Greetings from Process & Faith! I am honored to have joined the Center for Process Studies as Director of this exciting multifaith network for relational spirituality and the common good. As a graduate of CST’s doctoral program in process studies, I have been a part of the process world for a few years now. It is a joy to return to this particular community – and to my alma mater – in a professional capacity.
As a theologian, I have observed our world become more and more fragmented – at all levels – and so the need is great for integration and reconnection. The re-binding back to wholeness is the traditional realm of wisdom traditions and spiritual practices. Yet even those who do not affiliate with organized religion seem to be hungry for ways of understanding, experiencing, and living that are whole-making and that contribute to the flourishing of all. This is the unique perspective that we offer in the process community.
The recent reimagining of Process & Faith led to the expression of four core values: 1) whole persons, 2) whole communities, 3) whole planet, and 4) holistic thinking. We affirm ideas such as that: everything is connected and all beings inter-become; all living beings have value for themselves as well as for others; the universe is purposive – beauty, creativity, and life are part of its makeup and intimately related; the cosmos is alive with creativity – it is not a machine made up of “dead” matter; and humans are part of, not apart from, this larger whole. We find our fulfillment by living with respect and care for all life, both human and non-human.
My hope for Process & Faith is that we can grow our community with people who are interested in learning with, from, and about each other – both those who follow the same spiritual path and those on different paths. We will work to foster transformative relationships that enable us to experience positive change and facilitate creative transformation in the world. My role will be to support the good work already begun in educational offerings, interfaith collaborations, and resource creation and to bring whatever gifts I have to offer to expand this work. Won’t you join us? Visit processandfaith.org to learn more!
— Dr. Sheri D. Kling