Theism

From AnthroWiki

Theism (from Greekθεός theós "God") in the narrow sense refers to the belief that there is (precisely) one personal, transcendent Creator God who rules over all. In the broader sense, it refers to the general belief that there is at least one God. Theism in this broader sense includes polytheism. According to Rudolf Steiner, theism, which he assigns to the Sun, is one of the three soul tones by which any of the 12 worldviews he mentions can be modified.

„Theism arises when man clings to everything external in order to find his God, when he seeks his God in the external. Ancient Hebrew monotheism was preferably a theistic worldview.“ (Lit.:GA 151, p. 62)

Theism understands God as the creator of the world, who also sustains it and intervenes in it in a guiding way. In this way, theism differs from deism, which denies any intervention of God in the world.[1] In theistic religions, God is predominantly transcendent; in some cases, he also has immanent elements and manifestations. He does work in the world (for example through miracles and revelations), but is completely different from it in substance (duality of creator and creation). In this, theism differs from pantheism and panentheism.

The term was coined as a categorising term of religious philosophy in the Age of Enlightenment (17th century) in opposition to atheism, but also as a distinction from deism.

Literature

References to the work of Rudolf Steiner follow Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works (CW or GA), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach/Switzerland, unless otherwise stated.
Email: verlag@steinerverlag.com URL: www.steinerverlag.com.
Index to the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner - Aelzina Books
A complete list by Volume Number and a full list of known English translations you may also find at Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works
Rudolf Steiner Archive - The largest online collection of Rudolf Steiner's books, lectures and articles in English.
Rudolf Steiner Audio - Recorded and Read by Dale Brunsvold
steinerbooks.org - Anthroposophic Press Inc. (USA)
Rudolf Steiner Handbook - Christian Karl's proven standard work for orientation in Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works for free download as PDF.

References

  1. Peter Knauer SJ: Der Glaube kommt vom Hören. Ökumenische Fundamentaltheologie. Styria, Graz/Wien/Köln 1978, p. 50 ff