​Process Theology & Super-Naturalism

Beyond the Bifurcation of Natural and Supernatural

In many indigenous traditions around the world, there is no sharp division between the natural and the supernatural, the world of material objects and the world of spiritual energies, the ordinary and the extraordinary, the normal and the paranormal. All are part of the larger web of life. The Western preoccupation with this binary—often reinforced by a rejection of the supernatural in favor of the natural—is foreign to indigenous ways of thinking.

In this respect, process theology resonates more closely with indigenous perspectives than with conventional Western thought. It expands the understanding of nature to encompass both the natural and the supernatural, dissolving the rigid boundaries between them. Moreover, it offers a way of understanding the divine reality—God—not as separate from but as deeply immanent within the sacred depth of all that is. We need a word to name this more expanded image of the greater web of life. It's not exactly Natural and it's not exactly Supernatural. I suggest we call it the Super-Natural.

A Word with many Meanings

The word supernatural means different things in different contexts. Consider the following sentences in which the word might naturally be used and imagine the contexts. The meaning of the word will depend on the context:

• “Miracles are evidence of God’s supernatural intervention.”
• “The haunted house is said to be full of supernatural entities.”
• “The superhero had supernatural strength.”
• “Some philosophers speculate that consciousness has a supernatural dimension.”
• “The legend speaks of a supernatural being that protects the forest.”
• “Gothic novels often have a supernatural atmosphere.”
• “Some believe in supernatural healing energies.”
• “The connection between them was almost supernatural.”
• “The musician’s performance had a supernatural brilliance, as if the notes were being played for the first time in history.”
• “Her recovery was so rapid and complete that it felt almost supernatural, as if some unseen force had guided her healing.”

Most and perhaps all of these can make sense from a process perspective. And yet some but not all process theologians object to positive uses of the world "supernaturalism," and leave people wondering what exactly they mean.

• Are they rejecting belief in God?
• Are they denying the possibility of miracles?
• Do they dismiss mystical experiences as mere hallucinations?
• Do they think that the "laws" of nature are inexorable?
• Do they believe that immaterial entities cannot exist?
• Do they believe that entities communicate a distance without the mediation of intervening causal factors?
• Do they believe that God cannot act in novel and unexpected ways?
• Do they believe that the idea of a continuing journey after death is mere superstition?
• Do they believe that ideals such as beauty and truth and goodness are mere human projections?

The answer to each of these questions is No. Influenced by the philosophy of organism of Alfred North Whitehead, process theologians affirm:

• The reality of a cosmic Spirit within and beyond the universe.
• The possibility of miracles, understood as extraordinary events arising from divine influence within the natural world.
• The significance of mystical experiences of many different kinds.
• The contingency, flexibility, and evolution of natural laws, understood as habits of nature, not rigid blueprints.
• The quantum 'jumping' of energy-events from one state to another.
• The potential existence of immaterial entities.
• The possibility of mind-to-mind communications without the mediation of physics and chemistry.
• The real possibility of a continuing journey after death.
• The idea that the mind is different from the brain.
• The idea that truth, goodness, and beauty exist objectively, apart from human projection.
• The idea that God continually acts in novel and unexpected ways, luring the world toward beauty, creativity, and transformation.

In addition, and importantly, they recognize that words - in this case the word supernatural - can have different meanings in different contexts. There is no need to speak of the meaning of supernaturalism.

A Rejection of Supernaturalism (Narrowly Defined)

Given that all of these affirmations can 'sound' supernatural, the question becomes: What are the process theologians who reject supernaturalism rejecting?

For the most part, the process theologians who reject supernaturalism are reacting to a very specific notion of supernaturalism they they find objectionable. It is the idea of God as a cosmic agent, existing outside of (or external to) nature who occasionally intervenes in natural happenings without any dependence on the world, interrupting the laws of physics and chemistry in the process. Here nature is understood as a bound system, with things 'outside' it, one of which is an external God.

I asked one of these process theologians, Chad Bahl, about his views, and he offered a helpful reply. He writes:

David Ray Griffin defines supernaturalism as “the idea of a divine being who could (and perhaps does) occasionally interrupt the world’s most fundamental causal processes.” As a process thinker, I adopt this definition in my forthcoming book, “The Death of Supernaturalism: The Case for Process Naturalism.” Acknowledging that others within the process world offer pathways to save the usage of the word ‘supernatural’ from its medieval roots, (along with its explicit intent to distinguish unilateral divine activity from that of the natural world), I am a bit more cautious about giving words meanings not commonly associated with them. As a means of finding common ground with those who want to affirm this type of activity, defining supernaturalism as “unexpected creative transformation” (see Jay McDaniel’s recent work on the topic) may have appeal, but it may also avoid addressing important differences

What is objectionable to Bahl and others about the idea of God being capable of interrupting the world's most fundamental causal processes is not simply that the idea seems unscientific or even anti-scientific - or that it raises difficult questions about how divine influence can truly affect the world, if the divine is entirely outside nature. What is objectionable, existentially, is that it raises serious questions about God and goodness, otherwise called the problem of theodicy. 

