Views of a Divine Reality

according to classical Western religious philosophies


religious philosophies and (-->) the attributes of God emphasized

1. monotheism -->

God is unitary, single, simple, and self-existent (i.e., has aseity). God is also, on most conceptions, immutable. The monotheistic God is usually conceived as infinite, eternal, and transcendent as well as world-creative in consonance with other views listed below. God's infinity is sometimes interpreted as God's being omnipotent, omniscient, and all-loving or omnibenevolent. These last are in any case important attributes (though controversial).

2. monism --> God is everything, all-inclusive.

3. polytheism --> The gods are plural.

4. henotheism --> There is one God appearing in many forms.

5. negative theology --> God is transcendent.

6. pantheism --> God is omnipresent.

7. deism --> God is world-creative.

8. panentheism (process theology) --> God is immanent.

On all views, God is holy.