David Ray Griffin

David Ray Griffin
David Ray Griffin
Full name David Ray Griffin
Born 1939
Era 20th-century philosophy
Region Western Philosophy
School Process Theology

David Ray Griffin (born 1939) is a retired American professor of philosophy of religion and theology. Along with John B. Cobb, Jr., he founded the Center for Process Studies in 1973, a research center of Claremont School of Theology which seeks to promote the common good by means of the relational approach found in process thought.[1]

More recently, Griffin has published a number of books on the subject of the September 11 attacks, suggesting that there was a conspiracy involving some elements of the United States government.[2]

Contents

Life and professional career

David Ray Griffin is a longtime resident of Santa Barbara, California, was a full-time academic from 1973 until April 2004. He is currently a co-director of the Center for Process Studies, and one of the foremost contemporary exponents of process theology, founded on the process philosophies of Alfred North Whitehead and Charles Hartshorne.

Griffin grew up in a small town in Oregon, where he was an active participant in his Disciples of Christ church. After deciding to become a minister, Griffin entered Northwest Christian College, but became disenchanted with the conservative-fundamentalist theology that was taught there. While getting his master’s degree in counseling from the University of Oregon, Griffin attended a lecture series delivered by Paul Tillich at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. At this time, Griffin made his decision to focus on philosophical theology. He eventually attended the Claremont Graduate University, where Griffin received his Ph.D. in 1970.[3]

As a student in Claremont, Griffin was initially interested in Eastern religions, particularly Vedanta. However, he started to become a process theologian while attending John B. Cobb’s seminar on Whitehead’s philosophy. According to Griffin, process theology, as presented by Cobb, “provided a way between the old supernaturalism, according to which God miraculously interrupted the normal causal processes now and then, and a view according to which God is something like a cosmic hydraulic jack, exerting the same pressure always and everywhere (which described rather aptly the position to which I had come)", (Primordial Truth and Postmodern Theology). Griffin applied Whitehead’s thought to the traditional theological subjects of christology and theodicy and argued that process theology also provided a sound basis for addressing contemporary social and ecological issues.[4]

After teaching theology and Eastern religions at the University of Dayton, Griffin came to appreciate the distinctively postmodern aspects of Whitehead’s thought. In particular, Griffin found Whitehead’s nonsensationist epistemology and panexperientialist ontology immensely helpful in addressing the major problems of modern philosophy, including the problems of mind-body interaction, the interaction between free and determined things, the emergence of experience from nonexperiencing matter, and the emergence of time in the evolutionary process. In 1973, Griffin returned to Claremont to establish, with Cobb, the Center for Process Studies at the Claremont School of Theology.[5]

While on research leave in 1980–81 at Cambridge University and Berkeley, the contrast between modernity and postmodernity became central to his work. Many of Griffin’s writings are devoted to developing postmodern proposals for overcoming the conflicts between religion and modern science. Griffin came to believe that much of the tension between religion and science was not only the result of reactionary supernaturalism, but also the mechanistic worldview associated with the rise of modern science in the seventeenth century. In 1983, Griffin started the Center for a Postmodern World in Santa Barbara, and became editor of the SUNY Series in Constructive Postmodern Philosophy between 1987 and 2004.[6]

Statements and publications on the September 11 attacks

Following the September 11 attacks, David Ray Griffin moved his focus from questions of philosophy and religion to ones of politics and history, specifically American expansionism and imperialism. He intended to write a book on the subject, presenting 9/11 in terms of "blowback" for aggressive United States foreign policies of the 20th century:

"Until the spring of 2003, I had not looked at any of the evidence. I was vaguely aware there were people, at least on the internet, who were offering evidence against the official account of 9/11... I knew the US government had 'fabricated' evidence to go to war several times before. Nevertheless... I did not take this possibility seriously... I was so confident that they must be wrong." [7]

After reading the work of Paul Thompson and Nafeez Ahmed, he became convinced that there was a prima facie case for the contention that there must have been complicity from individuals within the United States, and joined the 9/11 Truth Movement in calling for an extensive investigation from the United States media, Congress and the 9/11 Commission. At this time, he set about writing his first book on the subject, which he called The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions About the Bush Administration and 9/11 (2004).[8]

Part One of the book looks at the events of 9/11, discussing each flight in turn and also the behaviour of President George W. Bush and his Secret Service protection. Part Two examines 9/11 in a wider context, in the form of four "disturbing questions". David Ray Griffin discussed this book and the claims within it in an interview with Nick Welsh, reported under the headline Thinking Unthinkable Thoughts: Theologian Charges White House Complicity in 9/11 Attack.[9]

