evaluation of process thought

Question 1

4 strengths of process thought

Answer 1

-deals with real evil
- avoids suspicion concerning gods infinite love
- the process god is a fellow sufferer
- it offers justification for evil via the goodness of the living world

Question 2

process theodicy and real evil

Answer 2

process theodicy is the only theodicy which deals with real evil
- griffin dismisses: any notion that evil contributes to some kind of higher good
- that suffering in this world is an apparent evil (something we consider to be actual due to our different understanding of god)
- that god has restrained himself through self limitation and voluntarily given up power
- that evil is justified by the after life in heaven

Question 3

process thought and gods infinite love

Answer 3

• PT avoids suspicion concerning gods love
• his theodicy offers a more realistic, or satisfactory explanation for the existence of a loving god and real evil
• solves LPOE, as god simply cannot remove evil
• PT avoids suspicion as does not try to teach God has a good reason to not remove evil

Question 4

PT god is a fellow sufferer

Answer 4

• belief in this can be encouraging as people realise god can have personal experience of what they are going through
• a deeper, more loving and trusting relationship is possible with a God who truly suffers alongside people, rather than being safely cocooned against evils effects
• since god has experienced the totality of evil and good and carries on life, the believer can know their struggle is worth it

Question 5

PT and justification of evil via the goodness of the living world

Answer 5

• G: no heaven promised, but the justification for good can be found in the examples of human existence in this life/previously
• Hick: the good in life outweights the evil that could be avoided without life
• even without heaven, it motivates goodness in this world because in the process scheme there is no certainty god will succeed in the end
• encourages a believer to join in in the fight against evil and secure victory, not inertia

Question 6

3 weaknesses of the PT

Answer 6

• is it really a theodicy
• gods suffering is not a strength of process T
• gods unjustified evolution of the universe

Question 7

is PT really a theodicy

Answer 7

• denies god as OP, does not defend the god of classical theism in the face of evil, which is the point of a T –> OP is a crucial attribute of God, the limited being in PT is not worthy of worship
• lacks the OB qualities of classical theism, suffering of majority at the expense of the minority –> john hick ‘ not the god of those millions who have..suffered and died under oppression and exploitation’
• its justification of the existence of evil does not justify the nature of God –> permitting what is morally unacceptable, namely the death and suffering of millions

Question 8

gods suffering is not a strength of process thought

Answer 8

• PT is not the only one that presents god as suffering –> god experiences pain in jesus’ crucifixion
• god chose to allow this experience however, maintaining his omnipotence and offering the certainty that good will conquer evil for eternal life (understanding from a position of strength vs understanding as a sufferer)
• the god who suffers offers no solution to our suffering, so is not worthy of worship
• the idea of god suffering is despairing –> if he cant escape will we?

Question 9

gods unjustified evolution of the universe

Answer 9

• the notion that the good in the world outweighs the evil would not appeal to those who have actually suffered
• no promise of heaven: no guarantee that those have suffered will be compensated –> not a god worthy of praise
• if god has experienced the most pain he has also reaped the most joy –> from his POV then benefits outweigh suffering as he has an everpresent appeal of future harmonies
• Hick –> god risked human suffering and evil for the minority good, ‘in whom god rejoices’

Question 10

PT is a theodicy

Answer 10

• internally coherent
• natural theology: evolution, more complex = more potential for harmony and discord; EPOE = plenitude of evil observed
• Nevil: deviation of atoms
• Mevil: human free will choosing discord
• OB as life is better than nothing

Question 11

PT isn’t a theodicy

Answer 11

• against Gods omnipotence
• cannot respond to LPOE as it doesnt recognise one of the strands (however, this means LPOE doesnt actually exist because we misattributed God)

Question 12

further strengths of PT

Answer 12

• there is a sense of realism concerning what god can and cannot do
• encourages people to stay and join the fight against evil and contribute to harmony in the world –> as things develop harmony and discord can be experienced with greater intensity
• fits in with evolution as god is developing what is already there to become better
• quantum mechanics agrees that at a sub atomic level, reality is indeed a process of chaos and change
• god is dipolar: physical, part of the world, emotional, understands the suffering
• fits in with humes view of evil being incompatible with an an OP god
• coheres with the biblical image of jesus as the suffering god

Question 13

further weaknesses of PT

Answer 13

• It doesnt state what happens after death, so we have no encouragement for how we act –> Davies: he is not worthy of any worship as he cannot guarantee anything
• is a less than OP god worthy of worship
• consolation for human suffering but not animals
• not everybody would agree with the joy of the universe outweighs the suffering in the universe (the brothers karamazov)
• not a theodicy as it doesnt consider the god of deism
• John roth: Good as he may be, Griffins god is too small