The Mutual Transcendence
of God and the World
Open and Relational Meditations
in the Process Spirit
It is as true to say that God transcends the World,
as that the World transcends God.
Whitehead, Alfred North. Process and Reality
as that the World transcends God.
Whitehead, Alfred North. Process and Reality
In open and relational theology there are many ways to understand and experience divine transcendence. One is to sense that there is an ultimate compassion that embraces the whole world, sharing in its joys and sufferings: an eternal Companion. Another, often occurring in nature or in the enjoyment of music, is to be awakened by a sense of Beauty beyond words. Still another is to sense that, when you pray, there is someone or something, a friendly presence, that is listening, within you but beyond you. And still another is to sense that, even in times of great despair, there is a spirit of creative transformation at work in the world, a source of hope. God as Friend; God as Beauty; God as Deep Listening, God as Creative Transformation: these are some faces of divine transcendence in process theology. There are more. This page consists of meditations on divine transcendence in open and relational theology.
- Jay McDaniel, 3/12/2022