Critics of Griffin's thesis, such as Chip Berlet, say that many of the claims in the book are refutable.[10] Griffin has rejected these criticisms [11] and debated Berlet.[12]

Griffin's second book on the subject was a direct critique of the 9/11 Commission Report, called The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions And Distortions (2005).[13] Griffin's article The 9/11 Commission Report: A 571-page Lie summarises this book, presenting 115 instances of either omissions or distortions of evidence he claims are in the report, stating that "the entire Report is constructed in support of one big lie: that the official story about 9/11 is true."[14]

In his next book, Christian Faith and the Truth Behind 9/11: A Call to Reflection and Action (2006), he summarizes some of what he believes is evidence for government complicity and reflects on its implications for Christians. The Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, publishers of the book, noted that Griffin is a distinguished theologian, and praised the book’s religious content, but said, "The board believes the conspiracy theory is spurious and based on questionable research."[15][16]

In 2006, Griffin, along with Peter Dale Scott, edited 9/11 and the American Empire: Intellectuals Speak Out, a collection of essays including Steven Jones' paper Why Indeed Did The World Trade Center Towers Collapse?.[17] Debunking 9/11 Debunking (2007) looks at the way mainstream media such as Popular Mechanics have sought to debunk the alternative 9/11 theories and the tactics he claims they employ to persuade the reader that they have done so.[18] In 9/11 Contradictions: An Open Letter to Congress and the Press (2008) he presents chapters on 25 alleged contradictions involving elements of the "accepted story" of 9/11, and calls for Congress and the press to investigate and resolve them.[19]

David Ray Griffin has delivered several lectures that are popular within the 9/11 Truth Movement, and has given interviews on alternative media shows such as The Alex Jones Show.[20] A lecture entitled 9/11 and American Empire: How should religious people respond?, delivered on April 18, 2005 at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, was aired by C-SPAN.[21] At the end of one of his lectures, 9/11: The Myth and the Reality, Griffin was asked why a theologian would take such an interest in 9/11, to which he replied: "If 9/11 is not a religious issue, then I don't know what is."[22]

In a review published in the magazine The Nation, former Central Intelligence Agency agent Robert Baer dismissed the gist of Griffin's writings as one in a long line of conspiracy theories about national tragedies, but stated that the Bush administration had created a climate of secrecy and mistrust that helped generate such explanations.[23] He later said:

"Until we get a complete, honest, transparent investigation—not one based on 'confession' extracted by torture—we will never know what happened on 9/11. David Griffin will never let this go until we get the truth."[24]

Affiliations

References

  1. ^ "About the Center". The Center for Process Studies. http://www.ctr4process.org/about/general.shtml. Retrieved December 14, 2009. 
  2. ^ Powell, Michael (September 8, 2006). "The Disbelievers – 9/11 Conspiracy Theorists Are Building Their Case Against the Government From Ground Zero". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/07/AR2006090701669.html. Retrieved May 1, 2010. 
  3. ^ Directory of history departments and organizations in the United States and Canada. American Historical Association. 1991. p. 101. 
  4. ^ David R. Griffin (2007). Whitehead's radically different postmodern philosophy: an argument for its contemporary relevance. State University of New York. 
  5. ^ Leslie A. Muray (2008). Liberal Protestantism and science. Greenwood Press. p. 97. 
  6. ^ Kevin J. Vanhoozer, ed (2003). The Cambridge companion to postmodern theology. Cambridge Univ. Press. p. 94. 
  7. ^ Griffin, David Ray; Richard Falk (2004). The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions About the Bush Administration and 9/11. p. 13. ISBN 1566565529. http://bogusstory.com/TheNewPearlHarbor.html/. Retrieved July 26, 2007. 
  8. ^ Griffin, David Ray; Richard Falk. The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions About the Bush Administration and 9/11. ISBN 1566565529. http://bogusstory.com/TheNewPearlHarbor.html/. Retrieved July 26, 2007. 
  9. ^ Native Forest Council: News
  10. ^ PublicEye.org – Post 9/11 Conspiracism
  11. ^ PublicEye.org – Response to Chip Berlet's Review of "The New Pearl Harbor"
  12. ^ Democracy Now! | The New Pearl Harbor: A Debate On A New Book That Alleges The Bush Administration Was Behind The 9/11 Attacks
  13. ^ Griffin, David (2004). The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions and Distortions. Olive Branch Press. ISBN 1566565847. 
  14. ^ "David Ray Griffin's "The 9/11 Commission Report: A 571-page Lie"". http://www.911truth.org/article.php?story=20050523112738404. 
  15. ^ Smith, Peter (2006). "Presbyterian publishing board criticizes own book". courier-journal.com. The Courier-Journal. http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061116/NEWS01/61116033/1008/NEWS01. Retrieved November 28, 2006. [dead link]
  16. ^ Kane, Jason (2006). "PPC backs away from 9/11 conspiracy book". Presbyterian News Service. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2006/06596.htm. Retrieved November 28, 2006. 
  17. ^ Griffin, David Ray (2006). 9/11 and American Empire: Intellectuals Speak Out, Vol. 1. Olive Branch Press. ISBN 1566566592. 
  18. ^ Griffin, David Ray (2007). Debunking 9/11 Debunking: An Answer to Popular Mechanics and Other Defenders of the Official Conspiracy Theory.. Olive Branch Press. ISBN 978-1566566865. 
  19. ^ Thomsson, Lena (May 2, 2009). "25 frågor hela världen vill ha svar på". Gefle Dagblad. http://gd.se/kultur/boken/1.1008102. Retrieved May 26, 2009. 
  20. ^ Alex Jones Interviews David Ray Griffin
  21. ^ 911truth.org ::::: 9/11 and American Empire: How should religious people respond?
  22. ^ "9/11: The Myth and the Reality" Lecture
  23. ^ "Dangerous Liaisons," September 27, 2004)
  24. ^ Amazon.com: Debunking 9/11 Debunking: An Answer to Popular Mechanics and Other Defenders of the Official Conspiracy Theory: Books: David Ray Griffin

