God of Becoming and Relationship: The Dynamic Nature of Process Theology
Rabbi Artson introduces “process theology” to explain how Judaism is not an either/or assumption that asks believers to choose between their spirituality or their intellect. Process theology, we learn, derives from process thought, “a way of accounting for the cosmos as a dynamic, evolving unity.” “Acounting for the cosmos” leads to a God who allows good things to happen to bad people and vice versa. After his son’s diagnosis of autism, Artson was unsatisfied with conventional religious answers about how such a thing could happen to his family. In contemplating this phenomenon, he develops a complex view of reality, one in which God is both “dynamic and vulnerable, his role being to push his creations toward making the best choices for their lives. Yet the freedom God has granted allows humans to shape their own futures, though past choices inevitably affect future realities. Artson discusses process theology in relation to suffering, the afterlife, and religious practice, among other topics, all within a framework of both normative and mystical Judaism. Crisply written, this volume offers delicious food for thought and will be accessible to followers of various religions. --Ilene Cooper