influenced by the metaphysical process philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead and further developed by Charles Hartshorne . While there are process theologies that are similar, but unrelated to the work of Whitehead the term is generally applied to the...
- christologyChristologyChristology is the field of study within Christian theology which is primarily concerned with the nature and person of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament. Primary considerations include the relationship of Jesus' nature and person with the nature...
- religious pluralismReligious pluralismReligious pluralism is a loosely defined expression concerning acceptance of various religions, and is used in a number of related ways:* As the name of the worldview according to which one's religion is not the sole and exclusive source of truth, and thus that at least some truths and true values...
- Charles HartshorneCharles HartshorneCharles Hartshorne was a prominent American philosopher who concentrated primarily on the philosophy of religion and metaphysics. He developed the neoclassical idea of God and produced a modal proof of the existence of God that was a development of St. Anselm's Ontological Argument...
- David Ray GriffinDavid Ray GriffinDavid Ray Griffin is a retired American professor of philosophy of religion and theology. Along with John B. Cobb, Jr., he founded the Center for Process Studies in 1973, a research center of Claremont School of Theology which seeks to promote the common good by means of the relational approach...
- Alfred North WhiteheadAlfred North WhiteheadAlfred North Whitehead, OM FRS was an English mathematician who became a philosopher. He wrote on algebra, logic, foundations of mathematics, philosophy of science, physics, metaphysics, and education...
- Herman DalyHerman DalyHerman Daly is an American ecological economist and professor at the School of Public Policy of University of Maryland, College Park in the United States....
- ecologyEcologyEcology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
- uneconomic growthUneconomic growthUneconomic growth, in human development theory, welfare economics , and some forms of ecological economics, is economic growth that reflects or creates a decline in the quality of life. The concept is attributed to the economist Herman Daly, though other theorists can also be credited for the...
External links
- Boston University'sBoston UniversityBoston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
biography of John Cobb, Jr. - Center for Process Studies
- Claremont School of Theology
- Sustainable Communities Network
- Progressive Christians Uniting, co-founded by John Cobb with Rev. George Regas