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'''Theism''' is the belief in one or more ]s or ]es. More specifically, it may also mean the belief in God, a god, or gods, who is/are actively involved in maintaining the ]. This secondary meaning is shown in context to other beliefs concerning the divine below. '''Theism''' is the belief there might be one or more ]s or ]es. More specifically, it may also mean the belief there might be a God, a god, or gods, who is/are actively involved in maintaining the ]. This secondary meaning is shown in context to other beliefs concerning the divine below, except that atheism is not a belief, it is just the absence of theism.


The term is attested in English from ], and was probably coined to contrast with ''atheism'' attested from ca. ] (see the etymology section of ] for details). The term is attested in English from ].


Views about the existence of God are commonly divided into these categories: Views, or the lack of them, concerning the conjecture that there might be gods are commonly divided into these categories:


#]: It has two distinct, commonly used meanings: #]: an absence of the belief there might be gods.
#]: The active denial and repudiation of any doctrine that there are propositions like the tenets of a religion that people ought to believe without logically satisfactory evidence.
#*]: The doctrine or belief that there is no God.
⚫ #]: The doctrine that a god might have created the world but does not interact with it. This view emphasizes the deities' ].
#*]: An absence of belief in the existence of God or gods.
#]: The belief that the existence of God or gods is unknown and/or inherently unknowable. #*]: The belief that there might be many gods.
#*#]: The belief that there might be many gods, but only one of them is worthy of worship.
⚫ #]: The doctrine that God created the world but does not interact with it. This view emphasizes the deities' ].
#*#]: The belief that there might be many gods, but only one might be supreme.
#] (second definition): The doctrine God(s) is ] in the world, yet transcends it:
#*]: The belief that there is more than one god. #*#]: The belief that there might more than one god, but only one god at a time should be worshipped. Each is given a turn at supremacy.
#*#]: The belief that there is more than one god, but only one of should be worshipped. #*]: The belief there might be only one god.
#*#]: The belief that there is more than one god, but one is supreme. #]: The belief that the world might be entirely contained within a god, while at the same time that god might be something greater than just the world.
#*#]: The belief that there is more than one god, but only one god at a time should be worshipped. Each is supreme in turn. #]: The belief that the world might be identical to a god.
#*]: The belief in one god.
#*#]: The belief that everything is of one essential ] or ].
#*#]: The belief that everything is of two essential essences or energies.
#*#]: The belief that everything is of many essential essences or energies.
#]: The belief that the world is entirely contained within God, while at the same time God is something greater than just the world.
#]: The belief that the world is identical to God.




Revision as of 15:57, 2 October 2005

Theism is the belief there might be one or more gods or goddesses. More specifically, it may also mean the belief there might be a 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, except that atheism is not a belief, it is just the absence of theism.

The term is attested in English from 1678.

Views, or the lack of them, concerning the conjecture that there might be gods are commonly divided into these categories:

  1. Atheism: an absence of the belief there might be gods.
  2. Agnosticism: The active denial and repudiation of any doctrine that there are propositions like the tenets of a religion that people ought to believe without logically satisfactory evidence.
  3. Deism: The doctrine that a god might have created the world but does not interact with it. This view emphasizes the deities' transcendence.
    • Polytheism: The belief that there might be many gods.
      1. Monolatry: The belief that there might be many gods, but only one of them is worthy of worship.
      2. Henotheism: The belief that there might be many gods, but only one might be supreme.
      3. Kathenotheism: The belief that there might more than one god, but only one god at a time should be worshipped. Each is given a turn at supremacy.
    • Monotheism: The belief there might be only one god.
  4. Panentheism: The belief that the world might be entirely contained within a god, while at the same time that god might be something greater than just the world.
  5. Pantheism: The belief that the world might be identical to a god.


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.

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.

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.

Typical theistic religions are Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Saivism, Vaishnavism, Bahá'í, and Sikhism.

Compare: Atheism, Agnosticism

See also

Category: