David Ray Griffin casts a prophetic vision for process theism. In the clearing fog of the future, he sees it ascending the throne of contemporary theology—anointed by theologians, robed by scientists, and crowned by the zeitgeist.

For process theism to ascend to such heights, Griffin admits, it must first usurp older theological paradigms. He maintains great optimism about this. Why? Because process theism:

“…seems more adequate to the new interests of the era.”

Griffin thinks the future of process theism will look very much like the rise of Augustinian theology, which dominated Christian thought for a thousand years. Here comes the money quote:

“I have rather grandiose hopes for the future of process theology—hopes that would make it parallel in importance to the thought of Augustine… this of course sets an enormous challenge before process theologians: to provide a foundation for the post-modern world as effectively as Augustine did for the medieval world.”

He concludes his setup by summarizing his dream:

“As Augustine synthesized old and new so as to provide a theistic foundation for a most remarkable period, so I believe that process theology is in the best position today to synthesize old and new into a new theistic foundation for the post-modern world.”

Maybe he’s right, maybe process theology resonates best within our current zeitgeist, and maybe process theism really is the theological Cinderella of modern science—finally finding its glass slipper. I don’t know.

My alarms go off long before all of that. Something deeper about Griffin’s dream triggers my radar.

1. Should we look to Augustine as model for our next theological revolution?

Griffin credits Augustine’s success to his ability to “synthesize old and new into a new theistic foundation.”

Old and new what? Strangely, Griffin doesn’t specify.

Whatever he meant, I disagree that Augustine found success because of his ability to synthesize. Augustine did some of that, yes, and he was a great communicator. He was also intensely competitive, and many historians have noted that he was incapable of recognizing any view but his own.

He was also a shrewd politician—and by shrewd, I mean unfair. When Augustine brought charges against Pelagius, Pope Innocent agreed to hear them, inviting Pelagius to defend himself in person or in writing—against Augustine’s wishes. But Innocent died before the trial. Pope Zosimus wanted to respect Innocent’s wishes, but Augustine pressured the young pope to hold trial without allowing Pelagius a defense.

But beyond all that, Augustine found success because he was so dang good at working Christian faith into something compatible with secular government.

In other words, he worked theology into something “adequate to the new interests of the era.”

2. Should we build theology according to the “interests of the era”?

Griffin’s phrase jumped off the page and poked me in the eye. Make theology accommodate the interests of the era? Really? Is that what I want for myself? To make theology—the study of God—adequate to my own interests? This seems exactly backward.

Griffin doesn’t sound like a theologian—he sounds like a venture capitalist pitching a divine startup. He isn’t theology—he’s doing market analysis for a god-product.

Maybe I’m old fashioned, but theology to me is about ascertaining God’s interests so that I might accommodate that.

Bad theology builds gods for consumers. But building God around our needs is exactly what it means to build an idol.

Good theology knows better. Good theology remembers we are “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36), we are lost in darkness, living in the land of the shadow of death (Matthew 4:16).

Our interests, and the interests of our era, cannot possibly free us—they can only reinforce where we already are. Exalting our needs cannot liberate us—it can only entrench us deeper onto our current wayward paths. We don’t need God to amplify our voices, we need God to interrupt our voices with his.

Make an argument for why process theology is true and I will listen. Advertise the process God as the heavenly product that will solve my modern problems, and I lose interest fast.

I can handle whatever curse befalls me if I know I’m on the path toward truth. I cannot even handle blessings if I’m on a path of untruth—no matter how many intellectual problems those untruths appear to solve.