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"The thesis again is the same: We claim a theological conceptualization which escapes what we see as the errors of classical and neo-classical theism, while upholding and defending what we take to be the valid insights and desires of both.  Our conclusion is that there is a sense in which God is both actually eternal and unchanging, loving, personal, societal and free; and yet actually becoming, both within the Godhead in the timeless generation of the Son and the eternal procession of the Holy Spirit as well as in and through the uncreated divine actions and energies which flow eternally and essentially from the three divine persons; and also in the incarnation of the divine Son and Word as a real human being within the created processes of the world.  And there is also divine becoming within the world of God's making when human beings made in God's image and likeness partake of His divine nature and become ever more godlike in the gracious process of deification (theosis): becoming by grace all that God is by nature in an unending process of sharing God's divien being and life."

Oh, yeah!

You're right, dude.  Gotta cop this.  It seems, on the very surface, that Greg's trinitarian reconstruction of Hartshorne's dipolar theism dodges many (if not most) of the issues that Hopko will raise about relationality WITHIN God (God and the Trinity) and the God/world relationship (God and the World).  Greg's reconstructed process perspective has

1) God's uncreated triune interpersonal relationship being the aesthetically "satisfying factor" that makes God the UNIQUE being that God is

and

2)a non-necessary (Grace-ful), hypostatic (personally-willed) relationship between God and the world.

I'm betting that process theology's DI-polar scheme and NECESSARY God-world relationship that Hopko's gonna be gunnin' for.  Pretty sure.  He says...

In the third chapter we deal with the issue of divine personality.  Our position is that the Eastern Orthodox doctrine of the tri-hypostatic Godhead: the consubstantial and suprasubstantial Trinity of divine persons which functions both as the metaphysical exception to and the metaphysical exemplification of human interpersonal and communal relationships, presents a vision of God which is genuinely and authentically societal, without reference to the created world.

Greg's trinitarian reconstruction goes right along with this.   Completely.

If Greg's view dodges Hopko's essential problem with process theology...WHILE still having the similarities Hopkos asserts between process and Orthodoxy...that'd be hella nice.  Hella nice, indeed.

But I gotta see Hopko's diss to be sure.

Post Edited (One Love) : 2/1/2010 11:29:26 PM (GMT-6)

It's by David Ray Griffin.  Yes.

Enjoyed reading what's there.

Awaiting your critique, Tom.

D? What do you predict?

"Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God."

Becoming a "hypostasis"...just living prayer...

Post Edited (One Love) : 2/6/2010 1:35:50 AM (GMT-6)

Oh, yeah.  I was thinking about Theoria and the Beatific Vision.  Wanted to show you this...from a UMC.

The Completion of Creation:
Though what will be is veiled in mystery, we do know that God's intent for the world has not changed: we were meant to live and love in the midst of God's creation.  Thus, we seek for the beatific vision, whereby we will see God face to face, and subsequently see each other and all creation through God's eyes.  It is a vision of profound blessing and joy.

Nice, huh?  It makes sense though.  To see creation "through God's eyes" means to see all things through Christ's Holy Spirit.  The Spirit enables the pure-hearted to perceive more of the Beauty that God is.  First, I thought that it's interesting that Greg's whole deal is about BEAUTY...God being the Summum Bonum and all that.   I also thought it interesting that some people believe that the Beatific Vision is NOT POSSIBLE for this life, which is what the Hesychasts specifically tried to say was hooey.  Divine Glory was perceivable by human beings in this life, by God's Grace in the purified human heart.

Hmmm...

Post Edited (One Love) : 2/7/2010 1:55:20 AM (GMT-6)

Post Edited (PotOnWheel) : 2/7/2010 6:12:57 PM (GMT-6)

Post Edited (One Love) : 2/8/2010 10:14:21 AM (GMT-6)

If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, "Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."


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Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

Post Edited (One Love) : 2/8/2010 11:56:16 AM (GMT-6)

Jesus Prayer unto Acquisition of the Holy Spirit.