Classical theism Classical theism is the form of theism that describes God as the Absolute Being. Central insights of classical theistic
theology includes
emanationism and
divine simplicity. Classical theistic traditions can be observed in major religions and philosophies, such as
Sufism in
Islam,
Vaishnavism in
Hinduism,
Sikhism in general, and
Platonism.
Monotheism Monotheism (from
Greek ) is the belief in theology that only one
deity exists. Some modern day
monotheistic religions include
Christianity,
Judaism,
Islam,
Mandaeism,
Druze,
Baháʼí Faith,
Sikhism,
Zoroastrianism,
Rastafari, some sects of
Hinduism, and
Eckankar.
Polytheism Polytheism is the belief in multiple
deities, which are usually assembled into a
pantheon, along with their own
religious sects and
rituals. Polytheism was the typical form of religion before the development and spread of the
Abrahamic religions of
Judaism,
Christianity, and
Islam, which enforce monotheism. It is well documented throughout history; from
prehistory and the earliest records of
ancient Egyptian religion and
ancient Mesopotamian religion to the religions prevalent during
Classical antiquity, such as
ancient Greek religion and
ancient Roman religion, and in
ethnic religions such as
Germanic,
Slavic, and
Baltic paganism and
Native American religions. Notable polytheistic religions practiced today include
Taoism,
Chinese folk religion, Japanese
Shinto,
Santería, most
traditional African religions, and various
neopagan faiths such as
Wicca,
Druidry,
Romuva, and
Hellenism.
Hinduism, while popularly held as polytheistic, cannot be exclusively categorised as such as some Hindus consider themselves to be
pantheists and others consider themselves to be monotheists. Both are compatible with Hindu texts since there exists no consensus of standardisation in the faith. Advaita Vedanta, a philosophy in Hinduism, offers a combination of monotheism and polytheism, holding that
Brahman is the sole
ultimate reality of the universe, yet unity with it can be reached by worshipping multiple Devas and Devies. A major division in modern polytheistic practices is between so-called
soft polytheism and
hard polytheism. "Soft" polytheism is the belief that different gods may be
psychological archetypes, personifications of natural forces, or fundamentally one deity in different cultural contexts (e.g.,
Odin,
Zeus, and
Indra all being the same god as interpreted by Germanic, Greek, and Indic peoples, respectively)—known as
omnitheism. In this way, gods may be interchangeable for one another across cultures.
Pantheism Pantheism is the belief that
reality, the
universe and the
cosmos are identical to
divinity and a
supreme being or entity. Pointing to the universe as being an
immanent creator deity in and of itself, the deity is understood as still expanding, creating, and eternal, or that
all things compose an all-encompassing, immanent god or goddess that is manifested as the universe. As such, even
astronomical objects are viewed as part of the sole deity. The worship of all gods of every religion has been conceived as a form of pantheism, but such a system is more akin to
Omnism. Pantheist
belief does not recognize a distinct
personal god,
anthropomorphic or otherwise, but instead characterizes a broad range of doctrines differing in forms of relationships between reality and divinity. Pantheistic concepts date back thousands of years, and pantheistic elements have been identified in various religious traditions. The term
pantheism was coined by mathematician
Joseph Raphson in 1697, and since then has been used to describe the beliefs of a variety of individuals and organizations. Pantheism was popularized in
Western culture as a
theology and philosophy based on the work of the 17th-century philosopher
Baruch Spinoza—in particular, his book
Ethics. A pantheistic stance was also expressed by the 16th-century by philosopher and
cosmologist Giordano Bruno.
Deism ; Classical Deism: Classical deism is the belief that one
God exists and created the world, but that the Creator does not alter the original plan for the universe. Instead, the deity presides over it in the form of
Providence; some classical deists, however, did believe in divine intervention. Deism typically rejects supernatural events (such as prophecies, miracles, and divine revelations) prominent in organized religion. Instead, deism holds that religious beliefs must be founded on human reason and observed features of the natural world, and that these sources reveal the existence of a supreme being as creator. ;
Pandeism: Pandeism is the belief that God preceded the universe and created it but is now equivalent with it. ;
Polydeism: Polydeism is the belief that multiple gods exist but do not intervene in the universe.
Autotheism Autotheism is the belief that
divinity exists within oneself and that individuals can achieve a godlike state. It is found in various philosophical and religious traditions emphasizing personal divinity or spiritual progression. In
Advaita Vedanta, a Hindu philosophical school, the phrase
aham Brahmāsmi ("I am Brahman") expresses the unity of the individual self (
atman) with the ultimate reality (
Brahman). In
Mormonism, the doctrine of
exaltation suggests that faithful individuals can attain godhood in the afterlife. Autotheistic ideas also appear in
Gnosticism, which emphasizes self-knowledge (
gnosis) as the path to recognizing one’s divine nature, and in Friedrich Nietzsche’s concept of the
Übermensch, which advocates transcending human limitations to create one’s own values.
Value-judgment Theisms ; Eutheism: Eutheism is the belief that a deity is wholly benevolent. ;
Dystheism:
Dystheism is the belief that a deity is not wholly good, and is possibly evil. ;
Maltheism:
Maltheism is the belief that a deity exists but is wholly malicious. ;
Misotheism:
Misotheism is active hatred toward and for God, gods, and/or other divine beings.
Non-theism and atheism ;
Atheism :
Atheism is defined by most people as the belief in the non-existence of gods, goddesses, and
messiahs. Some atheists express an
active disbelief or rejection of the existence of such entities. ;
Non-theism:
Non-theism is the belief in no gods or god. ;
Agnosticism :
Agnosticism is the belief that it is not known or not knowable whether a god or gods or the supernatural are part of reality regardless of how popular theistic beliefs may be.
Agnostics withhold judgement on the existence and non-existence of a god on the basis that there is not enough evidence to come to a definitive conclusion that there is a god or that there is no god'.
Alterity theism Alterity theism is a belief that the supreme being is radically
transcendent to the point that it cannot be recognized as having any genuine
being at all. == Academic opinions ==