Renewing Revelation: Renewal of Expiation & Fellowship, Part 2/2

 

Renewing Revelation:

Renewal of Expiation & Fellowship

Part 2/2

I thought I'd enlist ChatGPT in completing the motifs of expiation (atonement and cleansing) and fellowship in the book of Revelation from a process-based perspective. This would be part 2 of a two-part series. Enjoy.

R.E. Slater

December1, 2024

Question 1

RES: Please take all that was said and let's explore how to place the book of Revelation ala expiation and fellowship into a process-based theological context (per Whitehead's process philosophy and John Cobb's process theology). Thx

ChatGPT

To place the Book of Revelation into a process-based theological context, we can reframe its themes of expiation and fellowship through the lens of Whitehead's process philosophy and John Cobb's process theology. These frameworks emphasize relationality, dynamic becoming, and God’s persuasive love over coercive power. Let’s analyze Revelation within this context:

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1. Revelation's Apocalyptic Themes as Processive Events

In process theology, the world and all events are in a constant state of becoming, guided by God's persuasive lure toward greater harmony, intensity, and beauty. Revelation’s apocalyptic visions—traditionally interpreted as abrupt, final interventions—can instead be understood as processive moments in the ongoing evolution of creation:

• Expiation (Cleansing and Transformation):

  • The purging of evil, destruction of Babylon (Rev. 18), and the cleansing of creation (Rev. 21:1) reflect the processive resolution of dissonance.
  • God’s persuasive aim is to bring all creatures, including chaotic forces, toward alignment with the divine purpose of harmony.
  • Expiation in process terms is not a one-time act but the culmination of countless micro-events, where God lures creation toward restoration and new possibilities.

• Fellowship (Relational Wholeness):

  • Revelation’s imagery of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21–22)—a city where God dwells with humanity—represents the processual realization of relational harmony.
  • Fellowship is achieved as entities (human and nonhuman) align with God’s vision for interconnection, mutual flourishing, and cosmic peace.

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2. God’s Role in Revelation: Persuasion, Not Coercion

Process theology rejects the traditional view of God as omnipotent in a coercive sense. Instead, God is seen as co-creative and working persuasively within creation’s freedom:

• Divine Persuasion in Revelation’s Judgments:

  • The judgments in Revelation (e.g., the seven seals, trumpets, and bowls) can be understood not as acts of coercive wrath but as the unveiling of consequences inherent in the choices of individuals and systems.
  • Babylon’s fall (Rev. 18) is not God forcing destruction but the collapse of systems that inherently oppose divine aims of justice and beauty.

• God as the Holy Spirit of Fellowship:

  • In process terms, God is the ultimate relational force, working within creation to guide it toward eschatological fellowship. The imagery of God wiping away every tear (Rev. 21:4) speaks to God’s empathetic participation in the experiences of creation, offering hope and healing.

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3. Expiation as Processual Redemption

In Revelation, expiation involves the removal of sin, chaos, and evil to allow for a new creation. In process theology, this cleansing is framed as the creative transformation of destructive potential into something life-giving:

• Cosmic Expiation as Ongoing Process:

  • Revelation’s climactic moments, such as the defeat of Satan (Rev. 20), symbolize not a single, final event but the culmination of a long process of divine redemption at work throughout history.
  • Evil is understood as misaligned processes—discordant actualities that resist God’s lure toward harmony. Expiation occurs as these processes are redirected toward creative possibilities.

• The Lamb as Expiator:

  • The Lamb’s sacrificial role (Rev. 5:6–10) is central. In process terms, the Lamb represents self-giving love that persuades rather than compels, transforming sin and violence through relational healing.

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4. Fellowship as the Goal of Processual Becoming

Revelation’s vision of fellowship in the New Jerusalem can be interpreted as the eschatological realization of divine relationality:

• The New Jerusalem as Processual Wholeness:

  • The New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:1–4) is not a static endpoint but a symbol of the world in dynamic harmony, where all beings participate in God's relational love.
  • The Tree of Life, bearing fruit for the nations (Rev. 22:2), reflects the interconnectedness of all creation in its ongoing processes of flourishing and healing.

• Cosmic Fellowship:

  • The gathering of all nations before God (Rev. 7:9) aligns with process theology’s emphasis on the universal scope of divine relationality. This is the ultimate vision of inclusive community, where diversity is not erased but celebrated within unity.

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5. Process-Based Eschatology: Revelation as Open-Ended Hope

Process theology reimagines eschatology not as a fixed endpoint but as an open-ended horizon of possibilities:

• Revelation’s Eschatology as Dynamic Fulfillment:

  • The new heaven and earth (Rev. 21:1) are not static realities but dynamic states of ongoing becoming. Creation continues to evolve, guided by God’s eternal vision of beauty, truth, and goodness.
  • The Book of Revelation, then, serves as a symbol of ultimate hope, inviting all of creation to participate in God’s transformative process.

• No Final Closure:

  • While Revelation describes an “end,” process theology emphasizes that God’s creative work is never exhausted. The eschatological fulfillment is both a realization and a beginning of new possibilities.

