R.E. Slater
October 13, 2024
Process Philosopher/Theologian Andrew M. Davis |
Process Philosopher and British Academy Mathematician, Alfred North Whitehead |
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The microbiome is a vital part of life on Earth. Modern science has shown that the microbiome is involved in almost all aspects of human functioning, including human behavior. But how does the microbiome influence how we think about God as well as how God may interact with us?In this work, John F. Pohl explores the intersection of humanity, the microbiome, and God from the perspectives of process theology and open & relational theology. This book is a wonderful read for the person interested in science and faith from an integrative perspective.EndorsementsIn A Theology of the Microbiome, Dr. Pohl presents a spiritually enlivening approach to understanding the intricate world within our bodies. Looking through the lens of a microscope as well as that of open and relational theology, Pohl invites readers to witness the divine at work even in the minute interactions of our gut’s microbial community. His book reveals the profound connections between our physical and spiritual health, opening up yet another avenue for more fruitful dialogue between science and religion.—Matt Segall, Ph. D., author of Physics of the World-SoulGood theology addresses all facets of life. And when we explore the world through science, the most robust theology that emerges is affected by what science suggests. In this fascinating book, John Pohl weaves together microbiome research with a compelling vision of God. The result is truly groundbreaking!—Thomas Jay Oord, Ph.D., author of Open and Relational Theology“Contemporary discourse in science and religion harbors all manner of questions extending from various perspectives internal to the sciences and theology alike. Here’s one you don’t often hear: What has theology to do with the microbiome? Better yet: What has God to do with your gut? Integrating his experience as a Gastroenterologist and his study of process philosophy and theology, Pohl creatively advances a metaphysics of the microbiome, with wide-ranging implications for how we think about our place in the universe. From our gut to God and back, digesting this theology is a process, but its aim is overall health.”—Andrew M. Davis, Ph.D., author of Metaphysics of Exo-Life
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A lot has changed in 25 years. A quarter-century after the publication of his groundbreaking first book, Malcolm Gladwell returns with a brand-new volume that reframes the lessons of The Tipping Point in a startling and revealing light — this time in an immersive audio format that transports you, the listener, directly inside of each riveting story.
Why is Miami… Miami? What does the heartbreaking fate of the cheetah tell us about the way we raise our children? Why do Ivy League schools care so much about sports? What is the Magic Third, and what does it mean for racial harmony? In this provocative new work, Malcolm Gladwell returns to the subject of social epidemics and tipping points, this time with the aim of explaining the dark side of contagious phenomena.
Through a series of gripping stories, Gladwell traces the rise of a new and troubling form of social engineering. As with his podcast Revisionist History and bestsellers Talking to Strangers and The Bomber Mafia, pressing play on this audiobook will bring each scene and story to life with vivid first-person accounts, captivating oral histories, illuminating moments from history past and present, and a cinematic original music score.
Take to the streets of Los Angeles with Malcolm to meet the world’s most successful bank robbers, rediscover a forgotten television show from the 1970s that changed the world, visit the site of a historic experiment on a tiny cul-de-sac in northern California, and explore an alternate history of two of the biggest epidemics of our day: COVID and the opioid crisis.
Revenge of the Tipping Point is Gladwell’s most personal book yet. With his characteristic mix of storytelling and social science, he offers a guide to making sense of the contagions of the modern world. It’s time we took tipping points seriously.
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From the bestselling author of The Bomber Mafia: discover Malcolm Gladwell's breakthrough debut and explore the science behind viral trends in business, marketing, and human behavior.The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. This widely acclaimed bestseller, in which Malcolm Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas.“A wonderful page-turner about a fascinating idea that should affect the way every thinking person looks at the world.” —Michael Lewis
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The Transformative Nature of the Christ Event, by R.E. Slater & OpenAI ChatGPT 4.0 |
The Artistry of Processual Prophecy
RE Slater & ChtGPT 4.0
September 28, 2024
Great! I look forward to continuing our discussion on that topic next time. Until then, take care!
Goodbye! Looking forward to our next discussion. Take care!
Great, let’s dive into process-based Bible interpretation as a prophetic activity.
In process theology, prophetic activity is more than just a declaration of future events or moral exhortation. It is the dynamic process through which a community engages with divine reality to discern new possibilities for living in alignment with God’s purposes. This activity is both receptive and creative: receptive to the lure of the divine presence (often associated with the Holy Spirit) and creative in how it articulates and actualizes those possibilities within specific historical and social contexts.
