Question:
In reading Bishop Kallistos Ware's, The Orthodox Way, he describes Orthodox theology as having two elements. There is the essence of God which refers to God's transcendence and utter "Otherness," i.e., the complete Mystery of God. Then there are the energies of God, which refers to God's immanence and how God manifests Godself to creation. This seemed to have some strong connections with panentheism and, in some respects, process theology. Are there stronger similarities between Orthodox theology and process theology than from classical theism and process theology?
Dr. Cobb's Response
I agree with the questioner’s sense that there are affinities between process theology and Eastern Orthodoxy. To speak of this in short compass, I will throw all scholarly scruples aside and make some sweeping generalizations about three great families of theologies: the heirs of the Reformation, the Roman Catholics, and the Eastern Orthodox. I will then locate process theology in relation to these.