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6. Practical Implications: A Process-Based Reading of Revelation

• Ethics of Expiation:

  • Process theology calls readers to participate in God’s work of expiation by addressing systemic evils (e.g., economic exploitation symbolized by Babylon) through relational, non-coercive means.

• Ethics of Fellowship:

  • The vision of the New Jerusalem invites communities to cultivate inclusivity, mutual care, and ecological stewardship as expressions of divine relationality.

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Conclusion: Revelation as a Process of Becoming

In a process-based theological context, Revelation is not about abrupt, divine intervention that brings history to a close. Instead, it portrays the culmination of God’s ongoing relational work, guiding creation toward harmony, healing, and renewal. Themes of expiation and fellowship unfold as dynamic processes, reflecting God’s unwavering commitment to transformation through persuasion, love, and participation in the world’s becoming.

Let me know if you'd like me to expand on any part or explore specific process-related ideas further!

Question 2

RES: There’s quite a bit more that can be unpacked when integrating the Book of Revelation into a process-based theological framework. Let’s explore some additional dimensions that could deepen this approach.

ChatGPT

1. Symbolism of Revelation as Processual Metaphor

Process theology invites us to view the vivid imagery in Revelation as symbolic representations of deeper relational and cosmological truths. Revelation’s metaphors—dragons, beasts, lambs, cities, and cosmic upheavals—can be reimagined as symbols of ongoing processes within God’s relational universe:

• The Dragon and the Beast:

  • Instead of representing fixed entities of evil, these can symbolize patterns of chaos, alienation, and systemic corruption that resist God’s lure toward harmony.
  • Their defeat is not annihilation but transformation—the redirection of destructive processes into creative ones.

• The Wedding Feast of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7–9):

  • This imagery can be read as the culmination of relational interdependence, where all creation participates in a harmonious union with God. It’s an ongoing process of becoming one with divine love, not a one-time event.

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2. Process Theological Insights on Suffering in Revelation

The Book of Revelation confronts readers with immense suffering—wars, plagues, and destruction. In process theology, such suffering can be understood through the lens of freedom, relationality, and divine empathy:

• Freedom and Consequence:

  • In a process world, God’s creation is free and relational. The suffering in Revelation reflects the natural consequences of misuse of freedom—both individual and systemic.
  • God does not override this freedom but works within it, offering possibilities for healing and restoration.

• Divine Empathy and Co-Suffering:

  • Process theology posits a God who suffers with creation. Revelation’s depiction of the Lamb, who is both slain and victorious, portrays a God who participates deeply in the pain of the world and transforms it from within.

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3. Ecological Dimensions of Fellowship

Revelation’s vision of the New Jerusalem and the renewed creation (Rev. 21–22) resonates with ecological concerns central to process theology:

• Creation as Relational:

  • The New Jerusalem isn’t just a human-centric vision; it includes the renewal of Earth itself. The river of life, the Tree of Life, and the healing of nations point to a cosmic fellowship that embraces all of creation.
  • Process theology emphasizes that humans are deeply embedded in and responsible for the ecological web. Revelation challenges us to cooperate with God in nurturing this web toward healing and flourishing.

• Evil as Environmental Disorder:

  • The plagues and destruction in Revelation can symbolize the breakdown of ecological harmony—a disruption of relational balance caused by greed, exploitation, and disregard for creation’s interconnectedness.

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4. God’s Creative Power as Lure, Not Force

Revelation is often misread as depicting God’s coercive intervention in history. Process theology reframes this as God’s persuasive call, continuously inviting creation into deeper relationship:

• God’s Aim in Revelation:

  • The apocalyptic judgments symbolize not punitive actions but the gradual unveiling of divine possibilities for creation, even amidst resistance. God’s power is persuasive, luring creation toward reconciliation and beauty.
  • For instance, the “new heaven and new earth” (Rev. 21:1) arise not through destruction but through a transformation of existing processes toward their highest potential.

• The Healing Power of Persuasion:

  • Revelation’s imagery of God wiping away every tear (Rev. 21:4) is a metaphor for God’s healing presence, which works through relational connection to transform grief into hope.

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5. The Lamb as the Ultimate Process Symbol

The Lamb in Revelation (Rev. 5:6) holds central significance for a process-based interpretation:

• Relational Sacrifice:

  • The Lamb’s sacrificial nature symbolizes self-giving love, the ultimate form of relationality. The Lamb invites creation into a dynamic relationship where divine love is transformative, not coercive.
  • The Lamb’s wounds (“as if it had been slain”) demonstrate that God’s power is rooted in vulnerability, a key tenet of process theology.

• Victory Through Vulnerability:

  • The Lamb’s triumph over the beast is not through brute force but through the power of relational healing, illustrating that true power lies in persuasion, love, and interconnectedness.

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6. Time and Eschatology in Process Thought

Revelation’s apocalyptic timeline is often interpreted as linear, moving toward a fixed “end.” Process theology instead suggests a nonlinear, evolving eschatology:

• Eternal Becoming:

  • The new creation is not a final state but the ongoing realization of divine possibilities. The New Jerusalem represents the culmination of one phase and the opening of infinite new horizons.
  • Time in Revelation is not fixed but open-ended, allowing for endless creative responses to God’s call.

