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Main article: God

Conceptions of God can vary widely, despite the use of the same term for them all. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Deism is the belief that a supreme God exists and created the physical universe and that religious truths can be arrived at by the application of reason alone without dependence on revelation Henotheism ( Greek heis theos "one god" is a term coined by Max Müller, to mean devotion to a Single god while accepting For the Celtic Frost album see Monotheist (album In Theology, monotheism (from Greek grc [[wiktμόνος μόνος]] Panentheism (from Greek (pân "all" (en "in" and (Theós "God" "all-in-God" is a belief system Pantheism ( Greek: πάν ( 'pan') = all and θεός ( 'theos') = God it literally means " God is All Monolatrism or monolatry ( Greek: μόνος ( monos) = single and λατρεία ( latreia) = Worship) is the recognition of the existence The English word god continues the Old English ang god ( got-Latn guþ gudis in Gothic, gem gud in modern Arguments for and against the existence of God have been proposed by philosophers theologians and others The gender of God can be viewed as either a literal or an allegorical aspect of a deity A creator deity is a Deity in a Creation myth responsible for the creation of the World (or Universe) The Great Architect of the Universe (also Grand Architect of the Universe or Supreme Architect of the Universe) is a conception of God discussed by many Demiurge (the Latinized form of Greek demiourgos, δημιουργός, literally "public or skilled worker" from demos God the Sustainer is a theological term referring to the concept of a God who sustains and upholds everything in existence God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. In many religions the supreme Deity ( God) is given the title and attributions of Father. Monad (from Greek μονάς monas, "unit" monos, "alone" which according to the Pythagoreans, was a term for God Oneness is a spiritual term referring to the 'experience' of the absence of egoic identity boundaries and according to some traditions the perception of an absolute The term Supreme Being is often defined simply as " God " and it is used with this meaning by theologians of many religious faiths including but not limited to The All (also called The One The Absolute, The Great One The Creator The Supreme Mind The Supreme Good The The expression Personal God, refers to the belief that God is - and can be related to as - a Person. Unitarianism as a theology is the belief in the single personality of God in contrast to the doctrine of the Trinity (three persons in one God Dualism denotes a state of two parts The word's origin is the Latin duo, "two". SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных Omniscience (ɒm'nɪsɪəns (or Omniscient Point-of-View in writing is the capacity to know everything infinitely or at least everything that can be known about a character Omnipotence ( Omni Potens: "all Power " is unlimited power Omnipresence is the ability to be present in every place at any and/or every time unbounded or universal presence Omnibenevolence is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as "unlimited or infinite Benevolence " Bahá'ís believe in a single, imperishable God, the creator of all things including all the creatures and forces in the universe Since the time of the Buddha the refutation of the existence of a creator has been seen as a key point in distinguishing Buddhist from non-Buddhist views The term "Godhead" The term Godhead is a term denoting deity or divinity In Hinduism the concept of God is complex and depends on a particular tradition In Islam, God is believed to be the only real supreme being all-powerful and all knowing Creator Sustainer Ordainer and Judge of the universe Islam puts a heavy emphasis The conception of God in Judaism is Monotheistic. The God of Israel was known by two principal names in the Bible The fundamental belief of Sikhism is that God exists not merely as an idea or concept but as a Real Entity indescribable yet knowable and perceivable to anyone who is prepared to dedicate Faith is a Belief in the trustworthiness of an Idea. Formal usage of the word "faith" is usually reserved for concepts of Religion, as in Prayer is the act of attempting to communicate with a Deity or spirit Belief is the psychological state in which an individual holds a Proposition or Premise to be true Revelation is the act of revealing or disclosing (see etymology or in the theological perception making something obvious and clearly understood through active or passive communication Fideism is the view that Religious belief relies primarily on Faith or Special revelation, rather than rational inference or observation Gnosis (from one of the Greek words for Knowledge, γνώσις is the spiritual knowledge of a Saint or mystically enlightened human being Metaphysics is the branch of Philosophy investigating principles of reality transcending those of any particular science Mysticism (from the Greek grc μυστικός mystikos, an initiate of a Mystery religion) is the pursuit of communion with identity Hermeticism is a set of philosophical and religious beliefs based primarily upon the writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, who is put forth as a Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos In Philosophy, ontology (from the Greek, genitive: of being (part A God complex is a psychological state of mind in which a person believes that they have supernatural powers or god-like abilities Neurotheology The Euthyphro dilemma is found in Plato's dialogue Euthyphro, in which Socrates asks Euthyphro "Is the pious ( τὸ ὅσιον In the Philosophy of religion and Theology, the problem of evil is the problem of reconciling the existence of Evil or Suffering in the world Theodicy (θiːˈɒdɪsi (adjectival form theodicean) is a specific branch of Theology and Philosophy that attempts to reconcile the existence of God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity.

The God of monotheism, pantheism or panentheism, or the supreme deity of henotheistic religions, may be conceived of in various degrees of abstraction:

• as a powerful, human-like, supernatural being, or as the deification of an esoteric, mystical or philosophical category;
• the Ultimate, the summum bonum, the Absolute Infinite, the Transcendent, or Existence or Being itself;
• the ground of being, the monistic substrate, that which we cannot understand, etc. For the Celtic Frost album see Monotheist (album In Theology, monotheism (from Greek grc [[wiktμόνος μόνος]] Pantheism ( Greek: πάν ( 'pan') = all and θεός ( 'theos') = God it literally means " God is All Panentheism (from Greek (pân "all" (en "in" and (Theós "God" "all-in-God" is a belief system Henotheism ( Greek heis theos "one god" is a term coined by Max Müller, to mean devotion to a Single god while accepting Mysticism (from the Greek grc μυστικός mystikos, an initiate of a Mystery religion) is the pursuit of communion with identity Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Summum bonum ( Latin for the highest good) is an expression used in Philosophy, particularly in Medieval philosophy, to describe the Ultimate The Absolute Infinite is Mathematician Georg Cantor 's concept of an " Infinity " that transcended the Transfinite numbers Cantor In Religion, transcendence is a condition or state of being that surpasses physical existence and in one form is also independent of it In common usage existence is the world of which we are aware through our senses but in Philosophy the word has a more specialized meaning and is often contrasted with Disambiguation For the Wigwam album see Being (album, for spiritual or religious beingness, see Ego (spirituality The Absolute is the concept of an absolute unconditional reality which transcends limited conditional everyday existence Monism is the metaphysical and Theological view that all is one that all reality is subsumed under the most fundamental category of being or existence

