Abstract
Several years ago in a valuable assessment of the prospects for philosophical theology Malcolm Diamond urged those who are persuaded of the importance of Alfred North Whitehead's metaphysics to apply Whitehead's insights to areas other than theology lest they end up, like the Barthians, talking only to themselves.' He correctly noted that the consensus among contemporary analytic philosophers is still to treat both speculative metaphysics and theology as questionable enterprises. However, he remarked, if Whitehead's metaphysical thought were used to illustrate problems in areas other than theology (e.g., the biophysical sciences), and if this were "well done," contemporary thinkers would be forced to pay attention to this mode of thought in spite of their reluctance. In support of this claim he cited the example of Reinhold Niebuhr, who captured the attention of a generation of hostile intellectuals "by means of the power of his insights into politics, labor relations, international affairs, and the rest." The example, alone, shows that the advice is valuable and should be taken seriously.