Books

About Philosophy, Theology, Religion and Nature Science

  • Physics and the Ultimate Significance of Time: Bohm, Prigogine and Process Philosophy, State University of New York Press, 1986, ISBN 0-88706-115-X
  • The Reenchantment of Science: Postmodern Proposals (Suny Series in Constructive Postmodern Thought), State Univ of New York Press, 1988, ISBN 0-88706-784-0
  • Spirituality and Society: Postmodern Visions (Suny Series in Constructive Postmodern Thought), State University of New York Press, 1988, ISBN 0-88706-853-7
  • Varieties of Postmodern Theology (Suny Series in Constructive Postmodern Thought), State University of New York Press, 1989, ISBN 0-7914-0050-6
  • God and Religion in the Postmodern World: Essays in Postmodern Theology (Constructive Postmodern Thought), State University of New York Press, 1989, ISBN 0-88706-929-0
  • Archetypal Process: Self and Divine in Whitehead, Jung, and Hillman, Northwestern University Press, 1990, ISBN 0-8101-0815-1
  • Sacred Interconnections: Postmodern Spirituality, Political Economy and Art (SUNY Series in Constructive Postmodern Thought), State University of New York Press, 1990, ISBN 0-7914-0231-2
  • Primordial Truth and Postmodern Theology (Suny Series in Constructive Postmodern Thought), State University of New York Press, 1990, ISBN 0-7914-0198-7
  • God, Power, and Evil: A Process Theodicy, University Press of America, 1991, ISBN 0-8191-7687-7
  • Evil Revisited: Responses and Reconsiderations, State University of New York Press, 1991, ISBN 0-7914-0612-1
  • Founders of Constructive Postmodern Philosophy: Peirce, James, Bergson, Whitehead, and Hartshorne (SUNY Series in Constructive Postmodern Thought), State University of New York Press, 1993, ISBN 0-7914-1333-0
  • Postmodern Politics for a Planet in Crisis: Policy, Process, and Presidential Vision (SUNY Series in Constructive Postmodern Thought), State University of New York Press, 1993, ISBN 0-7914-1485-X
  • Jewish Theology and Process Thought (Suny Series in Constructive Postmodern Thought), State University of New York Press, 1996, ISBN 0-7914-2810-9
  • Parapsychology, Philosophy, and Spirituality: A Postmodern Exploration (SUNY Series in Constructive Postmodern Thought), State University of New York Press, 1997, ISBN 0-7914-3315-3
  • Reenchantment Without Supernaturalism: A Process Philosophy of Religion (Cornell Studies in the Philosophy of Religion),Cornell University Press, 2000, ISBN 0-8014-3778-4
  • Religion and Scientific Naturalism: Overcoming the Conflicts (SUNY Series in Constructive Postmodern Thought),State University of New York Press, 2000, ISBN 0-7914-4563-1
  • Process Theology and the Christian Good News: A Response to Classical Free Will Theism in 'Searching for an Adequate God: A Dialogue between Process and Free Will Theists', Cobb and Pinnock (editors), Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2000, ISBN 0-8028-4739-0
  • Two Great Truths: A New Synthesis of Scientific Naturalism and Christian Faith, Westminster John Knox Press, 2004, ISBN 0-664-22773-2
  • Whitehead's Radically Different Postmodern Philosophy: An Argument for Its Contemporary Relevance (SUNY Series in Philosophy), State University of New York Press, 2007, ISBN 0-7914-7049-0

