Posted: August 14th, 2022

Assessing the Influence of Process Theology and Open Theism on Traditional Christian Concepts of God’s Omnipotence, Omniscience and Immutability

Assessing the Influence of Process Theology and Open Theism on Traditional Christian Concepts of God’s Omnipotence, Omniscience and Immutability

Process theology and open theism are two contemporary theological movements that challenge some of the traditional Christian concepts of God’s attributes, such as omnipotence, omniscience and immutability. Both movements affirm that God is relational, dynamic and responsive to the world, and that the future is partly open and contingent on human choices. However, they also differ significantly in their philosophical assumptions, biblical interpretations and theological implications. In this blog post, I will briefly compare and contrast process theology and open theism, and evaluate their impact on the classical understanding of God’s nature and action.

Process Theology: A Brief Overview

Process theology is a form of natural theology that draws on the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead and Charles Hartshorne. Process theology rejects the idea of a transcendent, immutable and omnipotent God who creates the world out of nothing and intervenes in history through miracles. Instead, it proposes that God is immanent, evolving and persuasive, who co-creates the world with a non-divine reality and influences history through love. Process theology also denies that God has exhaustive foreknowledge of the future, since the future is not yet determined by either God or the world. Rather, God knows all the possibilities and probabilities of the future, and invites the world to actualize the best possible outcomes.

According to process theology, God’s power is not coercive but persuasive, meaning that God cannot override the freedom and creativity of the world, but can only lure it toward greater harmony and beauty. God’s power is also relational and reciprocal, meaning that God not only affects the world, but is also affected by the world. God’s power is also dynamic and adaptive, meaning that God constantly changes in response to the changing world, and adjusts his purposes and plans accordingly.

Process theology affirms that God is omniscient in the sense that he knows everything that can be known, including all the past and present events and all the future possibilities. However, it denies that God knows the future actualities, since they are not yet decided by either God or the world. God’s knowledge is also contingent and provisional, meaning that it depends on the actualization of the world, and can change as the world changes.

Process theology maintains that God is immutable in his essence, character and love, but not in his experience, knowledge and action. God’s immutability is not static but dynamic, meaning that God always remains faithful to his nature and values, but also grows in richness and complexity as he relates to the world.

Open Theism: A Brief Overview

Open theism is a form of evangelical theology that draws on the biblical narrative and contemporary scholarship. Open theism challenges the idea of a timeless, impassible and deterministic God who foreordains everything that happens in history and predestines some people to salvation and others to damnation. Instead, it proposes that God is temporal, passionate and libertarian, who creates the world with genuine freedom and risks his own sovereignty by granting humans free will. Open theism also denies that God has exhaustive foreknowledge of the future, since the future is partly open and dependent on human decisions. Rather, God knows all the past and present events and all the future certainties, but not all the future contingencies.

According to open theism, God’s power is not absolute but self-limited, meaning that God voluntarily restrains his power to respect human freedom and responsibility. God’s power is also personal and interactive, meaning that God engages with human agents in genuine dialogue and partnership. God’s power is also flexible
and creative, meaning that God can respond to unforeseen situations with new strategies and solutions.

Open theism affirms that God is omniscient in the sense that he knows everything that he chooses to know or needs to know for his purposes. However, it denies that God knows all the future free actions of humans or other agents, since they are not yet determined by anyone. God’s knowledge is also dynamic
and anticipatory, meaning that it changes as new information becomes available or new events occur.

Open theology maintains that God is immutable in his being, attributes
and promises, but not in his emotions,
relationships
and actions.
God’s immutability
is not rigid
but flexible,
meaning
that
God always remains consistent with his nature
and faithful to his word,
but also adapts to changing circumstances
and responds to human actions.

A Comparison
and Evaluation

Process theology
and open
theism share some common ground
in their rejection
of classical
theism
and their affirmation
of relational
theism.
They both emphasize
God’s love,
freedom,
and involvement
in history,
and acknowledge
the reality
of human
freedom,
creativity,
and responsibility.
They both challenge
the traditional
concepts
of God’s omnipotence,
omniscience,
and immutability,
and propose
alternative
ways
of understanding
God’s power,
knowledge,
and change.

However, they also differ significantly in their philosophical assumptions, biblical interpretations and theological implications. Process theology is based on a metaphysical system that constrains God’s nature and action by certain principles that govern both God and the world. Open theism is based on a biblical narrative that reveals God’s nature and action through his interactions with his people and the world. Process theology denies some of the core doctrines of Christianity, such as creation ex nihilo, divine intervention, and the incarnation. Open theism affirms these doctrines, but reinterprets them in light of God’s self-limitation and risk-taking. Process theology represents God as essentially limited and finite, who cannot do anything contrary to his nature or the nature of the world. Open theism represents God as voluntarily limited and infinite, who can do anything that is logically possible and morally consistent with his character.

Process theology and open theism both have strengths and weaknesses in their attempts to rethink God’s attributes in relation to the world. Process theology offers a coherent and comprehensive vision of God and the world that is compatible with modern science and philosophy. However, it also sacrifices some of the essential aspects of the Christian faith that are based on divine revelation and historical events. Open theism offers a faithful and relevant vision of God and the world that is compatible with biblical testimony and human experience. However, it also faces some difficulties in explaining some of the aspects of God’s providence and guidance that are based on divine foreknowledge and control.

In conclusion, process theology and open theism are two contemporary theological movements that challenge some of the traditional Christian concepts of God’s omnipotence, omniscience and immutability. They both affirm that God is relational, dynamic and responsive to the world, and that the future is partly open and contingent on human choices. However, they also differ significantly in their philosophical assumptions, biblical interpretations and theological implications. They both have strengths and weaknesses in their attempts to rethink God’s attributes in relation to the world.

Works Cited

Boyd, Gregory A. God of the Possible: A Biblical Introduction to the Open View of God. Baker Books, 2000.

Cobb Jr., John B. Process Theology: An Introductory Exposition. Westminster Press, 1976.

Olson, Roger E. “Open Theism: A Test Case for Evangelicals.” Patheos, 2010, https://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolson/2010/08/open-theism-a-test-case-for-evangelicals/.

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