Remembering John B. Cobb, Jr.

It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of John B. Cobb, Jr., a visionary thinker, tireless advocate for ecological civilization, and a guiding light in process thought. As the founder of the Center for Process Studies, John’s wisdom, courage, and unwavering hope inspired generations of scholars, activists, and spiritual seekers across the globe.

The Center for Process Studies hosted a public memorial for Dr. Cobb on Saturday, February 15th in Claremont, California and we are also collecting photos, reflections, and memories of Dr. Cobb’s life from our community. Use the button below to watch the recording of the memorial livestream and contribute your memories.

The Center for Process Studies fosters interdisciplinary research and education to cultivate holistic understanding for human and planetary flourishing

"If we want a society in which the sense of belonging is strong, people are concerned for one another, and there is strong commitment to the common good, we need a metaphysics that shows that we are in fact part of larger societies and have no existence apart from our relations to others"

"Philosophy begins in wonder. And, at the end, when philosophic thought has done its best, the wonder remains."

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Upcoming Events

January 2026
January 13, 2026 at 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm PST
Cultivating the Future University: Eco-Art, Healing, and Pedagogy in the Healing Garden
In this SPARKS Exchange, artist and educator Lipeng Jin invites you into the story of the “Healing Garden”—an evolving eco-art and pedagogical experiment at the Sichuan Fine Art Institute, China. More than a campus garden, the Healing Garden is a living laboratory reimagining the university’s role in an era of ecological crisis: How can higher education become a force for planetary healing and community renewal?
January 28, 2026 at 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm PST
Process Pop-Up: Evolution in Divine Love
In this Process Pop-Up, Swami Padmanabha will discuss the ideas in Evolution in Divine Love. Far from portraying divinity as distant or static, Swami Padmanabha encourages us to see Ultimate Reality as both changeless and ever-new, infinite and intimate, perfect and perpetually becoming—animated by the same love that pulses through every corner of creation. Through this lens, he invites us to view reality not as a closed system, but as a living, breathing process of growth, beauty, and co-creative transformation.
February 2026
February 12, 2026 at 7:00 am – February 14, 2026 at 4:00 pm PST
ORTLINE 2026 | An Online Open and Relational Theology Conference
This three-day online Zoom conference, hosted by Thomas Jay Oord, Jason Tripp, and Jonathan J. Foster features authors recently published in the field of open and relational theology.
February 19, 2026 at 5:00 pm – 6:15 pm PST
Interweavings: Deep Listening: Dynamic Practices and Living Texts
Rabbi Leila Gal Berner and Sheri D. Kling strongly believe that there is still something life-giving in both ancient texts and pre-modern practices, and that both can come alive in dynamic ways while still being grounded in timeless wisdom. In this event, Rabbi Berner and Dr. Kling will share their own experiences with reshaping traditional practices to reawaken modern sensibilities to potentially transforming encounters with texts and with the Divine.
May 2026
May 19, 2026 at 12:00 am – May 21, 2026 at 12:00 pm PDT
Process Philosophy in Under-Explored Traditions in Philosophical History: An Online Conference
This conference will be the first to birth this long overdue intellectual exchange as it offers an improved metaphysical framework for value and consciousness in all ontological entities to address various concerns that are facing humanity: economy, political, and environmental. Although there are hesitant answers to some of these global challenges facing humanity, the influence of substance-based analysis has yet to offer penetrative answers, in addition to the almost complete lack of interaction among scholars of process to explore their common ground for a common voice in the way that substance thought has done over the centuries.
July 2026
July 16, 2026 at 5:30 pm – July 20, 2026 at 2:00 am PDT
14th International Whitehead Conference
This global gathering of scholars, educators, and practitioners marks a pivotal moment to engage Alfred North Whitehead’s philosophy in dialogue with the pressing challenges and transformative opportunities of the 21st century. The theme of the 2026 International Whitehead Conference is: “Process Philosophy in a Time of Polycrisis: Science, Meaning, and Civilization.” The conference will explore how process thought can illuminate the great transitions of our time—toward a more sustainable, creative, and compassionate world.

Upcoming Conferences

14th International Whitehead Conference

Organized by Beijing Normal–Hong Kong Baptist University, Center for Process Studies, International Process Network

The 14th International Whitehead Conference will be held July 17–20, 2026, in Zhuhai, China, at Beijing Normal–Hong Kong Baptist University (BNBU). This global gathering of scholars, educators, and practitioners marks a pivotal moment to engage Alfred North Whitehead’s philosophy in dialogue with the pressing challenges and transformative opportunities of the 21st century. The theme of the 2026 International Whitehead Conference is: “Process Philosophy in a Time of Polycrisis: Science, Meaning, and Civilization.” The conference will explore how process thought can illuminate the great transitions of our time—toward a more sustainable, creative, and compassionate world.