From this perspective, prophetic interpretation of the Bible involves the following elements:
In traditional readings, prophecy is often viewed as a static declaration or a predictive function. However, in a process-based interpretation, prophecy is seen as a dynamic engagement with the text, where the interpreter becomes a co-creator with God in discerning new ways the community can respond to divine movements. This involves:
From a process theological perspective, the Holy Spirit plays a central role in prophetic interpretation as the agent of divine involvement in the world’s ongoing process of becoming. The Spirit’s action is not coercive but persuasive, inviting both individuals and communities to embody new possibilities of love, justice, and beauty.
Continuing from our previous discussion, the prophetic nature of process-based interpretation involves acquiring the real, analyzing the real, and responding to the real. Let’s see how this framework applies to biblical prophecy:
Acquiring the Real: In the prophetic act, acquiring the real means immersing oneself in both the biblical text and the current social context. It’s about discerning the tensions, struggles, and hopes of the community, just as the prophets of old addressed the specific historical realities of Israel and Judah.
Analyzing the Real: Analyzing the real involves probing how the biblical text addresses these realities—whether by challenging existing norms, unveiling new perspectives, or calling for repentance and change. This analysis is both exegetical (drawing meaning from the text) and theological (interpreting that meaning in light of divine purposes).
Responding to the Real: The prophetic response is where the process of interpretation leads to concrete actions. This response is guided by the Spirit and aims to embody the divine lure in practical ways, whether through new social practices, reformed liturgies, or transformed community relationships.
How does this prophetic, process-based interpretation take shape in practical terms? Let’s consider a few applications:
Consider a process-based reading of the prophetic texts like Isaiah 58 or Amos 5. Traditionally, these texts are seen as calls for social justice, but a process-based interpretation would go further:
Apocalyptic texts like Revelation are often viewed as cryptic predictions of the end times. A process-based, prophetic interpretation, however, would see these texts as:
In process thought, the prophet (or the prophetic interpreter) is seen as a co-creator with God. This means that prophetic interpretation is not merely about “getting it right” or “telling it like it is,” but about contributing to the ongoing creation of a reality that is more aligned with God’s purposes.
Prophetic, process-based interpretation is not without its challenges. It requires:
In a process-based framework, biblical interpretation becomes a prophetic activity by participating in the divine work of transformation, discernment, and actualization. The Holy Spirit, as the divine lure, guides this process, opening up new possibilities for understanding and living the text. The prophetic interpreter, in dialogue with the biblical text and the community’s context, mediates these possibilities, offering a vision that calls the community to actualize God’s purposes in concrete, transformative ways.
This perspective not only deepens our understanding of the Bible’s prophetic dimensions but also invites communities into a more dynamic and creative engagement with Scripture, where interpretation becomes a form of participation in God’s ongoing creative work in the world.
Process-based interpretation of the Bible differs from but can also find areas of agreement with both biblical liberalism and certain evangelical interpretations developed in the latter half of the 20th century. This nuanced relationship stems from their distinct understandings of divine action, biblical authority, and the role of human agency in interpreting Scripture. Below, we’ll explore these differences and potential points of agreement:
Biblical Liberalism Defined: Biblical liberalism, as developed in the 19th and 20th centuries, sought to reconcile the Bible with modern scientific, historical, and ethical insights. It emphasized the human authorship of the Bible, the need to interpret Scripture in light of contemporary knowledge, and often de-emphasized supernatural elements in favor of ethical teachings and moral principles.
Differences in Key Areas:
Understanding of Divine Action:
Key Difference: While biblical liberalism downplays supernatural aspects of divine action, process-based interpretation maintains that divine influence is a real, though non-coercive, force that actively shapes both historical and interpretative processes.
Biblical Authority and Human Agency:
Key Difference: Process theology affirms a deeper interplay between divine and human agency, where the Bible is not just a human artifact but a product of co-creation between God and humanity. This co-creative view acknowledges the Bible’s limitations while also affirming its capacity to reveal divine purposes.
Interpretative Openness vs. Ethical Reductionism:
Key Difference: Process theology resists the reduction of Scripture to moralism or rationalistic explanations, emphasizing instead the ongoing revelation of divine possibilities through the text’s diverse genres and voices.
Evangelical Interpolations Defined: Since the 1970s, evangelical biblical interpretations have been marked by a variety of approaches, ranging from a reaffirmation of biblical inerrancy and authority (e.g., the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, 1978) to more nuanced approaches that acknowledge the historical and cultural contexts of the text while still affirming its divine inspiration.
