Center for Process Studies Board

Joseph Atman’s life’s work is Middle Tree, a nonprofit supplemental education center in Claremont, CA. His goal with Middle Tree is to fix the broken education system by focusing on students’ individual needs, interests, and unique learning styles. Middle Tree is available to any and all students regardless of socioeconomic status and provides flexible support via creative resources and unlimited time to work. Dr. Atman writes extensively in the fields of Philosophy and Education and has authored two books which can be found in the library for free download. In addition, he has numerous recorded philosophical talks which can be found under podcasts. Joseph received his BA and MA in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in writing and philosophy from Hofstra University. After accepting an offer from Claremont Graduate University’s School of Religion as a PhD Fellow in the Philosophy of Religion and Theology, he later obtained his doctorate degree in Sacred Theology from Saint Mary’s Seminary.

John H. Buchanan received his master’s degree in humanistic/transpersonal psychology from West Georgia College and his doctorate from the Graduate Institute of the Liberal Arts at Emory University, where he first studied process thought with William Beardslee—then later with David Griffin. He has been trained and certified as a Holotropic Breathwork practitioner by Stan and Christina Grof. His book, Processing Reality: Finding Meaning in Death, Psychedelics, and Sobriety, based upon his continuing interests in process philosophy and transpersonal psychology, was published in the fall of 2022. Buchanan has contributed a number of journal articles and book chapters on similar topics, and in 2020 was contributing co-editor for Rethinking Consciousness: Extraordinary Challenges for Contemporary Science. Dr. Buchanan also serves as president of the Helios Foundation.

Philip Clayton is Ingraham Professor of Theology at Claremont School of Theology and affiliated faculty with Claremont Graduate University. A constructive Christian theologian, Philip has been a leader in dialogues with science, contemporary philosophy, and religious traditions East and West. He is particularly interested in the evolving understanding of Christian faith in the 21st century, and the societal changes that are necessary for establishing sustainable forms of civilization on this planet.

Pat Delaney received her BA in biology from Trevecca Nazarene College before pursuing graduate studies in philosophy at the University of Cincinnati. After the birth of her daughter she turned her attention to child development and pursued a teaching career in Manhattan Beach, California. Her lifelong interest in philosophy brought her to Claremont School of Theology summer institutes and the 2015 conference, Seizing the Alternative to an Ecological Civilization. Her emerging interest in the young child resulted in opportunities to offer seminars and collaborate with teachers at the Whitehead Kindergarten outside of Beijing, China. Pat was first drawn to process thought as a way to explain the problem of consciousness as well as the mystery and variety of subjective feelings—complex far beyond what survival would seem to require.

Dan Dombrowski is an American philosopher and professor emeritus of philosophy at Seattle University. Since 2009 he has served as Editor of the journal Process Studies, and is a past president of the Metaphysical Society of America (2018–19). Dan has authored more than twenty books and over 200 articles in scholarly journals in philosophy, theology, classics, and literature. His main areas of intellectual interest are history of philosophy, philosophy of religion, political philosophy, and Christian ethics. Dombrowski is widely considered a leading expert on the philosophy of Charles Hartshorne. In 2016, he was described as “the most important and prolific Hartshornean today”.

Bruce Hanson, PhD is an Emeritus Professor of Business at Concordia University Irvine. He has a PhD in Organizational Behavior from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, and is active in teaching, consulting and publishing internationally. His primary research interests are in Action Research and Organizational Development and Design. He has taught in the PhD program in Organizational Development at Assumption University in Thailand, as well as teaching in MBA programs at Shanghai University and Wuhan University over the course of two decades. He particularly engaged in the Institute for Post Modern Development in China and actively promoting goodwill between the US and China through the Living Earth Movement toward the development of an Ecological Civilization. Bruce lives in Ojai, California and is engaged in the conservation activities and social art.

Ronald Hines is a United Methodist ordained elder in the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference. He served as pastor at Seattle First Church (associate), Prosser, Tacoma Asbury, Puyallup First, and Yakima Wesley. He was Superintendent of Seven Rivers District from 2001 through 2009. Under supervision of United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, he served as pastor at Knox UMC, Manila, and the ecumenical University Church on the campus of Philippine Christian University and Union Theological Seminary, where I served on the faculty from 1986-94. He received an MDiv from United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio, in 1970 and a PhD in Personality and Religion, focus on education, from School of Theology at Claremont, California, 1976.

Gunna Jung is an ecological economist and professor emeritus at Hanshin University. He is one of the founders of EcoCiv Korea, a non-profit that works with partners in South Korea and around the world to promote a new paradigm for ecological civilization. A former visiting scholar of CPS, and member of the United Nations Harmony with Nature Project, Gunna has served as the director of the ‘Seoul International conference for Transition City’ hosted by Seoul Metropolitan City for four years. His recent work has involved the integration of process principles into Korean social & economic policies, having completed a Happiness Index as a Genuine Progress Index (GPI) for 16 local governments in Korea, and work on the ecological transition education initiative of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education

Catherine Keller is the George T. Cobb Professor of Constructive Theology in the Theological School and Graduate Division of Religion of Drew University. She teaches courses in process, political, and ecological theology, and practices theology as a relation between ancient hints of ultimacy and current matters of urgency. Within and beyond Christian conversation, she has mobilized the transdisciplinary potential of feminist, philosophical, and pluralist intersections with religion. Her books include Facing Apocalypse: Climate, Democracy, and Other Last Chances, Political Theology of the Earth: Our Planetary Emergency and the Struggle for a New Public, Intercarnations: On the Possibility of Theology, and Cloud of the Impossible: Negative Theology and Planetary Entanglement.

Rev. Dr. Leslie King is the Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Waco. She received her BA from Kansas University (’91) and her Masters of Divinity from McCormick Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Chicago (‘94). In 2010 she completed her Doctor of Ministry at Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City Missouri with an emphasis in Spirituality and Organizational Change. She began her service to First Presbyterian Church of Waco in 2012. Process Theology has been a passion since 2007 when she began her Doctor of Ministry. Since September 2020, she is a yoga instructor (RYT 200) with Spirit Bear Yoga and (RYT 500) with My Vinaysa Practice. She’s a member of Yoga Alliance. She enjoys leading yoga flows for the youth and adults of the church. Her particular interest is in Yin and Restorative yoga as it relates to spiritual well-being. Piano competency is slowly emerging and music is a source of joy. She has been married to DJ King since November of 1996 and together they enjoy watching their three young adult children, Cody, Katie and Claire make their way in the world. With a menagerie of stray animals, the Kings are glad to call Waco home.