Monotheist conceptions of God appear in the Hellenistic period, out of predecessor concepts of monism (mostly in Eastern religions) and henotheism. This article focuses on the historical aspects of the Hellenistic age for the cultural aspects see Hellenistic civilisation. Monism is the metaphysical and Theological view that all is one that all reality is subsumed under the most fundamental category of being or existence Eastern religion is a group of Religions originating in India, China, Japan and Southeast Asia. Henotheism ( Greek heis theos "one god" is a term coined by Max Müller, to mean devotion to a Single god while accepting

Contents 1 Religion and Theology 1.1 Abrahamic conceptions of God 1.1.1 God in Judaism 1.1.2 God in Christianity 1.1.3 Islamic concept 1.1.4 Bahá'í concept 1.1.5 Negative theology 1.1.6 God as unity or Trinity 1.1.7 Binitarianism 1.2 Conception of God in Sikhism 1.3 Conceptions of God in Hinduism 1.4 Conception of God in Buddhism 2 Esotericism and Hermeticism 2.1 A Hermeticist conception of God 2.2 The Rosicrucian conception of God 3 Metaphysics and Philosophy 3.1 Aristotelian definition of God 3.2 The Ultimate 4 Modern views 4.1 Process philosophy and Open Theism 4.2 Posthuman God 4.3 Extraterrestrials 4.4 Phenomenological definition 5 See also 5.1 General overview 5.2 General approaches 5.3 Various issues 5.4 Specific conceptions 5.5 General practices 6 References

Religion and Theology

Further information: Religion and Theology

Abrahamic conceptions of God

Main article: God in Abrahamic religions

See also: The nature of God in Western theology

Judaism, Christianity and Islam see God as a being who created the world and who rules over the universe. A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective Judaism, Christianity, Islam and the Bahá'í Faith see God as a being who created the world and who rules over the universe The nature of God in monotheistic religions is a broad topic in Western Philosophy of religion and Theology, with a very old and distinguished God is usually held to have the following properties: holiness, justice, sovereignty, omnipotence, omniscience, benevolence, omnipresence, and immortality. It is also believed to be transcendent, meaning that God is outside space and time. Therefore, God is eternal and unable to be changed by earthly forces or anything else within its creation.

In the Abrahamic traditions there are many differences in how these properties are expressed. The importance placed upon those properties is often debated by each group. In the past, as well as modern times people have suggested each group is speaking of a different god.

God in Judaism

Main article: God in Judaism

See also: Kabbalistic definition of God

Mainstream Orthodox Judaism teaches that God is neither matter nor spirit. The conception of God in Judaism is Monotheistic. The God of Israel was known by two principal names in the Bible Mainstream Orthodox Judaism teaches that God is neither matter nor spirit They teach that God is the creator of both, but is himself neither. They believe that there are two aspects of God: God himself, who in the end is unknowable, and the revealed aspect of God, his "light", which created the universe, preserves the universe, and interacts with mankind in a personal way. Over time, this view evolved into the belief that all of creation and all of existence was in fact God itself, and that we as humanity are unaware of our own inherent godliness and are grappling to come to terms with it. The standing view in Hasidism, currently, is that there is nothing in existence other than God - all being is God. Thus, it has become understood that God used God's self to form the universe. Rather than a contraction and the creation of something "other" in the void which God created, it is as though God punched a doughnut-hole in God's self and used the remaining "munchkin" to form all of creation.

God in Christianity

Main article: God in Christianity

Within Christianity, the doctrine of the Trinity states that God is a single being that exists, simultaneously and eternally, as a perichoresis of three persons (personae, prosopa): Father (the Source, the Eternal Majesty); the Son (the eternal Logos or Word, human as Jesus of Nazareth); and the Holy Spirit (the Paraclete or advocate). The term "Godhead" The term Godhead is a term denoting deity or divinity Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Doctrine (Latin doctrina) is a codification of beliefs or "a body of teachings quot or "instructions" taught principles or positions as the God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. For the Celtic Frost album see Monotheist (album In Theology, monotheism (from Greek grc [[wiktμόνος μόνος]] While in the popular mind eternity often simply means existing for a limitless amount of Time, many have used it to refer to a timeless existence altogether outside of Perichoresis in Christian theology, refers to the mutual inter-penetration and indwelling of the Father and the Son. Son of God is a phrase found in the Hebrew Bible, various other Jewish texts and the New Testament. grc-Latn Logos (ˈloʊːgɒs ( Greek, logos) is an important term in Philosophy, Analytical psychology, Rhetoric and Religion Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Nazareth (ˈnæzərəθ (נָצְרַת Hebrew Natz'rat or Natzeret, الناصرة an-Nāṣira or an-Naseriyye) is the capital and largest In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance For the school of Peter Abelard, see Oratory of the Paraclete. Some people have illustrated this concept by saying that the Father, Son and Spirit are one yet distinct, in the same way that ice, steam and water are one, yet distinctly different from each other. Since the 4th Century AD, in both Eastern and Western Christianity, this doctrine has been stated as "One God in Three Persons", all three of whom, as distinct and co-eternal "persons" or "hypostases", share a single divine essence, being, or nature. Ousia () is the Ancient Greek noun formed on the feminine present participle of ( to be) it is analogous to the English participle Following Thomas Aquinas and others, the Son is described as eternally begotten by the Father. This generation does not imply a beginning for the Son or an inferior relationship with the Father. The Son is the perfect image of his Father, and is consubstantial with him. Homoousian (from the Greek όμοιοs meaning same and ουσία meaning essence or being is a technical theological term used in discussion of the The Son returns that love, and that union between the two is the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Again, the Holy Spirit is consubstantial and co-equal with the Father and the Son. Thus God contemplates and loves himself, enjoying infinite and perfect beatitude within himself. The Beatitudes (from Latin beatus, meaning "blessed" or "happy" is the beginning portion of the Sermon on the Mount of the Gospel of This relationship between the other two persons is called procession. A procession (via Middle English processioun, French procession, derived from Latin processio, itself from procedere, to go forth advance It should be noted that although the theology of the Trinity is accepted in most churches, there are theological differences, notably between Catholic and Orthodox thought on the procession of the Holy Spirit (see filioque). Filioque, a Latin phrase meaning "and (from the Son" In Western Christianity, it was added to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed Many Christian communions do not accept the Trinitarian doctrine, at least not in its traditional form. Notable dissenting groups include the Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Christadelphians, Unitarians, Arians, and Adoptionists. Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination TalkMormon#Latter Day Saint vs Latter-day Saint --> Mormon Christadelphians (from the Greek for Brothers of Christ / Christ's Brethren: Christou Adelphoi; cf Unitarianism as a theology is the belief in the single personality of God in contrast to the doctrine of the Trinity (three persons in one God Adoptionism, also called dynamic Monarchianism, was a minority Christian belief that Jesus was born merely human and that he became divine later in his life

