Why I Am A Process Theologian

Months ago, I was asked to write what/who G!d is to me, and how I relate to Her/Him/It. I have spent much of my time throughout the years pondering this, and I had reached a point where I could easily expound what I did not believe, but putting into words what I did believe was much more challenging.

I finally began writing, and the words flowed. I shared it all here. It finally felt right, that I had begun to formulate words and articulate meaning, and furthermore, that it all made sense to me. I searched for similar theologies, but came up empty. Thinking I was perhaps alone in my thinking about G!d, I began trying to develop one word to describe it. I then decided I would table this for the time being, and further develop my thoughts on the subject after June when I no longer have seminary work and volunteer work which currently keeps me more busy than I should be.

Two weeks ago, I was asked the question again, with only a slight difference. I was asked to "State, as briefly as possible, your personal belief in and/or your concept of G!d." Knowing I had previously addressed this, it was tempting just to copy and paste. But I've always taken the opportunity for a repeat question to expand on my previous reply, or to learn something additional about the subject. And this time, I hit pay dirt!

I actually found a name for my theological constructs concerning G!d, which means now I don't have to write a book about it, and I can find others who also believe similarly. I was thrilled at having this new information! It turns out, I am firmly in the camp of those who describe themselves as Process Theologians.

There are Christian Process Theologians, and Jewish Process Theologians, and the Process Philosopher-Mathematician who first named this construct back in
1929 was not even a philosopher––Alfred north Whitehead.  At the tender young age of 68 (there's still hope for me!), he published his most famous treatise on the subject, Process and Reality. He never took a course in philosophy beyond undergrad, and considered himself an amateur at best. And yet, in later life, he became an important and influential 20th century philosopher. In fact, Process Philosophy has been applied to a wide variety of disciplines, including ecology, theology, education, physics, biology, economics, ethics, and psychology.

Whitehead argued that reality consists of processes rather than material objects, and that processes are best defined by their relations with other processes, thus rejecting the theory that reality is fundamentally constructed by bits of matter that exist independently of one another. Furthermore, Whitehead's process philosophy argues that "there is urgency in coming to see the world as a web of interrelated processes of which we are integral parts, so that all of our choices and actions have consequences for the world around us." In other words, our world, our relationships, and all of creation and the cosmos can be seen as similar to the interconnected invisible network we today know as the World Wide Web. The internet it is a highly interactive network, changing and shifting both as a result of our growing knowledge in technology, and as a result of the user interface (that would be us).

Might this concept help me, help us, understand G!d? Might this be the theological construct which had already revealed itself in my own ponderings without ever having heard of Process Theology? Yes, and yes.

And so I answered the question again....

G!d is, at the end of the day, completely Unexplainable, for all human attempts to say anything at all about G!d are both limited and ever evolving, changing as we gain new insights into the workings of the universe and as our minds gain new understanding. I am less interested in trying to “define” What/Who G!d is, than to have  a set of concepts and metaphors that provide a frame through which to make sense of my life and the world around me. The most brief statement I can make which summarizes my entire concept of G!d is this: Ehy!h Asher Ehy!h.

All life, whether electrons or humans, everything that exists, is in the process of becoming, unfolding, evolving, packets of energy vibrating and moving. G!d, too, is in process, interacting, relating, becoming.

From the very first chapters of B’reishit, (Genesis), there are many messages which profoundly inform our understanding of G!d. In the first place, we are told, “the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from G!d sweeping over the water,” i.e. that the unformed and void darkness (tohu va’vohu) existed when G!d began creating. This indicates that G!d’s creating is not necessarily one of creating ex nihilo (Latin for "out of nothing") from without, but rather a process of continuous self-creativity from within. The very word, B’reishit, which the New Jewish Publication Society version more accurately translates as “When G!d began to create heaven and earth,” this pre-existent tohu va’vohu chaos was already there, with G!d fluttering over its surface, and G!d began to speak it into increasing order and diversity. By the end of the first chapter of Genesis, G!d has spoken creation into a symphony of diverse, holy becoming.

In the second place, G!d is portrayed as One Who gets angry and regrets, consoles and berates, even repents and has a change of mind. And learns. “Where are you?” and “Where is your brother?” G!d asks. Notice: This is a G!d Who needs to ask, Why are you hiding from Me? Why did you kill your brother?, as much to understand us as for us to understand G!d. As G!d learns, G!d, too, grows and changes; not static, but adapting and changing in response to the needs of the moment.

At the burning bush, G!d is described as the “Power” of Becoming itself. When Moshe asks for a name, he learns that G!d Self-identifies as, “Ehy!h asher Ehy!h,” that is, “I will be what I will be.” G!d is the ultimate Source of all possibility/potentiality in the universe. Ehy!h is that which m’chadeish b’chol yom tamid maaseih b’reishit (renews each and every day, in every moment, the work of creation). Without this ongoing, dynamic power of Becoming, the created universe would be incapable of unfolding and evolving as it has been.

Indeed, the G!d of the Torah, and of our daily experience of the world, is not an abstract, unchanging, and immutable Unmoved Mover, but That which allows the universe to unfold in all of its dazzling complexity. And this G!d of Potentiality and Becoming is, above all else, a G!d of Relating. “Am I only a G!d near at hand, says the Holy One, and not a G!d far away? If a person enters a hiding place, do I not see him?, says the Holy One. For I fill both heaven and earth, declares the Holy One.” (Jer. 23:23–24) Even Jeremiah knew G!d as One Who is infinite in some respects, and finite as well. G!d is infinite in potential, and finite in relationship.

Over and over again, the Torah emphasizes a G!d who expresses emotion, who is always meeting people in relationship, and changing because of that relationship. G!d shares the experiences of all creatures. That is to say, at this very moment (and at every moment) G!d meets each of us, and all of creation, offering us the best possible next step.

G!d is the grand integration of all Becoming. G!d is Holy Process, as expressed in Ehy!h asher Ehy!h, I-Will-Be-What-I-Will-Be, this Holy Vibration which is the Source of All Vibration and the capacity of everything to relate to everything else. G!d as Holy Process is the continual unfolding of relationships. We, too, are Holy Processes of Becoming, the sum total of everything that brought us to this moment, plus our capacities to grow and choose, and become better, vibrating at higher, sacred, holy frequencies.

All of that meets us in this moment, and at this moment the future offers us infinite potential. The Divine urges us to make the best possible choice. And in this way, G!d is the pervasive and persuasive Becoming, Ground of All Being.

This is why I am a Process Theologian.