Can the philosophical vision of Alfred North Whitehead and the life of Jesus of Nazareth unite to ignite a deeply personal and progressively transformative faith?

In Whitehead and Jesus, author Bruce G. Epperly charts a deeply personal and theological journey spanning over fifty years, exploring the dynamic interplay between the renowned philosopher Alfred North Whitehead and Jesus. This text is both autobiographical and theological, detailing how both figures transformed, and continue to transform, the author’s life.

Epperly, a theologian shaped by both his cradle evangelical roots and a progressive, process-relational perspective, seeks to explore the imaginative and textual impact of Jesus on Whitehead’s philosophical vision. He aims to inspire Christians to see how process theology can be enriched by a personal and mystical relationship with Jesus.

Discover a “Bigger Jesus” and a Relational God:

Through this unique synthesis, readers will encounter a vision of God and faith that moves beyond fear and dogma toward love and adventure. This book reveals:

Jesus as the Divine Companion: Jesus is presented as the Teacher, Healer, Companion, and Guide, embodying the Word and Wisdom of God. He reveals God as the “great companion – the fellow sufferer who understands”.
A Non-Coercive Vision of Power: The work highlights the profound truth, divined by Plato and supremely revealed in Christ, that the divine element in the world is a “persuasive agency and not as a coercive agency”.
The Realm of God as Shalom: Epperly joins Whitehead’s cosmology with Jesus’s prophetic vision, emphasizing that the Kingdom of Heaven is “with us today”. The realm of God is a quest for Shalom, wholeness, justice, and reconciliation that must be realized “on earth”.
An Adventure of the Spirit: Faith is framed not as a “rule of safety” but as “an adventure of the spirit, a flight after the unattainable”. This adventure leads to a lively, open, and holistic vision of Jesus that joins contemplation and action (contemplative activism) to help heal the earth.
Universal Love: The book affirms a “bigger Jesus,” known by love and hospitality, who opens us to appreciate truth wherever it is found. Jesus is “historically and intimately localized” but also “universalized, unbounded, and global in impact”.

Whitehead and Jesus is an insightful call to embrace an “open-spirited and growing relationship” with Jesus and claim your vocation as God’s companion in the continuing Holy Adventure of creation.

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Whitehead and Jesus