Process Theology – What is it?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Process Theology began in the twentieth century when philosophers Alfred North Whitehead and Charles Hartshorne proposed that God, like the world, is in constant process and change. They taught that God learns, grows, and is affected by creation. Later theologians applied this to Christianity, portraying Jesus not as the eternal Son of God but as a man who responded perfectly to the divine will.

This view denies both the immutability of God and the deity of Christ. The Bible, however, teaches that God is unchanging and sovereign (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17). The Bible also affirms that Jesus is fully God and eternal (John 1:1, 14), the One through whom all things were created and in whom all things hold together (Colossians 1:16–17).

God’s perfection leaves no room for change. Additionally, since His power is absolute and He created the universe, He depends on nothing. Process Theology replaces the biblical Creator with a mutable being bound by time, and it is rightly described as a heretical view of God and Jesus. True Christianity holds to the God who never changes, who made all things, and who saves through His eternal Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The first line of the Bible says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). “In the beginning,” here, refers to God’s existence before creation. The Creator is not contained by creation, nor does He depend on it for His being or knowledge.
• In Isaiah 40:25–26, the LORD declares that there is none like Him, for He alone calls the stars by name and sustains them by His power. Psalm 102:25–27 describes Him as the One who laid the foundations of the earth and whose years have no end, even when creation itself wears out. Such language leaves no room for the idea that God and creation evolve together.
• God is a transcendent being who rules over everything He has made. Deuteronomy 10:14 says, “Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it.” God is not part of the world’s process but its sovereign ruler. He is above all creation, beyond its limits, and fully independent from it.
• God’s nature and purposes are unchangeable. Numbers 23:19 says that He does not lie or change His mind. Malachi 3:6 declares, “For I the LORD do not change.” God’s perfection and constancy are central to His divine nature.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Process theology denies Christ’s deity, which contradicts many parts of the New Testament, such as the opening of John’s Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). A few verses later, John writes that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14), revealing that the eternal God entered into His creation.
• Jesus confirmed His divine identity when He told the Pharisees, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58), echoing the divine name revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14.
• The apostles likewise worshiped Jesus as God, recognizing in Him the fullness of deity (Romans 10:9; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:3).
• All creation depends on Jesus for its existence and continued order. Colossians 1:16–17 states, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Christ, as fully God, is not part of the world’s process but the divine sustainer of it. His power is absolute, His will sovereign, and His nature unchanging.
• James reaffirms God’s unchanging nature, saying of God,“there is no variation or shadow due to change.” Hebrews 13:8 declares, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (1:17). The God revealed in the New Testament is perfect and constant in every way, unaffected by time or circumstance.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Change is good when it comes to New Year’s resolutions, but it’s heretical when discussing the nature of God. God is omniscient, omnipotent, and unchanging. He knows everything, so His actions are based on that unchanging knowledge.

This isn’t a minor issue. If God can change, then nothing in the Christian life is certain. We would not be able to trust His promises or depend on His forgiveness. The gospel, our hope of salvation, rests on the truth that God is always who He says He is. The same God who made His covenant with Abraham is the God who sent His Son to die for sinners and the same God who will judge the world in righteousness. He never changes.

Because of this, believers can approach every circumstance confidently. God’s love does not fade, and His mercy is not exhausted. We can come to Him again and again, and He is always the same as He always was. His patience does not run out, and His care does not depend on our performance. The same grace that saved us continues to sustain us. In a world that constantly changes, the unchanging nature of God is the believer’s anchor.

UNDERSTAND

• Process Theology wrongly says God changes and is shaped by creation.
• Process Theology denies the full deity of Christ.
• The Bible teaches that God is eternal, sovereign, and unchanging and that Jesus is fully God, Creator, and Sustainer of all things.

REFLECT

• How would your trust in God be affected if you believed He could change in character or promises?
• What does it look like for you to fully rest in Jesus as the eternal, divine Son of God?
• How does knowing that God is unchanging anchor you in seasons of uncertainty or suffering?

ENGAGE

• Why is God’s unchanging nature essential to the reliability of the gospel?
• What are the practical consequences if someone denies the full deity of Christ?
• How can believers lovingly respond to theological ideas that redefine God’s nature such as process theology?