• If God can intervene in unilateral ways, why doesn't God not prevent suffering more often?
• Why does God allow so much needless pain, injustice, and tragedy?
• If God has the power to unilaterally override natural laws and human freedom, why does God permit war, disease, and natural disasters?

In other words, for the process theologians like Bahl who oppose supernaturalism, the idea of a supernatural God who selectively intervenes raises troubling ethical concerns. It suggests a God who could prevent immense suffering but often chooses not to, making divine goodness seem arbitrary or even cruel.

God without Supernaturalism
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The alternative they propose is a vision of God - a cosmic Spirit throughout the universe - who is relational rather than interventionist, persuasive rather than coercive. God is not outside the universe, because the universe has no outside. God is instead, so Whitehead suggests with his notion of "the consequent nature of God," the living whole of the universe itself: a cosmic Life in whose consciousness the universe unfolds. God, then, is  external force who occasionally disrupts the world but is instead an ever-present source of possibility, love, and transformation within it. God does not act in isolation from the world but is deeply entangled with its ongoing becoming, offering new possibilities in each moment rather than overriding the agency of creatures or the inherent patterns of nature. And, importantly, God is a receptacle for the world's joys and sufferings, a divine companion: a "fellow sufferer who understands."

For these theologians, rejecting this specific notion of supernaturalism does not mean rejecting God, miracles, or mystical experience. Rather, it reflects a commitment to a vision of divine power that is deeply engaged with the world, responsive rather than dictatorial, and always working toward the flourishing of life in ways that are consistent with love, freedom, and creativity.

Super-Naturalism

While this critique has merit within its intended scope, it risks overlooking the broader and richer ways in which people use the word supernatural.

Many who find the word helpful in describing say, a sense of the miraculous or the possibility of a continuing journey after death, are not committed to a coercive, law-breaking deity but instead use supernatural to describe experiences of mystery, transcendence, divine presence, or encounters with dimensions of reality beyond conventional scientific understanding.

By framing supernaturalism too narrowly, process theologians may unintentionally alienate those who find meaning in these experiences and concepts, rather than inviting them into a more expansive and relational vision of reality. And they, the process theologians who are so fervently anti-supernatural, unwittingly foster a bifurcation between "the natural" and "the supernatural" that contravenes even their own points of view.

What is needed, then, is a more generous approach to supernaturalism—one that recognizes that the word has different meanings in different contexts and that, in some contexts, the word functions in positive and plausible ways, even for process theologians.

At the heart of this more generous approach is an expansion of what we mean by the natural —a perspective that dissolves a narrow binary between natural and supernatural by recognizing nature itself as more wondrous, open-ended, and multi-dimensional than the mechanistic worldview suggests. This approach does not reject the mystical, the miraculous, or the divine; rather, it invites us to rethink these realities within a more expansive and dynamic understanding of nature itself. For lack of a better phrase, I am going to call it Super-Naturalism.

The Aliveness of Nature

Many people think of nature in mechanistic terms—a world of lifeless matter governed by fixed laws, predictable and deterministic. From this perspective, anything that disrupts the natural order must come from outside it, from a supernatural realm that transcends or overrides the physical world. This assumption has deep roots in Western thought, influenced by Newtonian physics and Enlightenment rationalism. Process theology challenges this dualism, offering instead a vision of nature that is far more expansive than traditional materialism allows.

In a process-relational worldview, nature is not a machine but a dynamic, evolving reality infused with experience and feeling at every level. Nature includes dimensions beyond the three-dimensional, all regions within what Whitehead calls the extensive continuum, one of which is the divine consciousness itself, embracing all regions.

Additionally and importantly, nature understood in this sense is alive through and through. Even the smallest particles of matter have some degree of responsiveness to their surroundings; they are not passive but actively participate in the unfolding of the universe. Creativity, spontaneity, and novelty are not exceptions to the natural order—they are its essence. From this perspective, we do not need a realm outside of nature to account for transformation, mystical experience, or divine presence. Instead, nature itself is more mysterious, open-ended, and alive than any mechanistic framework can capture.

Nature as the Totality

Moreover, as noted above, there is no "outside." Nature becomes cosmos, a totality without context apart from itself, filled with a vast plurality of beings, from the microscopic to the macroscopic, the material to the immaterial[ and encompassed by a spiritual presence, the Amipotent Spirit, who seeks the well being of each and all. On this view the Amipotent Spirit is no less natural than gravity, and gravity is no more natural than the Spirit.

