About the Author

Demian Wheeler is Assistant Professor of Philosophical Theology and Religious Studies at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. He received his Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary, where he specialized in American liberal theology. His research focuses on the Chicago School of American liberal theology and the streams of theological and philosophical thought that flow into and out of it: pragmatic historicism, religious naturalism, empirical theology, and process philosophy. David E. Conner received his M.Div and Th.D. From Iliff School of Theology. He studied process philosophy with John Cobb, David Griffin, Charles Milligan, and Harvey Potthoff, who was himself a student of Whitehead's at Harvard. Conner has written several articles focusing on science and religion and on an empirical approach to process theology. He is co-pastor of the Wheat Ridge (Colorado) Congregation of the United Church of Christ.

Reviews

For anyone concerned about a global ecological crisis that is no longer looming but appears to have arrived, this book will offer a timely and valuable reading experience. Whitehead's ideas supply a focal point, but the interpretations of his thought included here are quite diverse; nor is the subject matter of this book limited to Whitehead or even to process philosophy in general. No single "alternative" to traditional ways of thinking about nature and our human place in it is defended in these pages, but a great many possibilities are sketched and entertained. Originating in a lively 2015 gathering of philosophers in Claremont, California, this remarkable collection of essays should ensure that the important conversation initiated there will continue. Michael L. Raposa, Professor of Religion Studies and the E. W. Fairchild Professor of American Studies, Lehigh UniversityOne glance at the list of authors collected in Conceiving an Alternativeconvinced me I had to read it. Happily, they do not all agree on the proper interpretation of Whitehead, but they all provide a fresh and timely perspective on the varieties of naturalism and process thought available for creating an "ecological civilization." Demian Wheeler and David Conner have produced an exciting collection. Nancy Frankenberry, John Phillips Professor in Religion Emeritus, Dartmouth College