A POINT
If an all-good, all-powerful God should prevent unnecessary suffering, then the idea of a God who is not all-powerful or is still evolving morally doesn’t solve the problem of evil. Instead, it introduces further issues because such a God wouldn’t have the power or the moral clarity to prevent or eliminate evil. Thus, the problem of evil remains unresolved, or even worsened, by the idea of an evolving or non-omnipotent deity.
Also, an all-good and all-powerful God can hand the governance of the universe to beings with unimaginable power but who are not omnipotent. So process theology should not be sure that the being it has in mind is God!
THE ARGUMENT
Process theology addresses the problem of evil and unjust suffering by proposing that God is not omnipotent. Rather than defending God’s allowance of evil as ultimately justified, process theology argues that God is evolving and growing, which is why things sometimes go wrong. In this view, God is not perfectly powerful or in full control.
A related concept, panentheism, claims that God and the universe are interdependent but not identical. Proponents of this view reject the idea of an impersonal, unchanging God who creates everything from nothing. Instead, they see the world as God’s "body," with God being the mind or soul of the universe. Thus, God needs the world to exist, much like the mind needs the body.
According to process theology, God is subject to change over time, much like human beings. This implies that God is not required as an explanation for the existence of the universe—essentially, you could say that the universe's existence could be explained without invoking God at all. If both God and the universe depend on each other, neither can be fully supreme or independent. This calls into question whether God can be considered truly "God" in the traditional sense.
If God created all things from nothing, then there was a time when God didn’t need anything. So why would God need the universe now? Some proponents of process theology suggest that God didn’t create the universe ex nihilo (from nothing), but rather fashioned it from pre-existing matter because He needed it.
If God does need the universe, one might ask why He would create such a roundabout way of fulfilling His needs. Why not use His power directly to satisfy them rather than through the creation of an entire universe?
In process theology, God cannot guarantee ultimate salvation from death, sin, or suffering, because He does not possess the absolute power to do so. While the universe may be seen as God's body, things still go wrong. For instance, was it God's will to place uranium on Earth, leading humanity toward the potential for self-destruction through nuclear warfare?
The God of process theology, who is not all-powerful, differs significantly from the traditional Christian God as revealed in Jesus Christ. If process theology offers a more coherent or compassionate understanding of God, this might be seen as preferable by some. However, this raises the question of whether Jesus should still be central to the conversation, or whether we must focus solely on God without allowing Jesus to shape our understanding of Him. This approach, some argue, aligns with a more philosophical examination of the divine.
Additionally, the God of process theology cannot predict the future, as He is subject to time and change. When critics argue that this makes God radically different from how He was in the past, process theologians respond by saying that as long as God continues to love us, this is the most important thing.
This view of God—though unorthodox and controversial—offers a humane and thoughtful alternative to more traditional theological frameworks. I find it to be one of the more compelling responses to the problem of evil, though it still has its flaws.
Despite its appeal, process theology faces a fundamental problem: if God initiated the process that includes the seeds of evil, He must bear some responsibility for it. Since He knew what He was starting, and since He lacks the power to control much of it, He cannot be absolved of blame for the evil that results. If God chooses to relinquish control for some greater purpose, then why should we not hold Him accountable for the evil that follows?
This issue of a "mysterious purpose" is not exclusive to process theology. It appears in both the sad, evolving God of process theology and the omnipotent God of traditional Christianity. In both cases, we must grapple with the problem of evil, and the notion that God allows suffering for some higher purpose remains a difficult, if not unsatisfactory, explanation.
The argument that God allows evil in order to inspire good deeds—such as showing love and compassion in response to suffering—also falls short. Many good actions are not a direct response to evil; they occur independently of it. Thus, it is hard to justify the occurrence of tragedies, like plagues or wars, by saying they are necessary for the development of virtues like compassion. Ultimately, no matter which conception of God you adopt, the problem of evil remains a central and unresolved issue.