Islamic concept

Main article: God in Islam

Allah (Arabic: الله‎ allāh) is the Arabic word for "God", and is used by Arabic-speaking Muslims, Christians and Jews and Mizrahi Jews alike. In Islam, God is believed to be the only real supreme being all-powerful and all knowing Creator Sustainer Ordainer and Judge of the universe Islam puts a heavy emphasis Allah ( Arabic: الله, ʔalˤːɑːh) is the standard Arabic word for ' Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Sephardi Jews ( Hebrew: ספרדי, Standard Səfardi Tiberian Səp̄arədî; plural Mizrahi Jews or Mizrahim, ( also referred to as Edot HaMizrach (Communities of the East are Jews descended Muslims consider God to be perfect, unique, eternal, self-sufficient, omnipotent and omniscient. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion He is said not to resemble any of his creations in any way. The Qur'an describes God as being fully aware of everything that happens in the universe, including private thoughts and feelings. Omniscience (ɒm'nɪsɪəns (or Omniscient Point-of-View in writing is the capacity to know everything infinitely or at least everything that can be known about a character

Muslims are not iconodules and this extends to all religious aspects (including any iconographic depiction other than in writing) so that it does not lead to idolatry. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion An iconodule (Greek eikono-doulos "One who serves images" also Iconodulist or Iconophile) is someone who espouses iconodulism, i Iconography is the branch of Art history which studies the identification description and the interpretation of the content of images Idolatry is usually defined as Worship of any Cult image, Idea, or object, as opposed to the worship of a monotheistic God. Instead, they focus on his 99 "names" that are stated in the Qur'an, the holy book of the Muslims. The 99 Names of Allah, also known as The 99 Most Beautiful Names of God () are the Names of God (specifically attributes by which Muslims regard God The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran Nearly one third of the book is used describing God's attributes and actions. Also, "hadith qudsi" are special recorded sayings of Muhammad to Muslims where he quotes what God has taught him. Hadith Qudsi (or Sacred Hadith) are a sub-category of Hadith, which are sayings of Muhammad.

Bahá'í concept

Main article: God in the Bahá'í Faith

Bahá'ís believe in a single, imperishable God, the creator of all things, including all the creatures and forces in the universe. Bahá'ís believe in a single, imperishable God, the creator of all things including all the creatures and forces in the universe The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind For the Celtic Frost album see Monotheist (album In Theology, monotheism (from Greek grc [[wiktμόνος μόνος]] God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. ^[1] God is described as "a personal God, unknowable, inaccessible, the source of all Revelation, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent and almighty. "^[2] Though inaccessible directly, God is nevertheless seen as conscious of his creation, with a mind, will and purpose. Bahá'ís believe that God expresses this will at all times and in many ways, including through a series of divine messengers referred to as Manifestations of God or sometimes divine educators. The Manifestation of God is a concept in the Bahá'í Faith that refers to what are commonly called Prophets The Manifestations of God are a series of personages ^[3] In expressing God's intent, these manifestations are seen to establish religion in the world. Bahá'í teachings state that God is too great for humans to fully comprehend, nor to create a complete and accurate image. ^[4] Bahá'u'lláh often refers to God by titles (e. g. the All-Powerful, or the All-Loving). Bahá'ís believe that this anthropomorphic description of God amounts to Bahá'u'lláh, in his capacity as God's manifestation, abstracting him in language that human beings can comprehend, since direct knowledge of the essence of God is believed impossible. Anthropomorphism is the attribution of uniquely Human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings natural and supernatural phenomena material states and objects ^[4]

Negative theology

Main article: Negative theology

Some Jewish, Christian and Muslim Medieval philosophers, including Moses Maimonides and Pseudo-Dionysius, as well as many sages of other religions, developed what is termed as Apophatic Theology or the Via Negativa, the idea that one cannot posit attributes to God and can only be discussed by what God is not. Negative theology - also known as the Via Negativa ( Latin for "Negative Way" and Apophatic theology - is a Theology that Moses Maimonides ( March 30 1135 – December 13 1204) also known as the Rambam, was a Rabbi, Physician, and Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, also known as Pseudo-Denys, is the anonymous theologian and philosopher of the late 5th to early 6th century whose Corpus Areopagiticum Negative theology - also known as the Via Negativa ( Latin for "Negative Way" and Apophatic theology - is a Theology that Negative theology - also known as the Via Negativa ( Latin for "Negative Way" and Apophatic theology - is a Theology that For example, we cannot say that God "exists" in the usual sense of the term, because that term is human defined and God's qualities such as existence may not be accurately characterized by it. What we can safely say is that it cannot be proven empirically or otherwise that God is existent, therefore God is not non-existent. Likewise God's "wisdom" is of a fundamentally different kind from limited human perception. So we cannot use the word "wise" to describe God, because this implies he is wise in the way we usually describe humans being wise. However we can safely say that God is not ignorant. We should not say that God is One, because we may not truly understand his nature, but we can state that there is no multiplicity in God's being.

