The Bathos of God

A Process Theology of Awkwardness
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Bathos is a literary or artistic term that describes an abrupt shift from a serious, elevated, or grand tone to one that is trivial, mundane, or ridiculous, often resulting in unintended humor. It is commonly used to critique works that fail to sustain a lofty tone, unintentionally descending into absurdity. However, it can also be employed deliberately for comedic or satirical effects.

The Pathos and Bathos of God
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The Problem of Overly-Majestic Images of God

Many Christians grow up with an overly-majestic understanding of God. God is "higher" and "purer" and "more perfect" and "more sublime" than anything else. This overly-majestic image renders unto God what belongs to a king on a throne. This over-emphasis on divine majesty can be part of people who think of God as an almighty king who arbitrarily wields power, but also people who reject this image and proclaim, instead, that there are things "God can't" do, but is nevertheless perfect in love. Indeed, the term amipotence has been coined to name this kind of perfection. The problem in either case is that it can create unrealistic expectations about divine action and perfection, often leading to disillusionment or misunderstandings when reality does not align with such images. For people in this situation, it can help to re-imagine God in terms of bathos, and then to see the bathetic side of God as an aspect of divine love.

Balancing Majesty and Vulnerability

Certainly there is value in the idea of divine majesty; it elicits a rightful sense of awe, wonder, and humility. However, divine majesty need not exclude an equally meaningful sense of divine vulnerability, intimacy, and humor. Bathos, in this context, can illuminate God's willingness to descend into the ordinary, the mundane, and even the absurd aspects of human existence. Rather than detracting from divine perfection, this descent underscores God's deep relationality and capacity for empathy. It portrays a God who is not distant or detached but one who embraces the fullness of life, including its imperfections and contradictions.

The Origin and Meaning of Bathos

Here, a word about the word "bathos" is in order. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the earliest recorded instance of the term appears in 1727. Derived from the Greek word βάθος (bathos), meaning "depth," the term was popularized in English by Alexander Pope in his satirical work Peri Bathous, or The Art of Sinking in Poetry (1727). Pope used the term to critique and mock literary attempts at achieving sublimity that instead resulted in absurdity or anticlimax. In rhetorical terms, "bathos" refers to a sudden and often ludicrous descent from the elevated and sublime to the trivial or commonplace in writing or speech. It is commonly employed to describe unintended anticlimax, although it can also be used intentionally for humorous or satirical effect. Bathos reflects a jarring shift in tone that undermines the intended impact of a piece, rendering it ridiculous or incongruous.

Bathos in Historical Usage

One notable usage of the term appears in the writings of Thomas Jefferson, who employed it to describe the decline of an individual's career. Reflecting on this fall from prominence, Jefferson remarked: "How meanly has he closed his inflated career! What a sample of the bathos will his history present!" (T. Jefferson, Writings (1830) vol. IV. 240). Here, Jefferson underscores the idea of an anticlimactic ending, highlighting a sharp contrast between earlier grandeur and subsequent mediocrity or failure.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Synonyms for "bathos" include anticlimax, letdown, collapse, farce, triviality, and sentimentality (in cases where excessive emotion diminishes the impact). Related terms include "pathos," which often contrasts with bathos and refers to an appeal to emotion intended to evoke feelings of pity or compassion. While pathos aims for emotional resonance, bathos may result when such attempts fall short and instead provoke laughter or disbelief. Another related term is "sublimity," the lofty or elevated quality that bathos attempts but fails to achieve, often leading to its comic or absurd effect.

Modern Relevance of Bathos

Today, "bathos" continues to be relevant in literary criticism and popular culture, describing moments in films, speeches, and novels where dramatic tension dissipates into banality. It also applies to instances of unintentional humor that arise from overly sentimental or exaggerated attempts at seriousness. Examples include a suspenseful thriller where the climactic confrontation is resolved by an implausible coincidence, which might be criticized for its bathos, or a politician's speech filled with grandiose promises but ending with trivial anecdotes, mocked for descending into bathos. In essence, bathos serves as a cautionary concept for writers and speakers, reminding them to balance tone and content carefully to avoid undermining their intended message.
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In traditional theological frameworks, God is often portrayed as majestic, omnipotent, and transcendent—a being who inspires awe and reverence. Yet, from the perspective of process theology, God is not only a source of grandeur and sublimity but also intimately involved in the ordinary, the mundane, and even the absurd aspects of life. This invites us to explore the bathos of God—the divine presence found not in dramatic displays of power but in the anticlimaxes, the overlooked, and the tenderly bathetic moments of existence.

God and the Unexpected Lows

Bathos, as distinct from pathos, evokes a sense of anticlimax, a sudden shift from the lofty to the trivial or ridiculous. In process theology, this shift is not a flaw but a feature of divine reality. God is not confined to the heights of cosmic orchestration; God is also present in the missteps, the stumbles, and the humbling moments that make up much of human experience. This idea resonates with Alfred North Whitehead's concept of God as a fellow sufferer who understands and absorbs the world's joys and sorrows.
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God’s bathos is seen in the divine willingness to be immersed in the awkwardness of human existence—the incomplete prayers, the clumsy attempts at love, and the failed efforts at justice. Rather than dismissing these moments as unworthy of divine attention, process theology suggests that God treasures them as part of the creative unfolding of life.

The Humor of God

The bathos of God also invites us to consider divine humor. In process thought, humor is not a trivial aspect of reality but a profound acknowledgment of life’s unpredictability and contradictions. God’s laughter is not scornful but compassionate, finding beauty and meaning in life’s comic interludes. This humor reflects an open and relational God who embraces imperfection as part of creation’s evolving story.

Whitehead’s vision of the universe as a dynamic process suggests that moments of bathos—where expectations collapse into absurdity—can be fertile grounds for novelty and transformation. God’s role as the lure toward creative possibilities includes these surprising twists, offering paths of renewal even in apparent failures.

God’s Solidarity in the Ordinary

In process theology, God’s bathos is most evident in solidarity with the ordinary and unremarkable. God does not dwell only in cathedrals or mountaintops but is equally present in kitchens, hospital rooms, and forgotten corners of the world. This divine intimacy with the everyday reflects a God who values the small and simple acts of care, persistence, and beauty that often go unnoticed.

This emphasis challenges hierarchical notions of sacredness, suggesting instead that the sacred permeates all aspects of life. It affirms that divine love is not reserved for the extraordinary but is generously poured into the common and even the ridiculous. God’s bathos is thus a theology of nearness—an embrace of life as it is, with all its flaws and surprises.

The Redemptive Power of Bathos

Finally, the bathos of God points to a redemptive power that transforms anticlimax into possibility. Process theology teaches that God’s lure toward novelty works even through life’s disappointments and embarrassments. What appears as failure or absurdity can, in God’s relational presence, become an occasion for growth and beauty.

This redemptive perspective mirrors Whitehead’s idea of the 'consequent nature of God,' in which God receives the world’s experiences, weaves them into new possibilities, and offers them back to creation. In this sense, divine bathos is not merely a descent into triviality but an affirmation that no experience is wasted. Even in the bathos of life, there is grace.

Conclusion

The bathos of God in process theology challenges us to see divinity not only in transcendence but also in intimacy, humor, and the unexpected. It reveals a God who is present in both the grandeur and the absurdity of life, weaving them together into a tapestry of meaning. In this view, God’s power lies not in coercion but in the gentle and patient invitation to embrace life’s imperfections and transform them into something beautiful. The bathos of God is, in the end, a testament to divine love that meets us where we are—sometimes in grandeur, often in anticlimax, but always with infinite care.