WORKS CONSULTED
A HISTORY OF GOD, Karen Armstrong, Mandarin, London, 1994
A HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY, VOL 6, PART II, KANT, Frederick Copleston SJ, Doubleday/Image, New York, 1964
A PATH FROM ROME, Anthony Kenny Sidgwick & Jackson, London, 1985
A SHATTERED VISAGE THE REAL FACE OF ATHEISM, Ravi Zacharias, Wolgemuth & Hyatt, Tennessee, 1990
A SUMMARY OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE, Louis Berkhof, The Banner of Truth Trust, London, 1971
AN INTELLIGENT PERSONS GUIDE TO CATHOLICISM, Alban McCoy, Continuum, London and New York, 1997
AN INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS, John Hospers, Routledge, London, 1992
APOLOGETICS AND CATHOLIC DOCTRINE, Part 1, Most Rev M Sheehan DD, MH Gill, & Son, Dublin, 1954
APOLOGETICS FOR THE PULPIT, Aloysius Roche, Burns Oates & Washbourne LTD, London, 1950
AQUINAS, FC Copleston, Penguin Books, London, 1991
ARGUING WITH GOD, Hugh Sylvester, IVP, London, 1971
ASKING THEM QUESTIONS, Various, Oxford University Press, London, 1936
BELIEVING IN GOD, PJ McGrath, Wolfhound Press, Dublin, 1995
BEYOND GOOD AND EVIL, Friedrich Nietzsche, Penguin, London, 1990
CITY OF GOD, St Augustine, Penguin Books, Middlesex, 1986
CONTROVERSY: THE HUMANIST CHRISTIAN ENCOUNTER, Hector Hawton, Pemberton Books, London, 1971
CRITIQUES OF GOD, Edited by Peter A Angeles, Prometheus Books, New York, 1995
DIALOGUES CONCERNING NATURAL RELIGION, David Hume, William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London, 1907
DOES GOD EXIST? Brian Davies OP, Catholic Truth Society, London, 1982
DOES GOD EXIST? Herbert W Armstrong, Worldwide Church of God, Pasadena, California, 1972
DOING AWAY WITH GOD? Russell Stannard, Marshall Pickering, London, 1993
EVIL AND THE GOD OF LOVE, John Hicks, Fontana, 1977
GOD A GUIDE FOR THE PERPLEXED Keith Ward, OneWorld, Oxford, 2003
GOD AND EVIL, Brian Davies OP, Catholic Truth Society, London, 1984
GOD AND PHILOSOPHY, Antony Flew, Hutchinson, London, 1966
GOD AND THE HUMAN CONDITION, F J Sheed, Sheed & Ward, London 1967
GOD AND THE NEW PHYSICS, Paul Davies, Penguin Books, London, 1990
GOD AND THE PROBLEM OF SUFFERING, Philip St Romain, Liguori Publications, Illinois, 1986
GOD THE PROBLEM, Gordon D Kaufman, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1973
HANDBOOK OF CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS, Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli, Monarch, East Sussex, 1995
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY, VOL 2, Frederick Copleston SJ Westminster, Maryland, Newman, 1962
HONEST TO GOD, John AT Robinson, SCM Press, London, 1963
HUMAN NATURE DID GOD CREATE IT? Herbert W Armstrong, Worldwide Church of God, Pasadena, California, 1976
IN DEFENCE OF THE FAITH, Dave Hunt, Harvest House, Eugene Oregon, 1996
IN SEARCH OF CERTAINTY, John Guest Regal Books, Ventura, California, 1983
JESUS HYPOTHESES, V. Messori, St Paul Publications, Slough, 1977
NEW CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA, The Catholic University of America and the McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., Washington, District of Columbia, 1967
ON THE TRUTH OF THE CATHOLIC FAITH, BOOK ONE, GOD, St Thomas Aquinas, Image Doubleday and Co, New York, 1961
OXFORD DICTIONARY OF PHILOSOPHY, Simon Blackburn, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1996
PHILOSOPHY AND THE CHRISTIAN FAITH, Colin Brown, IVP, London, 1973
Philosophy of Religion for A Level, Anne Jordan, Neil Lockyer and Edwin Tate, Nelson Throne Ltd, Cheltenham, 2004
RADIO REPLIES, Vol 1, Frs Rumble and Carty, Radio Replies Press, St Paul, Minnesota, 1938
RADIO REPLIES, Vol 2, Frs Rumble and Carty, Radio Replies Press, St Paul, Minnesota, 1940
RADIO REPLIES, Vol 3, Frs Rumble and Carty, Radio Replies Press, St Paul, Minnesota, 1942
REASON AND RELIGION, Anthony Kenny, Basil Blackwell Ltd, Oxford, 1987
SALVIFICI DOLORIS, Pope John Paul II, Catholic Truth Society, London, 1984
SEX AND MARRIAGE – A CATHOLIC PERSPECTIVE, John M Hamrogue CSSR, Liguori, Illinois, 1987
TAKING LEAVE OF GOD, Don Cupitt, SCM Press, London, 1980
THE CASE AGAINST GOD, Gerald Priestland, Collins, Fount Paperbacks, London, 1984
THE CONCEPT OF GOD, Ronald H Nash, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1983
THE HONEST TO GOD DEBATE Edited by David L Edwards, Westminster Press, Philadelphia, 1963
THE KINDNESS OF GOD, EJ Cuskelly MSC, Mercier Press, Cork, 1965
THE PROBLEM OF PAIN, CS Lewis, Fontana, London, 1972
THE PROBLEM OF SUFFERING, Alan Hayward, Christadelphian ALS, Birmingham, undated
THE PUZZLE OF GOD, Peter Vardy, Collins, London, 1990
THE REALITY OF GOD AND THE PROBLEM OF EVIL, Brian Davies, Continuum, London-New York, 2006
THE RECONSTRUCTION OF BELIEF, Charles Gore DD, John Murray, London, 1930
THE TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITY, WH Turton, Wells Gardner, Darton & Co Ltd, London, 1905
UNBLIND FAITH, Michael J Langford, SCM, London, 1982
WHAT IS FAITH? Anthony Kenny, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1992
WHY DOES GOD ALLOW SUFFERING? LG Sargent, Christadelphian Publishing Office, Birmingham, undated
WHY DOES GOD ALLOW SUFFERING? Misc, Worldwide Church of God, Pasadena, California, 1985
WHY DOES GOD? Domenico Grasso, St Paul, Bucks, 1970
WHY WOULD A GOOD GOD ALLOW SUFFERING? Radio Bible Class, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1990