Process Theology: There is no special revelation

On my struggle with the nature/grace dichotomy

Yesterday, I corresponded with a fellow blogger about the topic of Nature versus Grace. Does Grace supersede nature or does Grace perfect nature? Why is this question important? I think it is important because when one talks about for instance, the Ten Commandments as revelation, does that mean that these laws are for a limited number of people who are part of a religious and ethnic group, or are they for everybody? When one considers the push by religious conservatives to get the Decalogue posted up in courthouses, legislatures, and public schools, do not they make the argument that the 10 commandments are for every person of every religion?

So, an appropriate theology to correspond to this politics would be one that perhaps rejects special revelation altogether. Robert Mesle puts it this way,and I think the clearest way possible,

“According to process theology, God is revealed to every creature in every moment in every place in the universe. God does not single out a select few prophets to talk to while excluding the billions of others. God’s self-revelation is the ground of every person’s freedom. God’s self-revelation of love comes to all people in every moment of their lives, calling every person to a vision of truth, beauty, and goodness.”

–Robert Mesle, Process Theology: A Basic Introduction, page 86

Now, not everyone is going to respond with the same insight or openness, but God is equally available to all. This explains why in the Bible there are moments of insights, justice and liberation (the Exodus, the lives of the prophets, just kings and priests) and there are moments of humans rejecting God’s goodness and persuasion (the “Holy Wars,” the endorsements of human enslavement and women’ inferiority). God’s vision is a process, and humanity’s faithfulness to this vision is a process as well.

At this point, I must interject my POLITICAL critique of process theology. I can accept much of process thinking’s metaphysics based on Scripture, my Christian experience, tradition, and science, but politically there is something I see as lacking. The concept of the separation of church and state (religious freedom) is grounded in notions of particularity, differences between religions and the ethical practices they foster. I believe that special revelation, from an anabaptist perspective works in a way which Christian differentiate themselves because God has disclosed Godself in a unique way, albeit, for the the sake of the world, and not just “the church” or “the elect.” My interpretation of process theism’s vision of revelation is that it can lead to a form of a religiously-pluralistic theocracy, manifested in public policy such as President Obama’s renewing of George W. Bush’s Faith-Based Initiative. Now, this does not necessarily have to be the case; for example, many evangelicals affirm the traditional category of special revelation, but may still find appeals to theocracy attractive.  Also, given that process theologians are more often than not, committed to religious pluralism and what Mesle calls a “committed relativism,” such an empahsis on human freedom and religious diversity may entail a promotion of the separation of church and state.

I do wish there was a better category or distinction than “special” versus “natural” revelation, but we use what we have.

RodtRDH

Formerly known as Rod of Alexandria, Rod the Rogue Demon Hunter Preacher of Hope | Black Scholar of Patristics | Writer for Nonviolent Politics. Destroyer of Trolls. It must be that angry puppy.

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