Rich, Charles Mark

Dr. Charles Mark Rich holds a Ph.D from the University of Chicago, Divinity School. He is currently retired and living in Oregon after teaching philosophy at Pierce College in Washington.

Naturalistic Theism of Henry Nelson Wieman (1884-1975). The Creator of an American Process Theology

2012 0-7734-2924-7
Henry Nelson Wieman was one of the most influential American religious figures of the late twentieth century. His work is examined here in relation to other notable thinkers such as Henri Bergson, William James, James Dewey, Alfred Whitehead, and Josiah Royce among others. He was also a mentor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his work set the stage for naturalistic theism. Wieman believed that creative religion constituted by self-giving individuals must always exist in relation to divine cosmic individuality. A radically individual nature of the process of change means that religion must encourage collective actions towards justice through an appeal to the individual rather than the group. What calls the subject to action is co-related to what the individual perceives as a totality of lived experiences.