The reason that this theology was developed was because it was felt that ascribing positive characteristics to God would imply that God could be accurately described with terms that were used to describe human qualities and perceptions. As humans cannot truly comprehend what kind of wisdom an eternal transcendent being might have, or what infinity might be like, we cannot in fact know or characterize his true nature. It is beyond human ability and would only mislead people. The proponents of this theory often experienced meditation, which they viewed as the only effective way of having a personal relationship with God. Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the conditioned "thinking" mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness It involved trying to reach beyond the words commonly used to describe him and his more ineffable characteristics, and to comprehend in a mystical manner the truths about him which could not be achieved through religious language. To say that something is " ineffable " means that it cannot or should not be expressed in spoken words (as with the concept of true love or some Taboo) Mysticism (from the Greek grc μυστικός mystikos, an initiate of a Mystery religion) is the pursuit of communion with identity Thus many sages and saints of both monotheistic and other traditions described mystical trances, or raptures and stated they were unable to describe God or their visions fully. The Rapture is a prophesied event in Christian eschatology, in which Christians will be gathered together at the return of Christ; even Christians who have died A hallucination, in the broadest sense is a Perception in the absence of a stimulus.

God as unity or Trinity

Main article: God as unity or trinity

See also: Unitarianism and Trinity

Muslims, Jews, Jehovah's Witnesses and a small fraction of other nominal Christians are unitarian monotheists. Unitarianism as a theology is the belief in the single personality of God in contrast to the doctrine of the Trinity (three persons in one God SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных Unitarian monotheists hold that there is only one "person" (so to speak), or one basic substance, in God. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Some adherents of this position consider Trinitarianism to be a form of polytheism.

The vast majority of Christians have been and still are Trinitarian monotheists. Trinitarian monotheists believe in one god that exists as three interdependent persons who share the same substance/essence; the Christian version of this is called the Trinity. The Hindu version Trimurti, differs from Christianity in holding that God has three aspects, though shown as anthropomorphs. The Trimurti ( English: ‘three forms’ Sanskrit: trimūrti) is a concept in Hinduism "in which the cosmic functions of creation While the Hindu Trinity is not a unquestioned doctrine in Hinduism, it is taught as one postulated understanding of the universe's divine order. The Trimurti ( English: ‘three forms’ Sanskrit: trimūrti) is a concept in Hinduism "in which the cosmic functions of creation Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent.

Binitarianism

Main article: Binitarianism

A view within Christianity that there were originally two beings in the Godhead, the Father and the Word that became the Son (Jesus the Christ). Binitarianism is a Christian theology of two personae two individuals or two aspects in one Godhead (or God as opposed to one ( Unitarianism Binitarians normally believe that God is a family, currently consisting of the Father and the Son. Some binitarians believe that others will ultimately be born into that divine family. Hence, binitarians are nontrinitarian, but they are also not unitarian. Nontrinitarianism includes all Christian belief systems that reject as non-scriptural wholly or partly the doctrine of the Trinity; the Doctrine Binitarians, like most unitarians and trinitarians, claim their views were held by the original New Testament Church. Unitarianism as a theology is the belief in the single personality of God in contrast to the doctrine of the Trinity (three persons in one God The Order of the Holy Trinity (or Trinitarians) is a Catholic Religious order that was founded in the area of Cerfroid, some 80 km northeast Unlike most unitarians and trinitarians who tend to identify themselves by those terms, binitarians normally do not refer to their belief in the duality of the Godhead, with the Son subordinate to the Father; they simply teach the Godhead in a manner that has been termed as binitarianism.

"The word "binitarian" is typically used by scholars and theologians as a contrast to a trinitarian theology: a theology of "two" in God rather than a theology of "three", and although some critics prefer to use the term ditheist or dualist instead of binitarian, those terms suggests that God is not one, yet binitarians believe that God is one family. It is accurate to offer the judgment that most commonly when someone speaks of a Christian "binitarian" theology the "two" in God are the Father and the Son. . . A substantial amount of recent scholarship has been devoted to exploring the implications of the fact that Jesus was worshipped by those first Jewish Christians, since in Judaism "worship" was limited to the worship of God" (Barnes M. Early Christian Binitarianism: the Father and the Holy Spirit. Early Christian Binitarianism - as read at NAPS 2001). Much of this recent scholarship has been the result of the translations of the Nag Hammadi and other ancient manuscripts that were not available when older scholarly texts (such as Wilhelm Bousset's^[5] Kyrios Christos, 1913) were written. Nag Hammadi ( Arabic نجع حمادي is a city in Upper Egypt.

