Theistic Views

Here's the Problem as some express it, "We can see that the universe exists! So how can it be explained?"

Here are some theistic views, theories and/or ideas about God or gods that attempt to explain the universe. I have not detailed these views, nor am I pretending that I comprehend them fully, because once again there will not be a test on these I am simply making us aware that these theories and ideas are out there. Some are really OUT THERE!

Animism teaches nothing is inanimate. Everything is alive with spirits that can help and injure man.

Dynamism teaches that life is impersonal. Energy which can be used for evil or good purposes pervades all things.

Fetishism teaches temporary dwelling of a spirits in an inanimate objects, and an object is worshiped because the “god” is there.

Idolatry is similar to fetishism except that the spirit of the god dwells permanently in the object, thus the object is always sacred.

In Monolatry the worshiper selects one god among the many and worships it. The worshiper may change from one god to another. This is often a tribal deity that is worshiped.

Polytheism of course is the worship of more than one god or worship of many gods.

It “...distributes the perfections and functions of the infinite God among many limited gods” (Hodge, Outline of Theology p. 47). See Rom. 1:21-23.

The Bible, thank God, has its own definition of Polytheism, it is, vanity and nothingness (cf. Ps 106:28; Is. 41:24-29; 42:17; 44:9-20; Jer. 2:26-28), it is not real (Gal 4:8), and it is demonic (1Cor. 10:20).

Henotheism teaches that there is one "god" for each region. The worshiper selects one of many gods of polytheism and worships it as his god to the exclusion of other. He believes other gods exist, but his god is superior. This "god" is usually a tribal deity such as Moloch, Chemosh, Baal, or Murdoch. Critics say Yahweh was such a deity to Israel (1Kings 20:23). BTW we will see that the critics are wrong! And Henotheism is wrong too.

Deism teaches that there is one god (or God) who is removed from the world and has abandoned it since creation. The God sustains no present relation to the creation. Such a god is seldom worshiped since it cannot be reached through prayer and it does not reach the world in any way. This is the doctrine of the absentee god. It is transcendent but not intimate. Thank God we can have a personal and intimate relationship with Him through Jesus Christ!

Dualism teaches that there are two principals (or gods) who are locked in eternal conflict; one is good the other is evil.

Pantheism teaches that God is all, and all reality is God. Nothing really exists but God. Everything is a manifestation of God. God is locked into the universe, an opposite view from Deism. God is intimate but not transcendent. Both good and evil are deified. Man is a mode of god’s existence. This teaching destroys any basses for true morality. There are three identifiable forms of Pantheism.

Materialistic Pantheism teaches that the material universe is god; matter is the eternal cause of all life.

Naturalistic Pantheism teaches that ultimate reality is neither mind nor matter, it is neutral stuff (for lack of a better word), where mind and matter are above appearances.

Idealistic Pantheism denies the real existence of the material universe, and defines god as the sum total of mind and spirit; the ultimate reality is the mind.

Monotheism is the belief in and worship of One True God and Supreme Being. In Biblical thought, this One is personal and ethical; He is distinct from the world yet in the world. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and has revealed Himself in many ways.

These are theistic views. On the next post I will expose some atheisic views. In the mean time...

Stay salty,
brother John