Editing Process theology (section)

{{Short description|Type of theology}}
{{distinguish|Process Church}}
{{Philosophy of religion sidebar| expanded=God}}
{{Historical Christian theology}}

'''Process theology''' is a type of [[theology]] developed from [[Alfred North Whitehead]]'s (1861–1947) [[process philosophy]], but most notably by [[Charles Hartshorne]] (1897–2000), [[John B. Cobb]] (1925–2024), and [[Eugene H. Peters]] <!-- http://www.religion-online.org/author/eugene-h-peters/ --> (1929–1983). Process theology and process philosophy are collectively referred to as "process thought".

For both Whitehead and Hartshorne, it is an essential attribute of God to affect and be affected by temporal processes, contrary to the forms of theism that hold God to be in all respects non-temporal ([[Eternity|eternal]]), unchanging ([[Immutability (theology)|immutable]]), and unaffected by the world ([[Impassibility|impassible]]). Process theology does not deny that God is in some respects eternal (will never die), immutable (in the sense that God is unchangingly good), and impassible (in the sense that God's eternal aspect is unaffected by actuality), but it contradicts the [[Classical theism|classical view]] by insisting that God is in some respects temporal, mutable, and passible.<ref name=viney>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Viney |first=Donald Wayne |title=Process Theism |url=http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/process-theism/ |encyclopedia=[[Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy]] |date=January 28, 2014 |access-date=March 15, 2018}}</ref>

According to Cobb, "process theology may refer to all forms of theology that emphasize event, occurrence, or [[becoming (philosophy)|becoming]] over [[being|substance]]. In this sense theology influenced by [[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel|G. W. F. Hegel]] is process theology just as much as that influenced by Whitehead. This use of the term calls attention to affinities between these otherwise quite different traditions."<ref>{{cite book |last=Cobb |first=John B. Jr. |author-link=John B. Cobb |title=Process Theology as Political Theology |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=az-8AAAAIAAJ |publisher=[[Manchester University Press]] |year=1982 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=az-8AAAAIAAJ&dq=%22Process+theology+may+refer+to+all+forms+of+theology+that+emphasise+event,+occurrence,+or+becoming+over+against+substance.+In+this+sense+theology+influenced+by+Hegel+is+process+theology+just+as+much+as+that+influenced+by+Whitehead.+This+use+of+the+term+calls+attention+to+affinities+between+these+otherwise+quite+different+traditions.%22&pg=PA19 19] |isbn=978-0-664-24417-0}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Heterodox Hegel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b7cIcdQNFSAC |first=Cyril |last=O'Regan |author-link=Cyril O'Regan |publisher=[[SUNY Press]] |location=[[Albany, New York]] |year=1994 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=b7cIcdQNFSAC&dq=%22Any+relation+between+Process+Theology+and+Hegelian+ontotheology+needs+to+be+argued.+Such+argument+has+become+more+conspicuous+in+recent+years%22&pg=448 448]: "Any relation between Process Theology and Hegelian [[ontotheology]] needs to be ''argued''. Such argument has become more conspicuous in recent years"|isbn=978-0-791-42005-8}}</ref> Also [[Pierre Teilhard de Chardin]] can be included among process theologians,<ref>{{cite book |title=Creation and Double Chaos. Science and Theology in Discussion |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6aSyqoaiOWYC |first=Sjoerd Lieuwe |last=Bonting |publisher=[[Augsburg Fortress|Fortress Press]] |location=[[Minneapolis, Minnesota]] |year=2005 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=6aSyqoaiOWYC&dq=%22Teilhard+de+Chardin+and+process+theology%22&pg=PA88 88]|isbn=978-1-451-41838-5}}</ref> even if they are generally understood as referring to the Whiteheadian/Hartshornean school, where there continue to be ongoing debates within the field on the nature of God, the relationship of God and the world, and immortality.