This understanding resonates with many religious traditions. For instance, in Christian mysticism, figures such as Meister Eckhart and Teilhard de Chardin have described nature as imbued with divine presence. In Buddhism, the concept of pratītyasamutpāda (dependent origination) suggests an interconnected, ever-emergent universe. Indigenous spiritual traditions often see the natural world as sacred, filled with spirits and energies. Process theology aligns with these insights by affirming that the sacred, while containing a non-temporal dimension, is not distant but immanent within the evolving fabric of the cosmos.

Miracles as Unpredictable Possibilities

One of the most controversial aspects of supernaturalism narrowly understood is the belief in miracles—events that seem to defy natural laws. Traditionally, miracles have been understood since the western Enlightenment and the rise of modern science as divine interventions that override the normal course of nature. Process theologians affirm that God acts in surprising and unpredictable ways, but they reject the idea of God suspending the laws of nature. Instead, they recognize that divine action can bring about new and unexpected possibilities from within the natural world, influenced by divine persuasion rather than coercion.

In this sense, miracles are not violations of nature but rather extraordinary events that arise through the interplay of divine creativity and worldly responsiveness. The emergence of compassion in a world filled with violence, the transformation of despair into hope, the healing presence of love—these are all examples of divine action. They are miraculous not because they break natural laws but because they exceed our expectations and open up new realities.

Consider the story of a person recovering from deep trauma through an unexpected act of kindness. Or the way a community devastated by war finds a way to rebuild, forging peace where there was once only destruction. These moments of transformation, though not supernatural in the traditional sense, are filled with divine presence. Miracles, from a process perspective, are what happen when human and nonhuman beings cooperate with divine possibilities for healing and renewal.

A Multidimensional Universe

Another reason process thought dismantles the rigid nature/supernatural divide is its openness to a multidimensional universe. The cosmos, as Whitehead describes it, is not limited to three-dimensional space but consists of an extensive continuum with many possible dimensions of existence. In such a universe, it is entirely conceivable that we are not alone, that other kinds of actualities—some beyond human perception—exist within reality.

This allows room for experiences that some might label supernatural, such as mystical visions, near-death experiences, or communication with spiritual realities, without assuming they originate from a realm entirely separate from nature. Mystics across traditions—from Julian of Norwich to Rumi to indigenous shamans—have described encounters with realities that seem to transcend ordinary experience. Process thought does not dismiss these as hallucinations but rather considers them glimpses into the deeper dimensions of reality. It also opens up the possibility that the mind is different from the brain, 

God as the Sacred Depth of Nature

In process theology, God is neither a supernatural overseer nor a distant, impersonal force. Rather, God is the sacred depth of nature itself—the wellspring of novelty, relationality, and transformation that permeates all existence. God does not control the world but lures it toward richer and more harmonious forms of existence, offering possibilities for growth, healing, and creativity in every moment.

This means that divine presence is not something that occasionally intervenes in spectacular ways but is an abiding reality woven into the very fabric of the universe. When we feel awe at a breathtaking landscape, experience the deep healing of a loving relationship, or sense an inner calling toward justice and compassion, we are encountering the sacred depth of nature.

Some might worry that this view reduces God to mere impersonal force. But process theology holds that God is both deeply personal and infinitely relational—feeling the joys and sufferings of all creatures and responding with love. In this way, God is not a supernatural lawgiver standing outside the world but an intimate presence within it, working through the openness of the universe itself.
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Breaking the Bifurcation, Affirming the Mystery

A process approach to supernaturalism dissolves the rigid boundary between nature and the supernatural, not by rejecting the supernatural, but by reinterpreting it in a way that embraces creativity, novelty, and relational depth. It affirms the wonder, mystery, and transformative power that many associate with the supernatural while integrating them into an expanded vision of nature as dynamic, open-ended, and alive.

Rather than insisting that the supernatural must be something separate from or opposed to nature, process thought allows us to see supernatural events, experiences, and possibilities as expressions of nature’s deeper dimensions. The universe is not a closed system of fixed laws but a creative process where new realities can emerge, where love and transformation can take root, and where divine presence is deeply woven into the fabric of existence.

For those who find meaning in the word supernatural, there is no need to abandon it. Instead, we can embrace a Super-Naturalism —one that recognizes that nature itself is infused with divine presence, that the miraculous emerges from within rather than from beyond, and that our deepest spiritual experiences reveal the profound openness and richness of the world we inhabit.
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In this sense, supernatural need not mean a rejection of the natural—it can be a way of pointing to the sacred depths of reality, to the unanticipated, the transformative, and the beautifully mysterious possibilities always at play in an evolving universe.