by Kamila Gutierrez

My earliest memories of God are of imagining God as a teddy bear in the sky, with large black button eyes and a little red bow tie. The diminutive of God in Spanish is Diosito, which sounds like the word for teddy bear: osito.I have always thought of God as my best friend, a quiet understanding that has been interwoven into the fabric of all existence.

My faith has been a fundamental aspect of my life from before I can remember. I was taught by my church that God was self-contained, unchanging, and impassible. Growing up in a Southern Baptist congregation meant that these teachings about God laid the foundation for how I viewed God’s interaction with broader society. My youth pastor was interested in addressing how the Bible offered answers to how Christians should respond to ‘hot-button’ topics such as LGBTQIA2S+ acceptance, sex education, abortion, systemic racism, and police brutality, to name a few.

He encouraged us to think critically about the information he was presenting, and so I did. In doing so, I concluded that I had disagreed with the stances of my church. I wanted the church to be a welcoming, inclusive, and safe space for all, no matter how similar or different their life experience was from mine. I wanted people to find a best friend in God, not a dictator.

I knew there was something different about this view of God and the social change that was needed to make our American society safer for marginalized people.

When I got to college, I learned about Process Theology through my Process Philosophy course. I came to realize that Process Theology allowed for the existence of God and change in a way that had not seemed possible to me before.

Process Theologians believe that God is a participant in a larger creative process, existing as relational, dynamic, persuasive, and changing. In the book, Process Theology as Political Theology, author Dr. John B. Cobb, Jr., writes that Process Theology includes, “all forms of theology that emphasize event, occurrence, or becoming against substance.” (Cobb 19). Meaning that theology is constantly in process, developing, interacting, and active. In essence, it is a form of theology that emphasizes becoming.

How does Process Theology tackle social issues?

We can begin by examining the oldest threads of Process Theory, as they relate to cosmology—the study of the universe’s origin—which are found in the writings of the Ancient Greek philosopher Plotinus.

Plotinus discussed in his writing, “On the Kosmos (On the Heavenly Systems),” that God, which sustains reality, is in constant motion and transformation; that change does not pose a threat to Cosmic Order, and instead, God maintains creation by reshaping matter in Plato’s sense.

Being able to trace Process viewpoints and language back to the writings of Plotinus is important because our interpretations of New Testament scriptures are derived from the Neoplatonist School of Philosophy. Plotinus believed that the chief goal of humanity is to return to The One (God). Christians maintain that our true home is in Heaven, and we remain focused on becoming more Christlike in our earthly lives.

Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain captured in Luke 6:20-21, “. . .’Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.’” this has incentivized Americans to participate in individual and collective acts that are aimed at alleviating human suffering and combating injustice, as Christians regardless of denominational background subscribe to the concept that God loves all persons equally and desires justice in the world. The numerous charity organizations founded on Christian principles that exist in America serve as a testament to that.

Divine Reality and us

Based on examples from Scripture, such as Acts 2:44-47, which reads: “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who was in need. Every day, they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” A function of religion in the drive of humanity is not only to be in relation with God, but it is also to connect Divine Reality with what is currently happening in society in a way that supports marginalized people. For instance, in Minneapolis, Minn., Calvary Lutheran Church took the initiative of turning part of their church space into affordable housing.

If we as Christians neglect the creative side of God’s love, this would undermine various liberation movements like the Civil Rights movement, which have been inspired by God’s love and justice for us and others. Cobb writes, “cultures in which the sacred is not understood as involved with creating better conditions for life in this world have had difficulty in generating the sustained commitments necessary to bring about significant change” (Cobb 49).

Theological movements, such as Liberation Theology, the Civil Rights Movement, and climate justice activism, have outlined how religious beliefs, particularly Christianity, can challenge an oppressive system. Cobb suggests in his writing that the motivating values arising from religion are necessary within social justice movements to incentivize purposeful change.

Martin Luther’s theology confirms The Lutheran Church’s commitment to social progress. Luther claimed that Christians should be part of the struggle, interacting with it rather than withdrawing from it. He authored in Temporal Authority: To What Extent it Should be Obeyed, that there are moments in which Christians must be prepared to disobey unjust governments. By supplementing our Lutheran theology with Process-informed language, Christians can create the safe, welcoming, and inclusive space that I wanted to see in the church as a teenager; we can reflect the understanding, dynamic, and loving character of God without having to jump through hoops of our own creation.

Discussion Questions: 

1. How do you imagine/conceptualize God?

2. How does Process Theology challenge this look?

3. How does Process Theology complement this outlook?

Closing prayer:

Lord, thank you for bringing us all together tonight. I pray that you would open our eyes to your fullness, openness, and expansiveness. That we may see you in and of the changes that occur within and without us. May you give us peaceful slumber as we get ready for the night and prepare to face tomorrow. Amen.

Kamila Gutierrez is a rising senior at UW-Milwaukee studying Religion, Philosophy, and Ancient Greek. In addition to my academic pursuits, I am a Peer Minister and member of The Corner House Lutheran Campus Ministry over at school. I have been enjoying serving as one of the communications interns for WELCA this spring and summer, and I look forward to discussing Process with all of you!