Journal of European Baptist Studies, Volume 7, No. 3, 2007

The processual ideas of Hryniewicz, however, are not confined to doctrinal issues but also impinge on ontology, including anthropology. Convinced that science and religion are complementary sources of discovering the truth about the reality, he expects that: the sciences focused on life will one day help people understand the phenomenon of man’s religiousness. In particular, research on human brain and genes will bring special insights. In all certainty, it will not be a static vision of human nature but one in the continuous process of development. As a result, Christian theology and spirituality will unlock new cognitive horizons. Natural sciences do not have to threaten the future of faith. It would be naive to think that they will ever be capable of explaining all mysteries of the world. Natural scientists themselves more and more often emphasize the sense of humility needed to face the reality which never ceases to surprise us. A number of things make us realize that the static understanding of nature, both of man and of the world, in the spirit of Plato (i.e. in terms of immutable ideas reflected in reality) must be abandoned. A clear turn toward the philosophical sensitivity of the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, stressing change and development, is to be seen. 6 Man should rationalise the category of God, even though it will always evade his attempts. In this sense God will remain paradoxically close to man and yet ephemeral. So it is with the Church and Christianity; never in history have they been captured in a version that could claim to be perfect and true regardless of time. Such a view of the Church is rooted in the Old Testament tradition: the prophets always called for reform and challenged the religious status quo endorsed by legalistically-minded priests. Hryniewicz, much like 5 W. Hryniewicz, Hermeneutyka w dialogu. Szkice teologiczno-ekumeniczne, vol. 2, (Opole: Wydaw. Swiqtego Krzyza, 1998), p. 25. All the quotations of Hryniwicz’s works are translated by P. Blumczynski. 6 W. Hryniewicz, Kosciol jest jeden. Ekumeniczne nadzieje nowego stulecia, (Krakow: Znak, 2004), p. 36. Theologies of John B. Cobb and Wactaw Hryniewicz 19 Cobb, presents a two-fold approach to faith: on the one hand he stresses the socio-historical relativity of religion but on the other hand he maintains that the object of faith is never relative. 7 Concurrently, processual characteristics are not only attributed to the reality created by God but also to God Himself. This follows, above all, from His love conceived of as affective involvement. In the traditional approach, God’s love is essentially equivalent to His active goodwill but this understanding, according to John B. Cobb and David R. Griffin, reduces God’s love to mere mercy, consisting of doing good as defined by the agent. 8 9 Love, however, is spontaneous and responds to the real desires and needs articulated and expressed by the person