Conception of God in Sikhism

Main article: God in Sikhism

The Sikh term for God is Vahigurū and Nānak describes him as niraṅkār (from the Sanskrit nirākārā, meaning formless), akāl (meaning eternal) and alakh (from the Sanskrit alakśya, meaning invisible or unobserved). The fundamental belief of Sikhism is that God exists not merely as an idea or concept but as a Real Entity indescribable yet knowable and perceivable to anyone who is prepared to dedicate Waheguru (ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ vāhigurū or pa ਵਾਹਗੁਰੂ vāhgurū; also transliterated Vahiguru)It is the term used in Sikhism Nirankar (ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ niraṅkār from the ਨਿਰਾਕਾਰਾ/निराकारा nirākārā) means without form or formless AKAL literally timeless immortal non-temporal, is a term integral to Sikh tradition and philosophy Alakh Niranjan is a term in Hinduism and Sikhism to describe the characteristics of God and the Self known as the Atman) At the very beginning of the first composition of Sikh scripture is the figure "1" - signifying the unity of God. Mathematics For any number x: x ·1 = 1· x = x (1 is the multiplicative identity Nānak's interpretation of God is that of a single, personal and transcendental creator with whom the devotee must develop a most intimate faith and relationship to achieve salvation. In Religion, transcendence is a condition or state of being that surpasses physical existence and in one form is also independent of it In Theology, salvation can mean three related things being saved from or Liberation from something such as Suffering or the punishment of Sikhism advocates the belief in one god who is omnipresent and has infinite qualities. Sikhism ( IPA: or; ਸਿੱਖੀ sikkhī, IPA:) founded on the teachings of Nanak and nine successive gurus in fifteenth century Omnipresence is the ability to be present in every place at any and/or every time unbounded or universal presence This aspect has been repeated on numerous occasions in the Gurū Granth Sāhib and the term ik ōaṅkār signifies this. Ik Onkar (also pa ੴ, pa ਇਕ/ਏਕ ਓਅੰਕਾਰ, Ēk Ōaṅkār, Ik Onkar, Ek Onkar and other variants means In the Sikh teachings, there is no gender for God. When translating, the proper meaning cannot be correctly conveyed without using a gender definition, but this distorts the meaning by giving the impression that God is masculine, which is not the message in the original script.

Nānak further emphasizes that a full understanding of God is beyond human beings. However, Nānak also describes God as being not wholly unknowable. God is considered sarav vi'āpak (omnipresent) in all creation and visible everywhere to the spiritually awakened. Nānak stresses that God must be seen from "the inward eye", or the "heart" of a human being - that meditation must take place inwardly to achieve enlightenment progressively. Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the conditioned "thinking" mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness Nānak emphasizes this revelation in creation as crucial, as its rigorous application permits the existence of communication between God and human beings.

Sikhs believe in a single god that has existed from the beginning of time and will survive forever. Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. He/she is genderless, fearless, formless, immutable, ineffable, self-sufficient, not subject to the cycle of birth and death, and omnipotent.

God in Sikhism is depicted in three distinct aspects, viz. Sikhism ( IPA: or; ਸਿੱਖੀ sikkhī, IPA:) founded on the teachings of Nanak and nine successive gurus in fifteenth century God in himself, God in relation to creation, and God in relation to man. During a discourse with Siddhas, Hindu recluses, Guru Nanak in reply to a question as to where the Transcendent God was before the stage of creation replies, "To think of the Transcendent Lord in that state is to enter the realm of wonder. Guru Nanak Dev (ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ (गुरु नानक گرونانک Gurū Nānak ( 15 april 1469, Nankana Sahib Even at that stage of sunn, he permeated all that void" (GG, 940).

Conceptions of God in Hinduism

Main article: God in Hinduism

The most commonly-used Sanskrit word for God is Ishwara (IAST: īśvara IPA: / iːʃvərə /, originally a title comparable to "Lord" or "Excellency" < from the roots īśa, lit. In Hinduism the concept of God is complex and depends on a particular tradition Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical , powerful/supreme/lord/owner, + wara, lit. , choicest/most excellent). Hindus believe that Ishwara is singular. This must not be confused with the numerous deities of the Hindus known as devas, which are said to number up to 330 million. Deva (देव in Devanagari script pronounced as /'d̪evə/ is the Sanskrit word for "god Deity " Deva may be translated into English as "deity", "demi-god", or "angel", and can describe any celestial being or thing that is of high excellence and thus is venerable. An angel is a Spiritual Supernatural being found in many Religions Although the nature of angels and the tasks given to them vary from tradition to tradition The word is cognate to Latin deus "god". The belief of 330 million deities is commonly objected by some Hindu scholars. They state that the description of 33 koti (10 million, crore in Hindi) deities is a misunderstood translation. A crore is a unit in the Indian numbering system and was formerly a unit in the Persian numbering system still widely used in Bangladesh, India, Maldives Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is The word koti can be translated from Sanskrit as '10 million' and 'type', hence they believe the true translation to be 33 types and not 330 million.

The Vedantic school of Hindu philosophy also has a notion of a Supreme Cosmic Spirit called Brahman, pronounced as / brəh mən /. Vedanta ( Devanagari: sa वेदान्त Vedānta) is a spiritual tradition explained in the Upanishads that is concerned with the Self-realisation Brahman ( bráhman-, Nominative bráhma sa ब्रह्म is a concept of Hinduism. Brahman is (at best) described as an infinite, omnipresent, omnipotent, incorporeal, transcendent and immanent reality that is the divine ground of all existence in the universe. In the two largest branches of Hinduism, Shaivism and Vaishnavism, it is believed that Ishwara and Brahman are identical, and God is in turn anthropomorphically identified with Shiva or Vishnu. Shaivism, also spelled "Saivism" names the oldest of the four sects of Hinduism. Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or its associated avatars principally as Rama and God, whether in the form of Shiva or Vishnu, is ascribed six "attributes", but many more positive qualities.

