Process Theology Summary

10 questions on the main ideas. Each answer comes with a short explanation.

Take it one question at a time

1. Question 1

   Which two philosophers are identified by Cobb as having strongly influenced the Process Theology movement?

   1. Immanuel Kant and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
   2. Alfred North Whitehead and Charles Hartshorne
   3. Friedrich Nietzsche and Søren Kierkegaard
   4. John Locke and David Hume
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   B. Alfred North Whitehead and Charles Hartshorne Cobb's 'Process Theology' explicitly states its strong influence from the philosophies of Alfred North Whitehead and Charles Hartshorne, forming the foundation of the movement.

2. Question 2

   According to Process Theology, what is the nature of God's relationship with the world?

   1. God is a static, unchanging, and omnipotent ruler who dictates all events.
   2. God is entirely separate from the world, observing but not interacting.
   3. God is dipolar, having both a primordial and a consequent nature, actively involved in the ongoing creative process of the world.
   4. God is merely a human construct with no objective reality.
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   C. God is dipolar, having both a primordial and a consequent nature, actively involved in the ongoing creative process of the world. Process Theology posits a dipolar God whose consequent nature is constantly enriched by the world's experiences, making God actively involved in and affected by the world's becoming, rather than a static or detached entity.

3. Question 3

   What does Cobb's book suggest about the traditional understanding of divine omnipotence in light of process thought?

   1. It fully affirms the traditional view of God as having absolute, coercive power over all events.
   2. It reinterprets divine power as primarily persuasive and luring towards greater actualization, rather than coercive.
   3. It argues that God has no power whatsoever, making divine omnipotence irrelevant.
   4. It limits God's power only to the initial creation, with no ongoing influence.
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   B. It reinterprets divine power as primarily persuasive and luring towards greater actualization, rather than coercive. Process Theology redefines divine power as persuasive rather than coercive. God influences the world by presenting possibilities and luring entities towards greater complexity and value, respecting the freedom of actual occasions.

4. Question 4

   How does Process Theology typically understand evil and suffering?

   1. Evil is an illusion, and suffering is merely a test of faith from an all-powerful God.
   2. Evil results from the misuse of freedom by actual occasions, and God suffers with the world, working persuasively to overcome it.
   3. Evil is a necessary part of a divine plan that is ultimately good, but incomprehensible to humans.
   4. Evil is solely a human construct with no metaphysical basis.
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   B. Evil results from the misuse of freedom by actual occasions, and God suffers with the world, working persuasively to overcome it. In Process Theology, evil arises from the inherent freedom of actual occasions and their choices, which can lead to discord or suffering. God is not seen as directly causing evil but as suffering with creation and luring it towards greater harmony and good.

5. Question 5

   What is an 'actual occasion' in the context of Process Philosophy, as interpreted by Cobb?

   1. A static, unchanging substance that underlies reality.
   2. The fundamental, momentary 'drops of experience' or 'events' that constitute reality, each with a process of becoming and perishing.
   3. A purely abstract concept with no concrete manifestation.
   4. A collective term for all human beings.
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   B. The fundamental, momentary 'drops of experience' or 'events' that constitute reality, each with a process of becoming and perishing. Cobb's exposition of process philosophy emphasizes actual occasions as the most fundamental units of reality, which are dynamic, momentary events of experience that come into being, achieve satisfaction, and then perish, contributing to the next occasion.

6. Question 6

   How does Process Theology view the concept of 'creativity'?

   1. Creativity is a divine attribute solely belonging to God, not shared with the world.
   2. Creativity is a fundamental metaphysical principle inherent in all actual occasions, driving the ongoing emergence of novelty and value.
   3. Creativity is an illusion, as all events are predetermined.
   4. Creativity is limited to artistic expression and has no broader philosophical significance.
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   B. Creativity is a fundamental metaphysical principle inherent in all actual occasions, driving the ongoing emergence of novelty and value. Creativity is a core concept in Process Theology, understood as the ultimate metaphysical principle that drives the universe. Every actual occasion, not just God, is an act of self-creation, bringing novelty into existence.

7. Question 7

   What is the significance of 'prehension' in Process Theology?

   1. It refers to God's act of predetermining all future events.
   2. It describes the way actual occasions grasp or appropriate aspects of past actual occasions and eternal objects to constitute their present experience.
   3. It is a term for human intuition and extrasensory perception.
   4. It is the process by which God creates the universe out of nothing.
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   B. It describes the way actual occasions grasp or appropriate aspects of past actual occasions and eternal objects to constitute their present experience. Prehension is a fundamental concept where each actual occasion 'feels' or 'grasps' elements from its past (other actual occasions and eternal objects) to integrate them into its own unique, novel experience, thereby influencing its becoming.

8. Question 8

   For whom does Cobb's 'Process Theology' primarily aim to be useful?

   1. Only professional philosophers specializing in ancient Greek thought.
   2. Students of theology, teachers of contemporary philosophy, ministers, and those interested in current theological/philosophical trends.
   3. Exclusively for scientists working in quantum physics.
   4. Historians of medieval religious movements.
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   B. Students of theology, teachers of contemporary philosophy, ministers, and those interested in current theological/philosophical trends. The book's description explicitly states its usefulness for 'students of theology, teachers of courses in contemporary philosophy, ministers, and those interested in current theological and philosophical trends,' indicating a broad but specific audience.

9. Question 9

   What is the role of 'eternal objects' in Process Theology?

   1. They are the physical laws of the universe, dictating all events.
   2. They are the pure potentials or forms (like colors, shapes, concepts) that actual occasions can 'prehend' and actualize, providing definiteness to becoming.
   3. They are the souls of deceased individuals, existing eternally.
   4. They are static, material objects that have existed since the beginning of time.
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   B. They are the pure potentials or forms (like colors, shapes, concepts) that actual occasions can 'prehend' and actualize, providing definiteness to becoming. Eternal objects are the pure potentials, forms, or definites that can be actualized by actual occasions. They are not physical entities but possibilities that lend character and quality to the momentary actualities of the world.

10. Question 10

    How does Process Theology generally approach the concept of an afterlife or personal immortality?

    1. It strongly affirms a traditional view of individual, conscious survival after death.
    2. It typically emphasizes a form of 'objective immortality,' where individual experiences are preserved in God's consequent nature, rather than conscious individual survival.
    3. It denies any form of existence beyond the physical death of the body.
    4. It teaches reincarnation as the primary form of afterlife.
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    B. It typically emphasizes a form of 'objective immortality,' where individual experiences are preserved in God's consequent nature, rather than conscious individual survival. While some process theologians may explore various interpretations, the dominant view, as presented in foundational texts like Cobb's, is 'objective immortality.' This means that all experiences of actual occasions are everlastingly preserved and integrated into God's consequent nature, contributing to the divine experience, rather than conscious individual survival.