The Relational Revolution: Whitehead and Process Theology

Today the focus is on Process Theology. This represents a Relational Revolution—a shift from viewing reality as a collection of static substances to seeing it as a series of dynamic events. At its core, this system describes the Divine not as a finished object, but as a participant in the creative advance of the cosmos. This journey begins with The Metaphysical Shift. In the last YouTube video, “Why Everything You Know About Reality Might Be Wrong,” the idea was examined that the primary units of reality are not fixed “things” but momentary “Actual Occasions.” This perspective describes how a process theologian views God through that same lens—not as a distant judge, but as a Participatory Divine who serves as the “Dominant Nexus” of a creative universe. The motivation here is Metaphysical Coherence: the project of reconciling the Divine with the discoveries of modern physics and human experience.

The World as a Verb

To understand this theology, the foundation of process philosophy must be understood. While a “Substance” worldview sees the world as a collection of nouns—finished, enduring objects like chairs and bodies—Process Philosophy describes the concrete reality of the world as “Actual Occasions.” These are momentary drops of experience—pulses of energy and feeling that perish as soon as they happen. In this view, stability is described as a habit of repetition. A mountain is seen not as a static object, but as a “Society” of trillions of energy pulses repeating the same pattern so consistently that it looks solid.

This fundamental shift means that you and I are viewed not as things that happen to change, but as the change itself. If the universe is fundamentally a flow of these dynamic events, it follows that the “Ultimate Reality”—God—is not a static anchor outside of the flow, but is the primary Process itself. A reality in motion requires a Divine nature that is also in motion.

The Metaphysical Motivation

Alfred North Whitehead, the mathematician and philosopher who co-authored Principia Mathematica, observed a tension between traditional theology and the discoveries of modern science. The conflict lies in the classical description of God as an “Unmoved Mover.” For a mathematician, a static, unchanging God was metaphysically incoherent and incompatible with the dynamic universe revealed by modern physics. The universe, as described by Quantum Mechanics and Relativity, is fundamentally a domain of uncertainty, relationality, and constant change. Whitehead concluded that if science describes a world of condensed energy and interconnectedness, then theology must do the same.

Classical vs. Process Theology

This represents a shift from Sovereignty to Relationship. In Classical Theology, God is defined by Immutability, meaning God is unchanging and unaffected by the world. Power is seen as Omnipotence—absolute, coercive control. Process Theology rejects this. Here, God is described as Dynamic—growing and evolving alongside the universe. Power is redefined not as “Control,” but as Persuasion—the “Divine Lure.” The Divine is the supreme experiencer, literally feeling the joy and suffering of every moment as it occurs.

Panexperientialism & The Dominant Nexus

The foundation of this model is Panexperientialism: the view that every fundamental unit of reality has a primitive form of “feeling” or experience. Objects are not “dead matter,” but complex organizations of these experiencing occasions. A human being is a “Society of Societies” where atoms, molecules, and cells have their own “habits” of energy. At the top of this hierarchy is the “Dominant Nexus,” or the mind. The mind coordinates the whole through persuasion rather than force—similar to a President in a democracy. In this framework, God is the “Dominant Nexus” of the entire cosmos.

The Dipolar Nature of God

Whitehead describes God as a “Dipolar” entity to resolve the contradiction of being both stable and dynamic. The “Primordial Nature” is God’s mental side—the unchanging realm of all possibilities and logic. The “Consequent Nature” is God’s physical side—the side that changes as it takes in the experiences of the world. Through the “Initial Aim,” God provides every new moment with a “Lure” toward the best possible version of what it could become. This influence is strictly persuasive; every occasion has the freedom to decide how much of that Divine Lure it will accept.

The Fellow Sufferer & Objective Immortality

Through a process called “Prehension,” every joy, sorrow, and choice in our world is “taken in” by God. As Whitehead famously noted, God is “The Great Companion – the fellow-sufferer who understands.” This leads to the concept of “Objective Immortality.” When a life concludes, every choice and feeling is preserved within the Consequent Nature. The individual becomes an objective fact within the life of God. Nothing meaningful ever truly perishes.

The Problem of Evil

In this system, God lacks the power to “veto” a human choice or a physical event. Evil is a byproduct of creation’s freedom, occurring when an Actual Occasion resists the persuasive Lure toward harmony. Natural disasters are seen as “mechanical tragedies”—the collision of independent societies (like tectonic plates) following their own deeply entrenched habits. God does not plan the disaster; God is the one attempting to lure the system toward the most harmonious outcome possible.

Hardened Habits & Biblical Ethics

Process Theology views the Bible as a record of the Divine “Lure” interacting with “Hardened Habits.” This explains why ancient biblical laws regarding slavery or warfare reflect their violent cultures. Revelation is a developmental process. God meets a culture where it is, negotiating with “Hardness of Heart” (entrenched habits) rather than overriding free will.

Jesus and the parables represent a radical metaphysical shift. By centering stories on the internal lives of the marginalized, Jesus lured listeners to “prehend” others as Subjects rather than Objects. He acted as the embodiment of the Divine Lure, providing a blueprint for a world where every person is recognized as a subject to be loved.

Conclusion: The Relational Revolution

Morality is not a static set of rules, but the production of “Novelty” and “Beauty.” Because everything we experience is felt by God, we are Co-creators of God’s experience. We move from a universe of static “things” to one of dynamic “events.” God is not a “King,” but a “Companion.” Power is infinite persuasion. Existence is a “Creative Advance” where every life contributes to the eternal memory of the Divine, giving lasting meaning to the fleeting nature of our existence.

Suggested Reading

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If you are interested in diving deeper into the metaphysical and theological world of Alfred North Whitehead and the development of relational theology, the following resources are highly recommended:

• Process and Reality by Alfred North Whitehead The foundational, though notoriously difficult, text of process philosophy. It is best approached after reading an introductory guide.
• A Guide to Understanding the Bible by Harry Emerson Fosdick A landmark text for the “Section 3” case studies. Fosdick masterfully traces the development of biblical ideas—from tribalism to universalism—aligning closely with the process view of a Divine Lure interacting with evolving human culture.
• Process-Relational Philosophy: An Introduction to Alfred North Whitehead by C. Robert Mesle Widely considered the best “plain English” introduction to Whitehead’s thought. It explains technical terms like “prehension” and “actual occasions” with great clarity.
• Science and the Modern World by Alfred North Whitehead A more accessible entry point than “Process and Reality,” focusing on how the history of science necessitates a shift in how we view the Divine.
• The Lure of God: A Biblical Background for Process Theism by Lewis S. Ford Exploring how the Divine Lure operates within the biblical narrative, specifically regarding historical struggles and ethical shifts.
• Omnipotence and Other Theological Mistakes by Charles Hartshorne A provocative and clear critique of classical theology from a process perspective, specifically addressing the problem of evil and divine power.
• Process Theology: An Introductory Exposition by John B. Cobb Jr. and David Ray Griffin The definitive textbook for understanding how process thought applies to ethics, ecology, and social justice.