Conception of God in Buddhism

Main article: God in Buddhism

Buddhism is non-theistic; Gautama Buddha taught that there was no creator god and believed the more important issue was to bring beings out of suffering to liberation. Since the time of the Buddha the refutation of the existence of a creator has been seen as a key point in distinguishing Buddhist from non-Buddhist views Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder Enlightened people are called Arhats or Buddha (e. In the sramanic traditions of ancient India (most notably those of Mahavira and Gautama Buddha) arhat ( Sanskrit) or arahant g, the Buddha Sakyamuni), and are venerated. Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder A bodhisattva is an altruistic being who has vowed to attain Buddhahood in order to help others reach enlightenment. In the Buddhist context a bodhisattva (बोधिसत्त्व bodhisattva;; Vietnamese Bồ Tát; बोधिसत्त bodhisatta Buddhism also teaches of the existence of the devas, heavenly beings who temporarily dwell in celestial states of great happiness but are not yet free from samsara, the cycle of reincarnations. A deva (देव Sanskrit and Pāli) in Buddhism is one of many different types of non-human beings who share the characteristics of being more powerful Some Mahayana and Tantra Buddhist scriptures do express ideas that are extremely close to pantheism, with a cosmic Buddha (Adibuddha) being viewed as the sustaining Ground of all being - although this is very much a minority vision within Buddhism. Mahayana ( Sanskrit: mahāyāna, Devanagari: महायान 'Great Vehicle' is one of the two main existing schools of Buddhism and a term for In Buddhism, the Adi-Buddha is the "Primordial Buddha." The term refers to a self-emanating self-originating Buddha present before

Esotericism and Hermeticism

Further information: Esotericism and Hermeticism

A Hermeticist conception of God

Main article: The All

The All is the Hermetic version of God, to some and not to others. Hermeticism is a set of philosophical and religious beliefs based primarily upon the writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, who is put forth as a The All (also called The One The Absolute, The Great One The Creator The Supreme Mind The Supreme Good The Hermeticism is a set of philosophical and religious beliefs based primarily upon the writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, who is put forth as a God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Alternatively, it has been called The One, The Great One, The Creator, The Supreme Mind, The Supreme Good, The Father, and The Universal Mother. The All is seen by some to be a panentheistic conception of God, subsuming everything that is or can be experienced. Panentheism (from Greek (pân "all" (en "in" and (Theós "God" "all-in-God" is a belief system One Hermetic maxim states "While All is in THE ALL, it is equally true that THE ALL is in All. A saying is something that is said notable in one respect or another " (Three Initiates p. 95) The All can also seen to be hermaphroditic, possessing both masculine and feminine qualities in equal part (The Way of Hermes p. A hermaphrodite is an organism having both male and female reproductive organs 19 Book 1:9). These qualities are, however, of mental gender, as The All lacks physical gender. Gender comprises a range of differences between men and women extending from the biological to the social An organism's sex is defined by the gametes it produces males produce male gametes (spermatozoa or Sperm) while females produce female gametes (ova or Egg cells; individual

According to Hermetic doctrine, The All is more complicated than simply being the sum total of the universe. The Universe is defined as everything that Physically Exists: the entirety of Space and Time, all forms of Matter, Energy Rather than The All being simply the physical universe, it is said that everything in the universe is within the mind of The All, since The All can be looked at as Mind itself (Three Initiates pp. 96–7). The All's mind is thought to be infinitely more powerful and vast than humans can possibly achieve (Three Initiates p. 99), and possibly capable of keeping track of every particle in the Universe. A subatomic particle is an elementary or composite Particle smaller than an Atom. Despite The All being described as subsuming the universe, the possibility of there being things outside of The All is not excluded.

The Rosicrucian conception of God

Main article: The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception#The Rosicrucian conception of God and the scheme of evolution

The Western Wisdom Teachings present the conception of The Absolute (unmanifested and unlimited "Boundless Being" or "Root of Existence", beyond the whole universe and beyond comprehension) from whom proceeds the Supreme Being at the dawn of manifestation: The One, the "Great Architect of the Universe", whose three aspects are Power, the Word, and Motion. The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception or Mystic Christianity is a Rosicrucian text written by Max Heindel (ISBN 0-911274-34-0 Western Wisdom Teachings The Absolute is the concept of an absolute unconditional reality which transcends limited conditional everyday existence The term Supreme Being is often defined simply as " God " and it is used with this meaning by theologians of many religious faiths including but not limited to The Great Architect of the Universe (also Grand Architect of the Universe or Supreme Architect of the Universe) is a conception of God discussed by many From the threefold Supreme Being proceed the "seven Great Logoi" Who contain within themselves all the great hierarchies that differentiate more and more as they diffuse through the six lower Cosmic Planes. grc-Latn Logos (ˈloʊːgɒs ( Greek, logos) is an important term in Philosophy, Analytical psychology, Rhetoric and Religion In the Highest World of the seventh (lowest) Cosmic Plane dwells the God of the solar systems in the universe. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. These great beings are also threefold in manifestation, like the Supreme Being; their three aspects are Will, Wisdom and Activity.

According these Rosicrucian teachings, in the beginning of a Day of Manifestation a certain collective Great Being, God, limits Himself to a certain portion of space, in which He elects to create a Solar System for the evolution of added self-consciousness. The term Rosicrucian (symbol the Rose Cross) describes a secret society of mystics allegedly formed in late mediaeval Germany, holding a doctrine "built on The Solar System consists of the Sun and those celestial objects bound to it by Gravity. Consciousness has been defined loosely as a constellation of attributes of Mind such as Subjectivity, Self-awareness, Sentience, and the In God there are contained hosts of glorious Hierarchies and lesser beings of every grade of intelligence and stage of consciousness, from omniscience to an unconsciousness deeper than that of the deepest trance condition. Consciousness has been defined loosely as a constellation of attributes of Mind such as Subjectivity, Self-awareness, Sentience, and the Omniscience (ɒm'nɪsɪəns (or Omniscient Point-of-View in writing is the capacity to know everything infinitely or at least everything that can be known about a character See also Unconscious mind. Unconsciousness, more appropriately referred to as loss of Consciousness or lack of consciousness is An altered state of consciousness, (ASC also named altered state of mind is any condition which is significantly different from a normal waking Beta wave state During the current period of manifestation these various grades of beings are working to acquire more experience than they possessed at the beginning of this period of existence. Those who, in previous manifestations, have attained to the highest degree of development work on those who have not yet evolved any consciousness. In the Solar system, God's Habitation, there are seven Worlds differentiated by God, within Himself, one after another. The Rosicrucian Fellowship - "An International Association of Christian Mystics" - was founded in 1909/11 by Max Heindel as herald of the Aquarian Age The mankind's evolutionary scheme is slowly carried through five of these Worlds in seven great Periods of manifestation, during which the evolving virgin spirit becomes first human and, then, a God. The English word " spirit " comes from the Latin " spiritus " (breath