• Hope as Process:

  • The hope presented in Revelation is not about escaping history but about participating in the ongoing redeeming work of God. Every moment carries the potential for transformation and renewal.

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7. Ethical Implications: Living the Process of Expiation and Fellowship

Revelation’s themes of expiation and fellowship are not only cosmic but also ethical directives for human communities:

• Participating in Expiation:

  • Humanity is called to partner with God in cleansing the systems of Babylon—the economic, social, and ecological injustices symbolized in Revelation.
  • This involves confronting greed, violence, and alienation with acts of justice, compassion, and care.

• Cultivating Fellowship:

  • The vision of the New Jerusalem invites communities to embody divine fellowship by building inclusive, compassionate, and ecologically conscious societies.
  • Revelation’s vision challenges us to see diversity (e.g., the nations in Rev. 7:9) as a gift, calling us to co-create relational harmony across boundaries.

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8. Cosmic Eschatology: A Broader Framework

Process theology allows us to see Revelation not merely as a human-centered text but as one that encompasses the entire cosmos:

• Creation’s Redemption:

  • The “groaning of creation” (Rom. 8:22) reaches its resolution in Revelation’s vision of renewal. Every entity, from stars to soil, is part of the divine process of becoming.
  • The Book of Revelation reveals a cosmos where all entities contribute to God’s unfolding vision, and fellowship includes all of existence.

• Apocalyptic as Revelation, Not Finality:

  • The word “apocalypse” means “unveiling.” Revelation’s true purpose, in process terms, is to unveil the deeper relational dynamics of God’s work in the world, pointing not to an ending but to an eternal process of renewal.

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Final Reflection: Revelation as Invitation

In a process-based reading, Revelation ceases to be a book of doom and becomes an invitation to co-create with God. It calls us to participate in the expiation of broken systems and the cultivation of fellowship across all relationships—human, ecological, and cosmic. The ultimate hope of Revelation is not the obliteration of creation but its ongoing transformation toward beauty, harmony, and joy.

Question 3

RES: Awesome. Now review contemporary process thought over the past 5 years and recontextualized the book of Revelation for a third time using metamodern language.

ChatGPT

To recontextualize the Book of Revelation within metamodern process theology, we can draw on recent developments that integrate themes of relationality, interconnectedness, and the dynamics of hope and renewal. Metamodernism, with its oscillation between modernist optimism and postmodern skepticism, aligns with the process-based vision of reality as both dynamic and relational. Here's how this perspective reshapes Revelation:

1. Revelation as a Metanarrative of Co-Creation

Process theology views the cosmos as an evolving web of relationships where God and creation co-create the future. Revelation, particularly its imagery of the New Jerusalem, can be interpreted as a vision of ecological and social harmony—an ultimate aim ("telos") towards which God gently lures creation. This aligns with John Cobb’s notion of ecological civilization, where humanity participates in God’s creative process to heal the Earth and foster a sustainable future​

Center for Process Studies

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Center for Process Studies

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2. Expiation Reimagined as Cosmic Healing

Rather than focusing on penal substitution or wrath, contemporary process thought reframes expiation as the reconciliation of all creation. The apocalyptic upheavals in Revelation (e.g., the breaking of seals, trumpets, and bowls) symbolize the disruption needed to expose systemic injustices and ecological degradation. These crises are not God's punishment but the natural consequences of human misalignment with divine aims. The renewal of the New Jerusalem thus represents the restoration of cosmic balance, where God's primordial nature provides the possibilities for healing​

Center for Process Studies

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Center for Process Studies

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3. Fellowship as Interdependence and Relational Becoming

In metamodern process theology, fellowship transcends anthropocentric spirituality. Revelation's promise of "God dwelling with humanity" (Revelation 21:3) is expanded to include the entire web of life. This relational becoming mirrors Whitehead’s emphasis on the interconnectedness of all entities. The river of life flowing through the New Jerusalem (Revelation 22:1-2) symbolizes a world where divine love permeates and sustains every relationship, human and non-human alike​

Center for Process Studies

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Center for Process Studies

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4. Hope Through a Metamodern Lens

Metamodernism emphasizes "hopeful realism," a balance between critique and aspiration. Revelation's apocalyptic imagery reflects this tension: while it depicts profound suffering, it also promises transformative renewal. This resonates with the metamodern ethos of holding together brokenness and beauty, despair and hope, as part of a larger, unfolding process​

Center for Process Studies

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5. Integrating Science and Faith

Recent process thought embraces insights from quantum physics, ecology, and sociology, seeing them as complementary to theological narratives. Revelation’s cosmic scope—the interplay of celestial and terrestrial events—can be reimagined in light of modern cosmology, where the universe’s evolution is part of God’s creative unfolding. This perspective deepens the relevance of Revelation for addressing contemporary challenges like climate change and social justice​

Center for Process Studies

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Center for Process Studies

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In this metamodern process recontextualization, Revelation becomes a dynamic text inviting participation in God’s ongoing work of renewal. It shifts the focus from apocalyptic doom to collaborative hope, emphasizing the active role of humanity in co-creating a just and sustainable future.