Hey friends! In this introductory session for our “Religion in the Making” reading group, Andrew Davis and I dive into why Whitehead’s 1926 lectures are the perfect entry point into process thought—way more accessible than slogging through Process and Reality’s 40-page tangents on numbers! We explore how Whitehead was in this exciting third phase of his life, finally getting to work out his philosophical ideas after leaving Cambridge for Harvard, and how this book captures that fresh energy of someone discovering how religion isn’t just about beliefs but about the habits and ways we orient ourselves toward value and meaning. Andrew shares how Whitehead flips modern philosophy on its head by showing that our clear sense perceptions emerge from a deeper “iceberg of related connectedness,” making room for those moments when the depth dimension of reality breaks through into consciousness. If you want to join us for the next four weeks as we work through each lecture, become a supporting member at ProcessThis.Substack.com and let’s explore together how religion is about finding “that side of the universe we can care for” that flows from the very nature of things!
Andrew M. Davis is an American process philosopher, theologian, and scholar of the cosmos. He is the academic and research director for the Center for Process Studies where he researches, writes, teaches, and organizes conferences on various aspects of process-relational thought (Whitehead and Beyond). An advocate of metaphysics and meaning in a hospitable universe, he approaches philosophy as the endeavor to systematically think through what reality must be like because we are a part of it. He is the author, editor, and co-editor of nearly a dozen books including Mind, Value, and Cosmos: On the Relational Nature of Ultimacy, Process Cosmology: New Integrations in Science and Philosophy, and Metaphysics of Exo-Life: Toward a Constructive Whiteheadian Cosmotheology. This course is based upon drafts of his next book which is comprehensive, yet conversational, introduction to Whitehead’s universe.
Andrew’s Previous visits to the podcast
Join the Whitehead Reading Group!
To join the Whitehead reading group, become a contributing member of the “Process This” Substack. In addition to Zoom invites to the reading group and archives of each session, you will get an ad-free podcast feed of the podcast and invites to all the other live streams with friends like Diana Butler Bass & Ryan Burge. (If you’re a supporting member already, here’s the Resource Page for the reading group.)
If this vision of religion as a creative force for transformation resonates with you, consider participating in our upcoming online reading group for Substack supporting members…
From Ritual to Reason and Beyond: The Evolution of Religious Experience in Whitehead
A Five-Week Online Reading Group (Replays Available)
Mondays, November 3rd - 24th
9am PT / 12noon ET
We’ll spend five weeks exploring Whitehead’s Religion in the Making together. I will be joined by my friend and process philosopher Dr. Andrew Davis. This leisurely, discussion-based journey will help us understand how Whitehead’s insights speak to our post-religious moment.
By becoming a supporting member of the Process This Substack (if you’re not already), you will receive:
Access to join each session live on Zoom (link down below).
Recordings of all five sessions for flexible viewing.
The opportunity to participate in rich conversation around the text with fellow readers and two experienced guides in process theology.
Whether you’re curious about process theology, seeking a rational approach to faith, or simply want to grapple with one of the 20th century’s most original philosophical minds, this reading group offers a welcoming space for deep conversation.
Come prepared with your questions, insights, and favorite passages. Let’s think together about what religion is becoming—and what it might yet become.
SUPPORTING MEMBERS: CLICK HERE to Access the Reading Group Resource Page with the Zoom link and replay videos.
Register for the NEW ADVENT CLASS with Diana Butler Bass!
Join us for a transformative four-week Advent journey exploring how the four gospels speak their own revolutionary word against empire—both in their ancient context under Roman occupation and for our contemporary world shaped by capitalism, militarism, and nationalism.
Advent marks the beginning of the church year—an invitation to step out of the empire’s time and into God’s time, where the last are first, the mighty are scattered, and a child born in occupied territory changes everything.
This course invites you into an alternative calendar and rhythm. While our modern world races through December toward consumption and productivity, Advent calls us to a different time—a counter-imperial waiting, a subversive hope, a radical reimagining of how God enters the world.
Each week, we’ll hear one gospel’s unique vision of the birth narrative, allowing Matthew, Luke, John, and Mark to speak in their own voices about what it means for God to show up when empires think they’re in control. We’ll discover how these ancient texts of resistance offer wisdom for our own moment of political turmoil, economic inequality, and ecological crisis.
Four Livestreamed Sessions - Each session focuses on one of the gospels and includes a mini-lecture followed by a conversation between Diana and Tripp.
Live QnA with Diana and Tripp - Engage with Diana and Tripp, ask pressing questions, and enrich your understanding during our interactive QnA sessions.
Exclusive Online Community - Connect with fellow learners and dive into discussions, sharing insights and reflections.
Replays Available for Livestreams - You can participate fully without being present at any specific time. Livestreams will be available for replay on the Class Resource Page.
ASYNCHRONOUS CLASS: Livestream replays are available on the Class Resource Page. You can participate fully without being present at any specific time.
COST: A course like this is typically offered for $250 or more, but we invite you to contribute whatever you can (including $0) to help make this possible for everyone!
