Theology is a reflection on the experience of faith that can’t be released from the various models of certain understandings about God. Therefore, this topic would serve as well as offering a unique model of understanding about God. In various themes and theological studies called Process Theology or the relevance of Whitehead's process philosophy to theology certainly broader than just pointing and parse some theological implications of his views about God. However, a theology that process would be developed based on Whitehead's thinking will not be separated from the central position on the views and understanding of God. In order to demonstrate an understanding of God's uniqueness model understanding of God offered in the thinking process philosophy of "Alfred N. Whitehead", following the review Ian G. Barbour, in this paper will first discuss four modelsfor the understanding of God that had been used in the new tradition of Christianity and discussed some basic features of the model according to the thought process of understanding.
Four Models Understanding About God in Christian Tradition.
When we look at models of understanding of God which until now contained in the Christian tradition, it can be distinguished in four models, namely model of monarchy, deistic model, model-actor model of dialogue and action.
1. Model monarchy.
In this model, God is described as an absolute monarch ruling over the whole territory of his kingdom. These figures are systematically developed both in the Jewish tradition (God as Lord and King of the Worlds) and in the Christian tradition, in Christian thought in the Middle Ages, the omnipotence of God is emphasized in the Reformed Christian thought (particularly Calvinism), the sovereignty of God over all His creation also strongly emphasized. God can do anything according to His desire. This model is also seen that God's direct intervention contributed to the events experienced by humans.
2. Model Deistic.
In this model, God is described as a handyman at the divine and the created world is a clock that once made with certain settings can walk alone, mechanically. With the development of science in the 17th century, nature was increasingly viewed as the engine that runs on a regular basis based on specific knowledge applicable for certain. God only play at first in building or creating a system that can work alone again mechanically without any intervention from his party. This model also provides an illustration of impersonal about God and their relationship with humans. This picture is ultimately unsatisfactory, since it is incompatible with the feelings and religious experiences of the faithful in general. The picture was also not in accordance with the experience of the faithful, as depicted in Scripture.
3. Model Dialog.
In this model described the relationship of God with man as a personal relationship. Model inter-personal relationships as a picture of the relationship between God and His people. This is especially prominent in the description contained in the Christian Scriptures, both Old Testament and New Testament. This model is in an atmosphere of love always give the space of freedom to the dialogue partner or friend. The weakness of this model is a very strict separation between humans and the natural environment, a separation which to date is not acceptable. The attitude of respect and maintain the attitude and preserving the natural environment that also has a basis in the Bible tends to be ignored. Finally realizing that it is necessary to develop a theology that can develop a natural theology.
4. Model-action actors.
This model gives a place on the relationship between God and nature. God is seen as the perpetrators of acts against the movement and change in nature. If all events and events in nature and history understood as a form of expression of a tendency to act of God, the role of each human being as a subject-action actors are absorbed in the role of God as the subject of single-action actors thoroughly. Each man in the sense that it becomes nothing more than the dolls or puppets in the hands of "The Eternal puppeteer." Although the model of God as an actor acts, God does not need to be understood as the subject of a powerful absolute monarchy, as depicted in the model, but as the sole perpetrators of cosmic action. God can be said as a responsible overall, the relation with the existence of evil and suffering in the world problematic.
To model "Understanding the Process", will be presented immediately to the next article.
No comments:
Post a Comment