Process Theodicy

Process Theodicy

Process theodicy offers a radically different approach to the problem of evil by reconceiving the nature of God. Unlike classical theism, which holds that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and immutable, process theology argues that God’s power is persuasive rather than coercive. God does not unilaterally control events in the world but works by influencing, luring, and persuading entities towards the good. Evil exists not because God wills or permits it but because God cannot prevent it without violating the freedom and autonomy inherent in all reality. Process theodicy is rooted in the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) and has been developed as a theological response to evil primarily by David Ray Griffin (1939–2022).

Whitehead’s Process Philosophy

Alfred North Whitehead, a British mathematician and philosopher who taught at Harvard, developed a comprehensive metaphysical system known as process philosophy, set out primarily in his magnum opus Process and Reality (1929). The key features of Whitehead’s philosophy relevant to the problem of evil are: