A Galilean Vision of Christianity - Alfred North Whitehead

Recently, while reading The Emergent Christ by Franciscan sister Ilia Delio I came across multiple references to Process Philosophy and Process Theology that was developed by Alfred North Whitehead. I knew nothing about them. So, I started doing a little reading.

I learned that Whitehead was not a Christian, but his Process Theology has attracted many Christian theologians.

Because Whitehead is hard to understand I borrowed from the library A Key to Whitehead's Process and Reality by Donald W. Sherburne. Thumbing through the book, I found an interesting assessment of western religion. Whitehead states that there are three schools of Christian thought that "can be associated with the divine Caesars, the Hebrew prophets, and Aristotle." According to Whitehead, these three approaches have been combined over the centuries in various ways. However, he says there is another way.

"There is ... in the Galilean origin of Christianity, yet another suggestion which does not fit in very well.... 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 as to morals. It does not look to the future; for it finds its own reward in the immediate present." (This quote can be found on pages 342 - 343 of Process and Reality or 178 - 179 of Sherburne's book.)

It seems to me that Galilean Christianity is what being a Franciscan is all about.

Even with Sherbune's book, Whitehead's metaphysics was difficult for me to grasp. Here are three college level lectures delivered by the late Arthur F. Holmes, a professor at Wheaton College, that helped me.  Each lecture is about 60 minutes long.

A History of Philosophy | 61 Whitehead's Process Philosophy

A History of Philosophy | 62 Whitehead and Process Theology

A History of Philosophy | 63 Whitehead's "Science and Modern World"

A History of Philosophy | 64 American Pragmatism (Ten minute summary of Whitehead)