Differences in Key Areas:
Biblical Inerrancy and Divine Truth:
Key Difference: Process theology affirms the value and inspiration of the Bible but sees it as part of an evolving relationship between God and humanity, where errors and contradictions are part of the text’s human dimension. Evangelicals, by contrast, tend to see the Bible as free from error and therefore a more fixed and unchanging standard of truth.
Understanding of Divine Revelation:
Key Difference: For process theology, the Holy Spirit’s activity includes revealing new meanings and possibilities through Scripture, in response to evolving circumstances. In contrast, evangelicalism often maintains that revelation is closed and new interpretations must align with the original intent of the biblical authors.
Approach to Social Issues:
Key Difference: Process theology sees biblical interpretation as an evolving dialogue that responds creatively to new social contexts, whereas evangelical approaches often adhere more closely to established interpretations and norms.
Despite these differences, there are significant areas of agreement where process-based interpretation can dialogue constructively with both biblical liberalism and evangelical interpretations:
Process theology can offer biblical liberalism and evangelicalism a broader vision of divine action, an appreciation for the complexity of the biblical text, and a flexible framework for interpreting Scripture in light of contemporary realities. Conversely, evangelicalism’s emphasis on the transformative power of Scripture and biblical liberalism’s critical engagement with historical contexts can enrich process theology’s interpretative methods.
Process-based interpretation offers a distinct yet complementary perspective to both biblical liberalism and evangelical interpretations. It diverges in its understanding of divine action, biblical authority, and revelation but finds common ground in its commitment to the Bible as a source of meaning, its recognition of the Spirit’s guiding role, and its engagement with social concerns. This potential for dialogue and mutual enrichment can lead to a more holistic and generative approach to biblical interpretation that honors the text’s complexities while remaining open to new possibilities of divine-human interaction.
To engage with the Christ event from the perspectives of process theology, biblical liberalism, and evangelical interpretations, it’s essential to consider how these frameworks shape our understanding of Christ as both a historical figure and a globally transformative presence. Each view has its unique emphasis on Jesus’ life, teachings, sacrificial death, resurrection, and ongoing relevance, yet they can intersect and dialogue in meaningful ways that illuminate his significance as a prophetic, world-changing figure akin to a Gandhi-like presence.
The "Christ event" refers to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as a singular occurrence that reveals divine action and has ongoing significance for history and humanity. This event can be viewed through several lenses:
In process theology, Jesus is understood as the supreme manifestation of God’s presence in the world, revealing the fullness of divine-human interaction. He is both a historical person and a dynamic force of divine transformation.
Biblical liberalism tends to emphasize Jesus as a moral and ethical teacher whose life and teachings inspire human moral progress. In this view:
While biblical liberalism might not emphasize the cosmic or ontological aspects of redemption and resurrection, it resonates with process theology’s focus on the ethical and communal implications of the Christ event. It sees Jesus as a figure who inspires humanity to strive for a more just and compassionate world, akin to Gandhi’s role as a moral exemplar and advocate for non-violent resistance.
Evangelical interpretations, particularly from the 1970s onward, emphasize the substitutionary atonement and resurrection as foundational aspects of Christ’s work.
Process-based interpretation can find areas of convergence with both biblical liberalism and evangelicalism while also offering a distinctive vision:
The prophetic imagination, as articulated by scholars like Walter Brueggemann, invites interpreters to re-envision reality in light of God’s transformative possibilities. Process-based interpretation sees the Christ event as an invitation to engage in prophetic imagination:
Process-based interpretation offers a nuanced vision of the Christ event that integrates elements of both biblical liberalism and evangelicalism while emphasizing the dynamic, ongoing nature of divine action and human response. It sees Jesus as both a historical figure and a global, transformative presence whose life, death, and resurrection reveal new possibilities for individual and communal transformation. This prophetic imagination and interpolation invites Christians to continually reimagine and embody the implications of the Christ event in ways that reflect God’s ongoing work of love, justice, and renewal in the world.
Your articulation captures a critical tension between process-based understandings of the Christ-event and the more static, deterministic views found within certain strands of evangelical theology, particularly those influenced by Calvinist traditions. This contrast centers on divergent conceptions of divine action, human freedom, and the unfolding nature of history. Let’s explore these points of tension and the implications of a process-based Christ-event versus a closed, predetermined theological framework:
The process-based view of the Christ-event sees Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection as dynamically engaged with history and the human condition. This interpretation holds that the Christ-event is not a closed or fixed moment in time but an ongoing source of divine activity and inspiration that unfolds through the presence of the Holy Spirit, continually inviting humanity into deeper relationships and new possibilities.
