Styles of Understanding Deity
Agnosticism:
Hard- The belief that it is impossible for any to know the existence or nature of deity.
Soft- The belief that the given individual does not know the existence or nature of deity.
Antitheism:
An opposition to belief in deity.
Atheism:
Hard- The belief that there is no deity.
Soft- The absence of belief in deity.
Deism:
The belief that the nature of deity is expressed through personal experience, not theological tradition.
Ditheism:
A belief in two deities that are not considered opposite in the context of "good" and "evil".
Dualism:
The belief that there are polar deity expressions within the context of “good” and “evil”.
Dystheism:
The belief that deities are either not wholly good or in some cases are evil. (See Also Misotheism)
Eutheism:
The belief that deity is wholly good and benevolent. (In contrast to Dystheism)
Henotheism:
The worship of one deity, while accepting the existence of other deities as being worthy of worship. The belief that there are many deities, but there is a single overarching deity who generated or rules the others.
(See also Monolatrism and Kathenotheism)
Ignosticism:
A non-theistic belief that states that theological concepts fall short of applicable meaning and being non-falsifiable, cannot attain accurate communication on the subject of deity. (See also Theological Noncognitivism)
Kathenotheism:
The belief that there are multiple deities, but that they are only to be worshipped one at a time.
Maltheism:
The belief that purported "evils" carried out by deities makes them unfit for worship.
Misotheism:
The hatred of deity: often argues that one can harm or hurt deity by disbelief. (See also: Maltheism)
Modalism:
The belief that there is only one God and it manifests itself in three different "modes".
Monism:
The belief that all is one.
Absolute Monism- The belief that only the mental is real.
Anomalous Monism- The belief that while only the physical is real, all mental expressions are related to the physical and thus valid.
Attributive Monism- The belief that there is only one kind of thing, there are many different groupings within the single thing.
Eliminativism- The belief that the mental will eventually be discarded due to being proved inaccurate.
Functionalism- The belief that the mental can ultimately be reduced to the physical.
Neutral Monism- The belief that both physical and mental substance can be broken down into a third grouping uniting Physically based and Mentally based Monism.
Physicalism- The belief that only the physical is real. (Also known as Materialism)
Substantial Monism- The belief in only one substance.
Reflexive Monism- The belief that the physical as perceived becomes one with the mental substance.
Monolatrism:
The belief that while there are many deities, but only one is deserving of worship.
Monotheism:
The belief that there is only one deity.
Nontheism:
Any of a group of beliefs that are characterized as being without or independent of deity.
Pandeism:
The belief that deity existed independently from the universe and created the universe in a fashion that the universe is now the complete expression of deity.
Panentheism:
The belief that deity is greater than the universe, while the universe is contained within deity.
Pantheism:
The belief that the universe is deity.
Polytheism:
The belief that there are multiple deities.
Hard- All deities are unique individuals unto themselves.
Soft- All deities are facets of different aspects of divinity.
Monistic- All deities emanated from a single source and share this divine essence.
Social Trinitarianism:
The belief that the unity of the Christian god as Father, Son and Holy Ghost is not one of substance but is social in nature.
Theism:
The belief in an immanent, yet transcendent concept of deity.
Theological Noncognitivism:
The belief that language is unable to provide meaningful discussion on the nature of deity.
Transcendence:
The belief that deity is beyond the universe.
Tritheism:
The belief that Father, Son and Holy Ghost are distinct Gods.
Trinitarianism:
The belief that God consists of three Persons in one substance.
Theology:
Natural- The belief that it is possible to find evidence of deity and it’s nature through means that do not rely on supernatural revelation.
Mystical- The belief that the soul cannot achieve place through human means nor Divine Grace alone.
