The Call of the Spirit: Process Spirituality in a Relational World
Back in print! This small gem, unavailable for years, has now been republished by Process Century Press and is ready for a new generation of readers. In a series of reflections, the authors create a rhythm that begins with Cobb on process theology, moves to Epperly on personal spirituality, onward to Nancarrow on corporate practice, then begins anew with Cobb.
In a time when there are so many challenges to the idea of the common good, this book reminds us that, In a process-relational world, to love God is to be swept up into God’s own love for the world. It is to become a participant in God’s great compassion. To develop spirituality in this relational world of ours is to develop the habit of attentiveness to the call of the Spirit, which will lead us ever more deeply into lives that are marked by compassion of God. As Suchocki writes in her introduction, “These nine essays form an integral whole, combining a careful analysis of relational dynamics with very practical suggestions for personal and communal ways of intensifying our spirituality. The essays flow from the wellsprings of spirituality in each of our authors; they are “lived” essays, and not simply theoretical discussions. To read the essays, then, is to be invited into the privilege of seeing how the call of the Spirit has been answered in each of these three lives. One can join with them by reading this book meditatively, reflecting on one’s own responses to the issues named. But one can also read this book as a kind of manual, giving tested instruction for persons and for communities to focus intentionally on increasing our spiritual awareness. In this sense, then, perhaps the book functions according to its apt title—it may, indeed, represent for us the call of the Spirit.”
About the Author
Dr. John B. Cobb, Jr. is an American theologian, philosopher, and environmentalist. Described by historian Gary Dorrien as one of the two most important North American theologians of the twentieth century, Cobb is the preeminent scholar in the field of process philosophy and process theology, and the author of more than fifty books. In 2014, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Cobb is a founding co-director of the Center for Process Studies and Professor Emeritus of Claremont School of Theology and Claremont Graduate University.
Bruce Epperly is Theologian in Residence at Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ, Bethesda, MD and a professor in theology and spirituality at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington DC. He is the author of over eighty books, including Jesus: Mystic, Healer, and Prophet; Messy Incarnation: Meditations on Christ in Process; and Homegrown Mystics: Restoring Our Nation with the Healing Wisdom of America’s Visionaries. His latest books are Creation Sings: Forty Days of Spiritual Wisdom from the Non-human World and Three Wise Wisdom: The Twelve Days of Christmas with Mary, Elizabeth, and Anna (volume seven in “The Twelve Days of Christmas” series) along with the recently released Lenten devotional, Just a Little Walk with Jesus: A Spiritual Saunter with Mark’s Gospel and Whitehead and Jesus: An Adventure in Spiritual Transformation. He is married to Rev. Kate Epperly, D.Min. and lives in Potomac, Maryland.
Dr. Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki is Professor Emerita, Claremont School of Theology, Faculty Co-Director Emerita of the Center for Process Studies, and Director Emerita of the Common Good Film Festival (formerly, Whitehead International Film Festival). Among her many books are God Christ Church: A Practical Guide to Process Theology; The End of Evil: Process Eschatology in Historical Context; The Fall to Violence: Original Sin in Relational Theology; and Through a Lens Darkly: Tracing Redemption in Film.
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