God in Process Theology (AQA A-Level Religious Studies): Revision Notes
God in Process Theology
Introduction to Process Theology
Process Theology offers a significantly different understanding of God compared to traditional Christian concepts. This theological approach challenges conventional beliefs about God's nature, particularly regarding creation and divine power.
The key scholar for this topic is David Griffin, whose work presents a distinctive interpretation of God's relationship with the universe. Process Theology appears across several areas of study, including the nature of God, the problem of evil, and beliefs about life after death.
Historical foundations
Process Theology emerged from the work of Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947), an English philosopher and mathematician whose thinking was profoundly influenced by developments in quantum mechanics.
Key background:
- Newtonian physics viewed the universe as a precise, mechanical system operating by fixed mathematical laws
- Quantum mechanics revealed a very different reality at the subatomic level - one characterised by constant flux and change
- Whitehead concluded that if the universe is in a state of dynamic change, then God must also be growing and changing
This scientific understanding of reality as a process of constant change became the foundation for rethinking God's nature and relationship with creation.
Griffin's rejection of creation from nothing
The traditional interpretation
Most Christians accept the doctrine of creatio ex nihilo - 'creation out of nothing'. This belief holds that God brought the universe into existence from absolute nothingness.
The standard translation of Genesis 1:1-3 appears to support this view:
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. And God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
This translation suggests God's first creative act was calling the universe into existence from nothing through words of creative power.
Griffin's alternative translation
Griffin argues this traditional translation is incorrect. He proposes a more accurate rendering of the Hebrew text:
In the beginning of God's creating the heavens and the earth, the earth being without form and void, and darkness being upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God moving over the face of the waters, God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
The crucial difference: The second translation assumes the universe already existed. The phrase 'the earth being without form and void' indicates pre-existing matter rather than creation from nothing. God's creative work involved bringing order to existing chaos, not creating matter itself.
Core claims of Process Theology about creation
According to Griffin's interpretation:
The universe is uncreated and eternal
- The universe has always existed
- What existed was primitive, unformed matter - essentially chaos
- There was no moment of creation from nothing
God and the universe exist together
- God has also always existed alongside the universe
- Similar to how human minds and bodies exist together, God and the universe exist in relationship
- This is called panentheism - meaning everything is in God and God is in the universe
- Both are eternal and uncreated
God's role is persuasion rather than creation
- God did not create matter from nothing
- God persuaded chaotic matter to develop into increasingly ordered and complex forms
- The development of galaxies demonstrates this ongoing persuasion toward order
- The evolution of life on Earth is another example of God's persuasive work
- God brings order out of chaos rather than creating from nothing
Supporting evidence
Griffin's interpretation gains credibility from the connection between Genesis and earlier Babylonian creation stories. The Babylonian accounts clearly depict gods creating the world from pre-existing chaotic matter, suggesting Genesis reflects the same ancient understanding.
Exam tip: Be able to explain both translations of Genesis 1:1-3 and demonstrate how the difference in wording leads to fundamentally different conclusions about God's nature and creative role.
Griffin's rejection of God's omnipotence
Process Theology challenges the traditional Christian belief that God is omnipotent (all-powerful). Griffin presents two interconnected arguments:
Argument one: creation and power are linked
Linking Creation and Power
- Traditional belief in God's omnipotence relies heavily on the doctrine of creation from nothing
- A God who could bring the entire universe into existence from absolute nothing would possess truly unlimited power
- However, if God did not create the universe from nothing, His power must be limited
- There is something God cannot do: He cannot now create the universe, as it has always existed
- Therefore, God cannot possess unlimited power
Argument two: matter resists God's persuasion
Process theologians use an analogy between human experience and God's relationship with the universe:
The mind-body comparison:
- We only ever experience minds that are connected to bodies
- Our minds can control some aspects of our bodies but not others
- As Jesus noted in Matthew 6:27, we cannot increase our height or lifespan simply through anxiety or willpower
- Similarly, God's relationship with the universe resembles a mind working with a body
Implications for divine power:
- God works to persuade the vast universe toward greater order and complexity
- This persuasion takes considerable time - approximately 13.7 billion years since the Big Bang to organise the universe into its current form
- Chaotic matter possesses some power of its own to resist God's persuasion
- God's power is immense but not unlimited
- Therefore, God is not omnipotent in the traditional sense
Exam tip: When discussing Process Theology's view of divine power, emphasise both aspects: what God cannot do (create from nothing) and what limits God's actions (resistance from chaotic matter).
Assessing the Process view of God
Strengths of Process Theology
Scientific coherence
Quantum mechanics demonstrates that at the subatomic level, reality is characterised by chaotic processes and constant change. This scientific discovery supports Griffin's claim that God works with pre-existing chaotic material to bring about order.
Process Theology aligns with contemporary scientific understanding of reality, making it philosophically attractive to those who value harmony between theology and science.
Biblical accuracy
Griffin is probably correct that the Hebrew text of Genesis 1:1-3 describes creation from chaotic matter rather than from nothing. The connection to Babylonian creation stories, which clearly depict creation from pre-existing chaos, strongly supports this interpretation. This may be a more historically accurate reading of the biblical text.
Addressing the problem of evil
God's lack of omnipotence can be viewed as a theological strength. It provides a coherent explanation for why God does not prevent evil - He simply cannot, because His power is limited. This makes the existence of evil philosophically compatible with belief in a good God.
Weaknesses of Process Theology
Challenges to worship
Many theologians argue that a non-omnipotent God would not be worthy of worship. Traditional Christian faith centres on God's unlimited power and sovereignty. A God with limited power may seem less divine or less deserving of devotion.
Conflicts with biblical teaching
Numerous biblical passages appear to affirm God's unlimited power. Process Theology requires reinterpreting or rejecting many scriptural texts, creating tension with traditional Christian doctrine.
Tentative claims
Process theologians generally acknowledge their interpretation is not definitively proven. They argue their view is 'probably' correct based on observations of the universe. This uncertainty may weaken the theological argument for some.
Exam tip: When evaluating Process Theology, balance its philosophical advantages (particularly regarding the problem of evil) against its significant departures from traditional Christian beliefs. Consider whether scientific coherence outweighs challenges to core doctrines.
Summary
Key Points to Remember:
- Process Theology developed from Alfred North Whitehead's work, influenced by quantum mechanics showing constant change and flux in the universe
- Griffin argues God did not create from nothing but persuaded pre-existing chaotic matter into ordered forms
- According to Process Theology, both the universe and God are eternal, existing together panentheistically (everything in God, God in everything)
- God is not omnipotent because He did not create from nothing and because chaotic matter possesses power to resist His persuasion
- Process Theology has strengths (scientific support, explains problem of evil) but also significant weaknesses (challenges traditional worship, conflicts with many biblical passages)