God and Gods

God and Gods

See also buddhism; catholicism; christ; christianity; eastern orthodoxy; faith; hinduism; islam; judaism; mythology; protestantism; religion; sacredness; theology.
acosmism, akosmisma denial of, or disbelief in, the existence of an external world or of a world distinct from God. — acosmist, n.acosmic, adj.adevismthe denial of legendary gods. — adevist, n.agnosticismthe tenet that neither the existence nor the nature of God is known or knowable. — agnostic, n., adj.allotheismthe worship of strange or foreign gods.aniconism1. the worship of an object symbolizing, but not representing God.
2. an opposition to icons or idols. — aniconic, adj.
animism1. the belief that natural objects and phenomena and the universe itself possess souls and consciousness.
2. the belief in spiritual beings or agencies. — animist, n.animistic, adj.
anthropolatrythe deification and worship of a human being.anthropomorphismthe assignment of human shape and attributes to gods, animals, etc. — anthropomorphist, n.anthropomorphic, anthropomorphical, anthropomorphistic, adj.anthropopathism, anthropopathythe assignment of human feelings to a god or inanimate object. — anthropopathite, n.anthropopathic, adj.anthropophuismthe assignment of human nature and emotions to God. — anthropophuistic, adj.anthropotheismthe belief that the gods have human nature, or are only deified men.apotheosisdeification; the elevation of a person to godhood. See also honors and regalia.Atenismthe monotheistic religious system of the Egyptian pharaoh Ikhnaton, emphasizing the worship of the sun god Aten (Aton).atheismthe absolute denial of the existence of God or any other gods. — atheist, n.atheistic, adj.Baalismthe worship, in ancient Canaan or Phoenicia, of any of a variety of chief deities referred to as Baal, ’lord.’ — Baalite, n.Baalistic, adj.bitheisma belief in two gods. — bitheist, n.bitheistic, adj.chrematheismObsolete, the worship of inanimate objects as usefully divine.deicide1. the killing of a god.
2. the killer of a god. — deicidal, adj.
deismthe acknowledgment of the existence of a god upon the testimony of reason and of nature and its laws, and the rejection of the possibility of supernatural intervention in human affairs and of special revelation. — deist, n.deistic, adj.demiurgismthe belief, in Platonism and some Gnostic sects, that the material and sensible world was created by a subordinate god under the direction of the Supreme Being. — demiurge, n.demiurgic, adj.ditheism1. the belief or doctrine that there are two gods of equal power.
2. Zoroastrianism. the belief in two antagonistic deities, one a force for good, one for evil. — ditheist, n.ditheistic, ditheistical adj.
euhemerismthe belief that the mythological gods were merely early kings and heroes deified. — euhemerist, n.euhemeristic, adj.henotheisma belief in one suprème or specially venerated god who is not the only god. — henotheist, n.heroogonythe birth of heroes as a result of a union between gods and mortal women.herotheismthe worship of mortals who have been deified.hylotheismthe identification of God with matter or the universe. — hylotheist, n.Isiacrelating to the religious practices and objects involving the goddess Isis.Mammonismthe pursuit of material wealth and possessions, especially a dedication to riches that is tantamount to devotion. — Mammonist, Mammonite, n.Mazdaismthe worship of Ahura Mazda in Zoroastrianism as the source of all light and good. — Mazdaist, n.mechanomorphismthe concept that God is a mechanical force and that the universe is governed by natural laws. Cf. deism.mechanomorphic, adj.misotheismRare. a hatred of gods or God.Mithraisman oriental mystery cult, admitting only men, whose deity was Mithras, the savior hero of Persian myth. — Mithraist, n.Mithraic, adj.monolatrythe worship of one god without excluding belief in others.monotheismthe doctrine of or belief in only one God. — monotheist, n.myriotheismthe worship of an unlimited number of gods.Neptunianismthe state of relating to the god or planet Neptune or to the ocean. — Neptunian, adj.noumenalismthe doctrine of the existence of noumena, whose existence is understood only by intellectual intuition, without the aid of the senses. — noumenalist, n.panentheismthe belief that the world is part, though not all of God. — panentheist, n.pantheismthe identification of God with the universe as His manifestation. — pantheist, n.Parsiism, Parseeismthe Zoroastrianism of southwest India, with religious literature in the Parsi dialect. — Parsi, n.phallicismthe worship of the phallus as symbolic of the generative power of nature. — phallicist, phallist, n.philotheisma love for God. — philotheist, n.philotheistic, adj.physitheism1. the assignment to God of a physical shape.
2. deification of the powers or phenomena of nature.
polytheisma belief in, or worship of, many gods. — polytheist, n.pseudolatrydevotion to false gods.psychotheismthe doctrine that God is pure spirit.Sethite, Sethiana member of a Gnostic sect that regarded Seth, son of Adam, as the father of a pure race and considered the serpent as its deity.supernaturalism1. the condition or quality of existing outside the known experience of man or caused by forces beyond those of nature.
2. belief in supernatural events or forces. Also supranaturalism. — supernaturalist, n., adj.supernatural, supernaturalistic, adj.
supranaturalismsupernaturalism. — supranaturalist, n., adj.supranatural, supranaturalistic, adj.theanthropism1. the attributing of human characteristics to God; anthropomorphism.
2. a belief in the divinity of a human being.
3. a belief in God’s becoming man. Also called theanthroposophy.theanthropist, n.
theism1. a belief in the existence of God or gods.
2. a belief in one god as creator and ruler of the universe, without rejection of special revelation. Cf. deism.theism, n.
theocentrism, theocentricitythe belief that God is the center of all truth in the universe. — theocentric, adj.theocrasy, theocrasia1. a mingling of the attributes of several deities into one.
2. a union of an individual soul with God, especially through contemplation.
theodicythe vindication of the goodness of God in the face of the existence of evil. — theodicean, adj.theogony1. the origin of the gods.
2. a genealogical account of the origin of the gods. — theogonist, n.
theolepsyArchaic. a seizure or possession by a deity. — theoleptic, n.theologythe study of God and His relationship to the universe. — theologist, n.theological, adj.theomachista person or a god who resists the divine will of God or the gods. — theomachy, n.theomancya form of divination involving divinely inspired oracles or others inspired by God.theomaniaa religious madness in which a person believes he is God or is inspired by God.theopathyreligious emotion or excitement caused by contemplation of God. — theopathetic, — theopathic, adj.theophagythe act of eating one’s god, either literally or symbolically. — theophagite, n.theophagous, adj.theophobiaan abnormal fear of God.theurgy1. the working of some divine or supernatural agency in human affairs.
2. the art of invoking deities or spirits for aid or information or knowledge unachievable through human reason.
3. a divine act; miracle.
4. a system of supernatural knowledge or powers believed bequeathed to the Egyptian Platonists by beneficent deities. — theurgist, n.theurgic, theurgical, adj.
titanismthe condition of having qualities distinctive of the Titans, a family of giants in Greek mythology. — titanic, adj.trieteric1. a festival that occurs every third year, especially one honoring Bacchus.
2. occurring every third year, particularly in reference to festivals for divinities. — trieterical, adj.
tripersonalitythe quality of existing in three persons, as God in the Trinity. — tripersonal, adj.tritheism1. a belief in three gods.
2. a Christian heresy holding that the Trinity consists of three distinct gods. — tritheist, n.
ubiquitarya person or entity existing everywhere. — ubiquitary, adj.Zemiismthe religion of the Taino tribes of the West Indies, involving the invocation of Zemis, spirits or supernatural beings often dwelling in objects.zoomorphismthe attribution of animal form or nature to a deity.