Metaphysics and Philosophy

Further information: Metaphysics and Philosophy

Aristotelian definition of God

Main article: Aristotelian view of God

In his Metaphysics, Aristotle discusses meaning of "being as being". Metaphysics is the branch of Philosophy investigating principles of reality transcending those of any particular science Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language See also Aristotle The Aristotelian and Neo-Aristotelian views of God have been very influential in Western intellectual history Metaphysics is the branch of Philosophy investigating principles of reality transcending those of any particular science Aristotle (Greek Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC was a Greek philosopher a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. Aristotle holds that "being" primarily refers to the Unmoved Movers, and assigned one of these to each movement in the heavens. The unmoved mover is a philosophical concept described by Aristotle as the first cause that sets the Universe into motion Each Unmoved Mover continuously contemplates its own contemplation, and everything that fits the second meaning of "being" by having its source of motion in itself, moves because the knowledge of its Mover causes it to emulate this Mover (or should).

Aristotle's definition of God attributes perfection to this being, and as a perfect being can only contemplate upon perfection and not on imperfection, otherwise perfection would not be one of his attributes. God, according to Aristotle, is in a state of "stasis" untouched by change and imperfection. The "unmoved mover" is very unlike the conception of God that one sees in most religions. It has been likened to a person who is playing dominos and pushes one of them over, so that every other domino in the set is pushed over as well, without the being having to do anything about it. Dominoes (or "dominos" generally refers to the individual or collective gaming pieces making up a domino set (sometimes called a deck or pack Although, in the 18th century, the French educator Allan Kardec brought a very similar conception of God during his work of codifying Spiritism, this differs to the interpretation of God in most religions, where he is seen to be personally involved in his creation. Allan Kardec was a pseudonym of the French teacher and educator Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail ( Lyon, October 3, 1804 – Paris Spiritism is a Christian philosophical Doctrine, established in France in the mid-nineteenth century Immanence, derived from the Latin in manere "to remain within" refers to philosophical and metaphysical theories of the divine as existing and acting within the mind

The Ultimate

Main article: The Ultimate

Arguably, Eastern conceptions of The Ultimate (this, too, has many different names), except for Shaivism and Vaishnavism, which do focus on a personal God, are not conceptions of a personal divinity, though certain Western conceptions of what is at least called "God" (e. The Absolute is the concept of an absolute unconditional reality which transcends limited conditional everyday existence The Absolute is the concept of an absolute unconditional reality which transcends limited conditional everyday existence g. , Spinoza's pantheistic conception and various kinds of mysticism) resemble Eastern conceptions of The Ultimate. Baruch or Benedict de Spinoza (ברוך שפינוזה Bento de Espinosa Benedictus de Spinoza ( November 24, 1632 – February 21, Christian theologian Paul Tillich, in the first volume of his Systematic Theology defines God as being that factor about which we have, in his language, ultimate concern^[6]. Paul Johannes Tillich ( August 20, 1886 &ndash October 22, 1965) was a German - American theologian and Christian Systematic theology is a discipline of Christian theology that attempts to formulate an orderly rational and coherent account of the Christian faith and beliefs In this view, true self, zero, God, or the Absolute all have legitimate grounds to be called the Ultimate. The Absolute is the concept of an absolute unconditional reality which transcends limited conditional everyday existence The Absolute is the concept of an absolute unconditional reality which transcends limited conditional everyday existence

Modern views

Process philosophy and Open Theism

Main articles: Process theology and Open theism

'Process theology' is a school of thought influenced by the metaphysical process philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947), and 'Open theism' is a theological movement that began in the 1990s, is similar, but not identical, to Process theology. Process theology is a school of thought influenced by the metaphysical Process philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947 Open theism is a theological movement that has developed within Evangelical and Post-evangelical Protestant Christianity as a response to certain Process philosophy (or Ontology of Becoming) identifies metaphysical Reality with Change and Dynamism. Alfred North Whitehead, OM ( February 15 1861, Ramsgate, Kent, England &ndash December 30 1947,

In both views, God is not omnipotent in the classical sense of a coercive being. Reality is not made up of material substances that endure through time, but serially-ordered events, which are experiential in nature. The universe is characterized by process and change carried out by the agents of free will. The question of free will Self-determination characterizes everything in the universe, not just human beings. God and creatures co-create. God cannot force anything to happen, but rather only influence the exercise of this universal free will by offering possibilities. Process theology is compatible with panentheism, the concept that God contains the universe (pantheism) but also transcends it. Panentheism (from Greek (pân "all" (en "in" and (Theós "God" "all-in-God" is a belief system Pantheism ( Greek: πάν ( 'pan') = all and θεός ( 'theos') = God it literally means " God is All In Religion, transcendence is a condition or state of being that surpasses physical existence and in one form is also independent of it God as the ultimate logician - God may be defined as the only entity, by definition, possessing the ability to reduce an infinite number of logical equations having an infinite number of variables and an infinite number of states to minimum form instantaneously.

