https://thelemapedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Theism 2026-09-20T17:30:05Z Revision history for this page on the wiki MediaWiki 1.44.5 https://thelemapedia.org/index.php?title=Theism&diff=9713&oldid=prev 2005-04-06T17:41:42Z

<p></p> <p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{thelema}}<br /> &#039;&#039;&#039;Theism&#039;&#039;&#039; is the belief in one or more gods or goddesses. More specifically, it may also mean the belief in [[God]], a god, or gods, who is/are actively involved in maintaining the Universe. This secondary meaning is shown in context to other beliefs concerning the divine below.<br /> <br /> The term is attested in English from 1678, and was probably coined to contrast with [[atheism]] attested from ca. 1587.<br /> <br /> The primary meaning sees four major views of the role of the divine in the world in this context:<br /> <br /> * [[deism]], the view that God created the world but does not interact with it; emphasis on deities&#039; transcendence<br /> * [[theism]], (second definition), the view that God is immanent in the world, yet transcends it;<br /> * [[panentheism]], the view that the world is entirely contained within God, while at the same time God is something greater than just the world.<br /> * [[pantheism]], the view that the world is identical to God; emphasis on deities&#039; immanence<br /> <br /> Within the primary meaning of theism there can be differentiated a number of quantitative definitions:<br /> <br /> * [[polytheism]] (there are several gods)<br /> * [[monotheism]] (there is only God)<br /> <br /> Within Polytheism there are “Hard” and “Soft” varieties. Hard polytheism views the gods as being distinct and separate beings, Soft polytheism views the gods as being subsumed into a greater whole.<br /> <br /> Within Polytheism a number of attitudes to the worship of the gods can be discerned.<br /> <br /> * [[monolatry]] (there are several gods, but only one of them is worshipped)<br /> * [[henotheism]] (several gods are worshipped, but one is seen as supreme)<br /> * [[kathenotheism]] (worship of one god at a time, seeing each as supreme in turn)<br /> <br /> Within monotheism there are exclusive and inclusive forms. Exclusive monotheism can be monistic ([[Judaism]], [[Islam]]), dualistic (Parsis/Zoroastrian) and pluralistic ([[Christianity]]). Some forms of [[Hinduism]] and [[Neopaganism]] could be considered Inclusive monotheism.<br /> <br /> Finally, the distinction can be made between belief in the existence of gods, and assertions about their benevolence or morality, or the belief in God as the [[summum bonum]]: see [[eutheism]] and [[dystheism]].<br /> <br /> Typical theistic religions are [[Zoroastrianism]], [[Saivism]], [[Vaishnavism]], [[Judaism]], [[Christianity]], [[Islam]], and [[Sikhism]].<br /> <br /> Compare: [[Atheism]], [[Agnosticism]]<br /> <br /> ==References==<br /> *Wikipedia. (2005). &#039;&#039;[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theism Theism]&#039;&#039;. Retrieved on April 6, 2005.</div>

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