Whiteheadian philosophy and Christology in the work of John B. Cobb Jr.

This thesis investigates John B. Cobb Jr.’s theological development, focusing explicitly on the metaphysical and Christological tensions that characterise his engagement with Alfred North Whitehead’s process philosophy. I argue that Cobb’s theological trajectory is fundamentally shaped by a dual commitment: fidelity both to Whitehead’s philosophical framework and to Christian theology. This dual allegiance, although richly generative, introduced persistent structural and methodological tensions in his theological project. My original contribution to the existing scholarship lies in demonstrating that this dual commitment was not merely incidental but constitutive of Cobb’s entire theological enterprise, particularly visible through his successive metaphysical revisions and evolving Christological articulations. By closely analysing Cobb’s seminal texts—particularly the two editions of A Christian Natural Theology (1965 and 2007) alongside his Christological reflections spanning from Christ in a Pluralistic Age (1975) to Jesus’ Abba (2016)—I establish that Cobb’s initial revision of Whiteheadian metaphysics, while bold and innovative, was insufficient to sustain a coherent and relational Christology. The early Cobb attempted to present Christ as a universal cosmic principle, but this approach created unresolved philosophical tensions concerning divine agency, the uniqueness of Jesus, and God’s relational character. These tensions underscore the inherent difficulty of harmonising Whiteheadian metaphysics with core affirmations of Christian theology, especially Christology. A significant turning point occurred in Cobb’s 2007 revision of Whitehead’s doctrine of God, which I identify as a re-revision pivotal for his theological coherence. This later reconfiguration—particularly regarding divine temporality, agency, and relational creativity—enabled Cobb to articulate a Christology that was at once distinctly Christocentric and authentically pluralistic. Unlike his earlier Christological vision, Cobb’s mature position no longer posited a universal metaphysical Christ projected onto all religious traditions. Instead, he proposed a contextual confession of Jesus as the definitive revelation of divine love specifically for Christians, coupled with a genuine openness to diverse religious expressions of divine presence. Cobb’s progression from a “pluralistic Christ” to a “relativistic Christ” thus reflects a broader philosophical transition from metaphysical universalism to a form of “process pluralism.” This thesis, therefore, presents a novel interpretive synthesis of Cobb’s theological journey: it shows how the misalignment between Cobb’s early metaphysical revisions and his Christological aspirations found resolution through significant later modifications. By highlighting this pattern of theological development, my analysis reveals Cobb’s sustained effort to maintain metaphysical coherence without sacrificing the core affirmations of his Christological theology. This dynamic illustrates the heart of process theology itself—a theology perpetually in process—and underscores Cobb’s legacy as a theologian deeply committed to both rigorous philosophical reflection and robust Christian theology.

Citation

Raj, C. (2026). Whiteheadian philosophy and Christology in the work of John B. Cobb Jr. [Unpublished doctoral thesis]. University of Chester.

Publisher

University of Chester

URI

https://chesterrep.openrepository.com/handle/10034/630062

Type

Thesis or dissertation

Language

en