In this view, the Christ-event is not merely a historical occurrence but an ongoing divine movement that reimagines reality, liberating humanity from static patterns and inviting co-creation of a more vibrant, just, and inclusive world.
In contrast, the Calvinist evangelical tradition tends to operate within a more closed theological system, emphasizing divine sovereignty, predestination, and the finality of revelation in a way that limits interpretative flexibility and generative engagement with the Christ-event. This view is characterized by:
The closed, predeterministic view of the Christ-event limits the capacity for generative, communal, and transformative engagement in several key ways:
Process-based Christology offers an alternative vision that addresses these limitations by affirming the Christ-event as an open, relational, and dynamically unfolding reality. This view emphasizes the Holy Spirit’s ongoing work in illuminating new aspects of the Christ-event and inviting communities to embody Christ’s love and justice in ways that are contextually relevant and socially transformative.
In process theology, the Holy Spirit is the dynamic, ever-present force that makes the Christ-event an ongoing source of life and transformation:
By embracing an open, process-based understanding of the Christ-event, Christianity can move beyond the constraints of closed, static systems and re-engage the prophetic imagination:
Your description aptly captures how the closed nature of evangelical Calvinism limits the generative potential of the Christ-event, reducing it to a static, predetermined moment with fixed implications. In contrast, a process-based Christ-event affirms the vibrancy, openness, and transformative power of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection as a continually unfolding reality, mediated by the Holy Spirit, that invites humanity into deeper participation in God’s work of love and justice.
This process-based view embraces the Christ-event as a dynamic, relational, and generative presence that continually reimagines what it means to live in the light of Christ’s love, breaking free from restrictive theological systems and opening new possibilities for individual and communal flourishing.
You're welcome, and I appreciate your insightful observations on how a process-based understanding of Christianity, centered on the Holy Spirit’s dynamic influence, can reinvigorate the faith in a way that both honors its core and opens it up to broader applications. Let’s expand on your ideas by exploring why process-based Christianity provides a richer, more integrative framework that aligns with modern scientific insights and philosophical developments, without losing the essential heart of Christian faith.
In process-based Christianity, the Holy Spirit’s activity is not limited to past events or doctrinal formulations but is understood as a continuous, lively presence that imbues Christ’s teachings and actions with ongoing relevance and power. This view transforms traditional understandings of the Holy Spirit’s role in several key ways:
Traditional Christianity, with its roots in fixed metaphysical systems and static doctrinal formulations, can sometimes limit its relevance to new scientific and philosophical developments. Process-based Christianity, however, offers a broader application by incorporating these elements in a way that enriches the faith:
The shift from a traditional evangelical framework to a process-based understanding does not entail the loss of Christianity’s essence but rather its re-centering around a more open and expansive understanding of divine love and action:
Process-based Christianity provides a framework that allows for a broader vision of the Christ-event than traditional philosophical-theological constructs, because it:
Traditional philosophical-theologies, from Augustinian thought to Reformed Calvinism, often struggle to accommodate the complexities of modern life and thought. They are built upon metaphysical systems that are hierarchical, dualistic, and static, which can lead to exclusionary practices and ethical rigidity. Process-based theology offers a more inclusive and adaptive alternative:
Your observation that a process-based framework can lead to a post-evangelical vision of Christianity is crucial. This vision offers a way to move beyond the limitations of traditional evangelicalism without abandoning the core of the faith. It allows for:
Process-based Christianity, centered on the Christ-event and informed by process philosophy and the natural sciences, offers a dynamic and expansive vision of faith that can re-energize traditional Christianity. It retains the heart of the gospel—a loving God revealed in Jesus Christ—while moving beyond the constraints of static, predeterministic frameworks. By emphasizing relationality, openness, and creativity, this approach provides a way forward that is not just ex-vangelical but truly post-evangelical—a fuller, more vibrant expression of Christianity that integrates faith, reason, and love in new and transformative ways.
The Transformative Nature of the Christ Event, by R.E. Slater & OpenAI ChatGPT 4.0 |
Fixed vs Closed Systems, by R.E. Slater & OpenAI ChatGPT 4.0 |
The Guiding and Transformative Influence of the Holy Spirit, by R.E. Slater & OpenAI ChatGPT 4.0 |
The Christ Event in Process Theology, by R.E. Slater & OpenAI ChatGPT 4.0 |
The Unfolding of Christ throughout the Cosmos, by R.E. Slater & OpenAI ChatGPT 4.0 |