Posthuman God

Main article: Posthuman God

A Posthuman God is a hypothetical future entity descended from or created by humans, but possessing capabilities so radically exceeding those of present humans as to appear godlike. A Posthuman God is a hypothetical future entity descended from or created by humans but possessing capabilities so radically exceeding those of present humans as to appear godlike One common variation of this idea is the belief or aspiration that humans will create a God entity emerging from an artificial intelligence. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Another variant is the hypothesis that humanity will create or evolve into a posthuman God by itself; for some examples, see technological singularity, and omega point. eVolution is the third Album by eLDee, it was due to be released in 2008 A posthuman or post-human is according to the Transhumanist intellectuals a hypothetical future being " whose basic capacities so radically The technological singularity is a theoretical future point of unprecedented technological progress caused in part by the ability of machines to improve themselves using Artificial Omega point is a term invented by French Jesuit Pierre Teilhard de Chardin to describe the maximum level of complexity and consciousness to which the universe

The concept of a posthuman god has become common in science fiction. Arthur C. Clarke, world-renowned science fiction author, said in an interview, "It may be that our role on this planet is not to worship God, but to create him. Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE (16 December 1917–19 March 2008 was a British Science fiction Author, Inventor, and " Clarke's friend and colleague, the late Isaac Asimov, postulated in his story "The Last Question" a merger between humanity and machine intelligence that ultimately produces a deity capable of reversing entropy and subsequently initiates a new Creation trillions of years from the present era when the Universe is in the last stage of heat death. Isaac Asimov (c January 2 1920 &ndash April 6 1992 ˈaɪzək ˈæzɪmʌv originally Исаак Озимов but now transcribed into Russian as, was a Russian "The Last Question" is a Science fiction Short story by Isaac Asimov. In Thermodynamics (a branch of Physics) entropy, symbolized by S, is a measure of the unavailability of a system ’s Energy The heat death is a possible final state of the universe, in which it has " run down " to a state of no Thermodynamic free energy to sustain In Frank Herbert's science-fiction series Dune, a messianic figure is created after thousands of years of controlled breeding. Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr ( October 8 1920 &ndash February 11 1986) was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American Dune is a Science fiction novel written by Frank Herbert and published in 1965. The Culture Series by Iain M. Banks represents a blend in which a transhuman society is guarded by godlike machine intelligences. The Culture is a Fictional anarchist, socialistic, and Utopian ref> The State of the Art - Banks Iain M Iain Menzies Banks (born on 16 February 1954 in Dunfermline, Fife) is a Scottish Writer. Transhumanism (sometimes symbolized by >H or H+) a term often used as a synonym for " Human enhancement " is an international intellectual A stronger example is posited in the novel Singularity Sky by Charles Stross, in which a future artificial intelligence is capable of changing events even in its own past, and takes strong measures to prevent any other entity from taking advantage of similar capabilities. Singularity Sky (hardcover ISBN 0-441-01072-5 softcover ISBN 1-841-49334-1 is a Hard science fiction novel by author Charles Stross, published in 2003 Charles David George "Charlie" Stross (born Leeds, 18 October 1964 is a writer based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Another example appears in the popular online novella The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect in which an advanced artificial intelligence uses its own advanced quantum brain to resolve discrepancies in physics theories and develop a unified field theory which gives it absolute control over reality, in a take on philosophical digitalism. The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect is a 1994 Novella by Roger Williams. Digital physics holds the basic premise that the entire history of our Universe is Computable, that is the output of a (presumably short computer program

Extraterrestrials

Main article: God as an extraterrestrial

Some comparatively new belief systems and books portray God as extraterrestrial life. See also God Conceptions of God can vary widely despite the use of the same term for them all God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Extraterrestrial life is Life originating outside of the Earth. Many of these theories hold that intelligent beings from another world have been visiting Earth for many thousands of years, and have influenced the development of our religions. Some of these books posit that prophets or messiahs were sent to the human race in order to teach morality and encourage the development of civilization. (See e. g. Rael). Claude Maurice Marcel Vorilhon (born September 30, 1946 in Vichy, Allier, France) is the founder and current leader of the recent

Phenomenological definition

Main article: Phenomenological definition of God

The philosopher Michel Henry defines God in a phenomenological point of view. The philosopher Michel Henry defines God in a phenomenological point of view Michel Henry ( 10 January 1922 &ndash 3 July 2002) was a French philosopher and novelist God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. He says: "God is Life, he is the essence of Life, or, if we prefer, the essence of Life is God. See also Western philosophy, Eastern religions, Eastern philosophy The Saying this we already know what is God the father they almighty, creater of heaven and earth, we know it not by the effect of a learning or of some knowledge, we don’t know it by the thought, on the background of the truth of the world ; we know it and we can know it only in and by the Life itself. We can know it only in God. " (I Am the Truth. Toward a Philosophy of Christianity).

This Life is not biological life defined by objective and exterior properties, nor an abstract and empty philosophical concept, but the absolute phenomenological life, a radically immanent life that possesses in it the power of showing itself in itself without distance, a life that reveals permanently itself. Phenomenological life is the life considered from a philosophical and rigorously phenomenological point of view

See also

General overview God Names of God Existence of God The Holy Spirit General approaches Agnosticism Atheism Deism Dystheism Ecumenism Henotheism Monism Monotheism Natural theology Nontheism Pantheism Pandeism Panentheism Polytheism Theism Theology Transtheism Various issues Chaos Cosmos Cosmic egg God and gender God complex Moral character Planes of existence Spiritual evolution Spirituality Transcendence

Specific conceptions Conceptions of God Bahá'í Buddhist Christian (Trinitarian) Islamic Jewish Hindu Latter-day Saints Sikh This box: view • talk • edit The Absolute Alaha The All Allah Ayya Vaikundar Baal Brahman Demiurge Deus Deva (Buddhism) Elohim God in Buddhism God in Sikhism Great Architect of the Universe Ishvara Jesus, the Christ Krishna Monad Nüwa 女媧 Oneness (concept) Pangu 盤古 Shang Ti SUMMUM Supreme Being Tao Tetragrammaton Yahweh General practices Animism Esotericism Gnosis Hermeticism Metaphysics Mysticism New Age Philosophy Religion

References

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