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writerdad
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Date Joined Jun 2001
Total Posts : 448
| Posted 10/17/2001 7:05 PM (GMT -6) |   | In "The Most Moved Mover," Pinnock writes: "Candidly, I believe that conventional theists are more influenced by Plato, who was a pagan, than I am by Whitehead, who was a Christian."
Was Whitehead a Christian? I know Process Theology takes much from his writings but I didn't know he was a Christian. Could someone give me a little help on this? John 17:3 Harold
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Modes of Thought
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Date Joined Jun 2001
Total Posts : 817
| Posted 10/18/2001 7:15 AM (GMT -6) | | Hi!
I've read a fair amount of Whitehead's stuff and I'd say, YES, he is a Christian. But of course, that is not to say that all Christians would have him.
No one will doubt that Whitehead beleived in God, but some will question the orthodoxy of his more specifice convictions. In some ways, this question begs that of whether more liberal self-proclaimed Christians are Christians.
One, and I grant you it is rather vague, passage in a book that is NOT intended to answer that question at least points toward Whitehead's conviction:
quote:
The history of theistic philosophy exhibits various stages of combination of these three diverse ways of entertaining the problem. [the three ways are modeled after; the divine Caesars, the Hebrew prophets, and Aristotle respectively....]There is, however, in the Galilean origin of Christianity yet another suggestion which does not fit very well with any of the three main strands of thought. It does not emphasize the ruling Caesar, or the ruthless moralist, or the unmoved mover. it dwells upon the tender elements in the world, which slowly and in quietness operate by love; and it finds purpose in the present immediacy of a kingdom not of this world. Love neither rules, nor is it unmoved; also it is a little oblivious to morals. It does not look to the future; for it finds its own reward in the immediate present.
Now, I realize that this is not exactly an evangelical testimony, but clearly Whitehead is elevating that faith based upon divine love as manifest in Jesus Christ as superior to all the other options as he has them organized. And again, this is is a book on cosmology, not specifically a religious book. In his "religion in the making" the strategy is similar, he elevates Christian faith as the supreme faith. So in this sense, though he doesn't get particularly personal about it, one should deduce that Whitehead considered himself a Christian. Pinnock is correct in his willingness to acknowledge this. There are probably more direct examples but these are what came to mind immediately.
"to be neurotic is human, to be psychotic is sinful...."
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