Process Theodicy

Question 1

a key premise of process thought

Answer 1

god is NOT omnipotent, and this can solve the problem of evil

Question 2

what is process theology/thought

Answer 2

• a section of Christianity that deals/answers the problem of evil –> UNORHODOX
• process thought identifies the metaphysical reality with change and development
• reality is seen as a process rather than a substance –> change is reality
• interested in the relationship between things

Question 3

mechanistic ideas on God and reality

Answer 3

• God is timeless, STATIC, perfect and unchanging
• the world can be reduced to its parts; the present is determined by the past and gods determinism is real

Question 4

process thought and relational existence

gods relationship with the universe, and connection in the universe

Answer 4

• god has a consistent relationship with the universe –> he changes and experiences life with us
• the only unchanging thing in the universe is love
• FREEDOM: god is not omnipotent, we hold power as we influence the world so he is not all powerful
• we create as life ensues and God invites us to cocreate: sad when we reject that plan
• nothing is independent of other things –> we are affected by the world and we affect it

Question 5

mechanistic ideas versus process theology

Answer 5

MECHANISTIC
- god is removed and a cause in esse –> he holds all the world in his hands
- god is perfect and unchanging

PROCESS T
- holds up all of time together (god and humans)
- god can change and can be affected as he lives in time with us
- this is apparent as there is a difference between god in the old and new system

Question 6

why process thought rejects gods omnipotence

Answer 6

• we were wrong assigning qualities and our ideas to God, and we should use only what we already know
• we should look at what the world is to determine God
• if we use orthodox thinking the problem of evil cannot be solved but we should use evil to explain God, instead of unchanging qualities from scripture

Question 7

Gods role in creation

Answer 7

• hebrew scholar approved translation: ‘..the earth was without form and void’ in Genesis
• this implies god did not create ex nihilo, but from pre existing matter (creation was ordering/redesigning the earth)
• this undermines his omnipotence (needed creativity and skill but not ultimate power)
• he instead lured creation into some sort of order and complexity

Question 8

why does griffin reject creation ex nihilo

Answer 8

• traditional position sees evil as a higher good –> god allows evil to occur so a greater good can be achieved
• however this means that bad things that occur in the world can only be apparently evil, and griffin thinks we should deal with the problem of real evil that doesnt contribute to any greater good
• griffin rejects any notion of gods self limitation snd wants to introduce the idea that evil exists because god is actually fundamentally limited in a real sense

Question 9

the problem of using pre-existing matter for creation

Answer 9

• god cannot make matter do exactly what he wants
• Plato’s Timaeus and the demi urge: creator worked with materials that dont adhere to his will entirely and tried to make something as good as possible
• for plato this world is the victory of persuasion not necessity –> you cannot make the matter obey your will as it already had its own natural way of doing things

Question 10

why was creation a risk

Answer 10

• god worked with pre existing matter to create the universe
• the matter could either have harmony and intensity or descend into chaos
• it is possible that these materials had some innate power of their own which could thwart Gods will
• ‘god cannot control but only persuade’ –> Griffin

Question 11

how does process thought explain moral evil in humans (evolution)

Answer 11

• as the creative process develops, the possibility for harmony and discord is experienced in greater intensity

EVOLUTION:
- griffin argues that as the world became more and more complex, the level of evil and suffering also necessarily increased
- the culmination of this process is humans who exert their own influence and control in the world
- this means that Gods power is further diminished as humans are able to exercise their free will and ignore gods persuasions
- god did not create humans in his likeness as they evolved from pre existing matter –> humans have limited knowledge of what is good and god cannot control them

Question 12

why isnt god omnipotent and what does this explain

Answer 12

he isnt OP as
- he didnt create ex nihilo
- he cannot control matter but only persuade it
- if god were omnipotent than any power pre-existing materials had could be overidden by God –> isnt true due to free will

this explains why
- he didnt create us to be ‘rational saints’ (beings only capable of choosing good) because he cannot
- the question why god did create evil and suffering doesnt exist here –> evil and suffering would be present in any possible worlds as long as there are beings responsible for their own actions

Question 13

is god still good?

Answer 13

YES:
- evil and suffering in the world is simply to do with the way things are
- the presence of evil is a residue of the potential for things to be good. The world has a potential to be good

NO:
- god started the process of ordering the universe knowing he would not be able to control it
- as this process of creation continues the potential for evil and suffering continues

Question 14

why is god justified in his risk

Answer 14

• G argues that living in a world with discord and harmony rather than not living is better
• therefore god is justified
• the potential for harmonious life is an act of love
• demonstrates gods omnibenevolence

Question 15

how does PT explain M and N evil

Answer 15

• G argues that all creatures have the power to deviate from gods will
• therefore, as god is not omnipotent, all things can fall into discord and disobey god causing evil
• ‘low grade entities’/atoms can deviate and cause natural disasters
• humans can deviate and commit moral evil

Question 16

what does griffin believe heaven is

Answer 16

• where discord is removed and there is total harmony

Question 17

how does god suffer + how does this solve the epoe

what quality does he have that allows him to suffer

Answer 17

• god is OMNISCIENT
• only he has seen the totality of Harmony and discord in the world since time
• god has lived in creation and has watched things he created deviate out of his control, causing frustration
• god understands suffering and is personal –> can connect with humanity
• we cannot condemn god bc he suffers the most and only god can decide whether this is necessary –> solving the evidential POE

Question 18

how does evil have a purpose

Answer 18

• evil is needed for us to experience good
• without great discord we would never experience perfection and harmony
• only way to stop suffering is to bring humanity to an end so we cannot have children who suffer/cause suffering OR everyone can simply follow gods will
• evil: missed opportunities to create good