About the September 11 attacks

  • The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions and Distortions, Olive Branch Press, 2004, ISBN 1-56656-584-7
  • Christian Faith and the Truth Behind 9/11: A Call to Reflection and Action, Westminster John Knox Press, 2006, ISBN 0-664-23117-9
  • The American Empire and the Commonwealth of God: A Political, Economic, Religious Statement, with John B. Cobb, Richard A. Falk and Catherine Keller, Westminster John Knox Press, 2006, ISBN 0-664-23009-1
  • 9/11 and American Empire: Intellectuals Speak Out, Vol. 1, editor, with Peter Dale Scott, Olive Branch Press, 2006, ISBN 1-56656-659-2
  • Debunking 9/11 Debunking: An Answer to Popular Mechanics and Other Defenders of the Official Conspiracy Theory (Revised & Updated Edition), Olive Branch Press, Paperback: 392 pages, March 2007, ISBN 1-56656-686-X
  • 9/11 Contradictions: An Open Letter to Congress and the Press, Interlink Publishing Group, March 2008, ISBN 1-56656-716-5
  • New Pearl Harbor Revisited: 9/11, the Cover-up and the Exposé, Olive Branch Press, September 2008, ISBN 1-56656-729-7
  • The Mysterious Collapse of World Trade Center 7: Why the Final Official Report About 9/11 Is Unscientific and False, Interlink Publishing, September 2009, ISBN 1-56656-786-6
  • The Mysterious Collapse of World Trade Center 7: Why the Final Official Report About 9/11 Is Unscientific and False, Interlink Publishing, Arris Books UK, September 2009, ISBN 1-84437-083-6
  • Cognitive Infiltration: An Obama Appointee's Plan to Undermine the 9/11 Conspiracy Theory, Olive Branch Press, September 2010
  • 9/11 Ten Years Later: When State Crimes Against Democracy Succeed , Olive Branch Press, September 6, 2011, ISBN-13: 978-1566568685

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • David Ray Griffin — (2006) David Ray Griffin (* 8. August 1939) ist ein emeritierter US amerikanischer Professor für Religionsphilosophie und Theologie. Zusammen mit John B. Cobb, Jr. wird er als einer der fundamentalen Denker in der Prozesstheologie betrachtet und… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • David Ray Griffin — en 2006. David Ray Griffin, né en 1939, est un professeur retraité de philosophie de la religion et de théologie de l Université de Claremont (États Unis)[1], spécialiste de la théologie du Process …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Griffin (surname) — Griffin Family name Griffin coat of arms Meaning descendant of the Griffin like Footnotes …   Wikipedia

  • David Griffin — may refer to: David Griffin (English actor) (born 1943) David Griffin (US actor) (born 1977) David Ray Griffin (born 1939), American philosopher and theologian David Griffin (Australian) (born 1915), Australian politician (one time Lord Mayor of… …   Wikipedia

  • David Griffin (disambiguation) — David Griffin is the name of:*David Griffin (b. 1943), English actor *David Griffin (actor) (b. 1977), American actor who goes by the stage name Jave Griffin *David Ray Griffin (b. 1939), American philosopher and theologian *David Griffin (b.… …   Wikipedia

  • Griffin — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Adrian Griffin (* 1974), US amerikanischer Basketballspieler Alan Griffin (* 1960), australischer Politiker Andy Griffin (* 1979), englischer Fußballspieler Angela Griffin (* 1976), englische… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • David Icke — Icke in 2008 Born David Vaughan Icke 29 April 1952 (1952 04 29) (age 59) Leicester, England …   Wikipedia

  • Griffin — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Sommaire 1 Patronyme 1.1 Nom composé 2 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • David Shayler — Shayler in 2005 David Shayler (born 24 December 1965) is a British journalist and former MI5 (Security Service) officer.[1] Shayler earned notoriety after being prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act 1989 for his pa …   Wikipedia

  • David Robinson (basketball) — David Robinson No. 50 Center Personal information Date of birth August 6, 1965 (1965 08 06) …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”