Transtheism

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Transtheism is the belief in one or more deities in the form of that God/god(s) transcends the universe and are yet immanent. Western and Eastern variants of Transtheism exist, with the emphasis on the individual relative to God being greater in the Western.

In its extreme form it assumes the existence of God as an absent Deity and the ultimate concept of God’s existence is transcendent and external to all other forms of existence, which implies an impersonal and theomorphic view of God. God's primary attribute is transcendence. Transtheists have the view that God did not create the universe and does not interact with it, which distinguish it from Deism. The cosmos exists simultaneously with God’s existence and as a result of God's transcendent nature.

1 Transtheism in various religions
2 Views on Transtheism
3 Existence of God in Transtheism
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Transtheism in various religions

The transtheistic elements in religions are often contrasted or counter balanced by theistic elements. Religions that emphasize an Apophatic theological method generally stress the transtheistic attributes and focus on the transcendent, impersonal, absent, ineffable, absolute, solitary, theomorphic… nature of divinity. Where as religions that emphasizes the Cataphatic theological method may stress the Theistic aspects and focus on the immanent, personal, present, effable, relative, intimate, anthropomorphic… nature of divinity. Another important contrast is the mode of existence that the divine being has. Transtheism’s posit other forms of existence’s from humanity for divinities. Theism’s generally posit some form of shared existence of deities with humanity. Atheism the non-existence of deities. However, generally within a given religion, transtheism could be viewed as a doctrine that teaches that the true nature of Deity transcends the descriptive doctrines of that religion. Monotheism, Polytheism, Pantheism... and perhaps even Atheism, each having descriptive doctrines, comparatively they have strengths and weakness and each disputes the accuracy of the other. Transtheism differs from Agnosticism in that while the latter claims to be unable to make any definitive statements concerning Deity. Transtheism assumes the existence of Deity and asserts that there are specific instances in which the aforementioned doctrines may be accurate but are subject to human apprehension.

[edit] Views on Transtheism

Augustine's famous phrase from De Trinitate: “We can know what God is not, but we cannot know what he is”

The Cappadocian Fathers of the 4th century said that they believed in God, but they did not believe that God exists. God is beyond existing or not existing: these "relative" terms have no meaning where the absolute is concerned.

The Summa Theologiae of Thomas Aquinas (Western Catholic Church):”In this life what God is is unknown to us [even] by the revelation of grace; and so [by grace] we are joined to him as to something unknown.”

Bishop Kallistos (Eastern Orthodox Church): "God is absolutely transcendent. ‘No single thing of all that is created has or ever will have even the slightest communion with the supreme nature or nearness to it” (Gregory Palamas, PG 150, 1176C)

Maimonides ( (Spanish philosopher considered the greatest Jewish scholar of the Middle Ages who codified Jewish law in the Talmud (1135-1204)) : "God's existence is absolute and it includes no composition and we comprehend only the fact that He exists, not His essence. Consequently it is a false assumption to hold that He has any positive attribute... still less has He accidents, which could be described by an attribute. Hence it is clear that He has no positive attribute whatever. The negative attributes are necessary to direct the mind to the truths which we must believe... When we say of this being, that it exists, we mean that its non-existence is impossible; it is living - it is not dead; ...it is the first - its existence is not due to any cause; it has power, wisdom, and will - it is not feeble or ignorant; He is One - there are not more Gods than one. Thus, every attribute predicated of God denotes either the quality of an action, or, when the attribute is intended to convey some idea of the Divine Being itself - and not of His actions - the (The speech act of negating) negation of the opposite."

[edit] Existence of God in Transtheism

By assuming the existence of God as an absent Deity. Transtheism develops a view that the majority of arguments against or for the existence of God are mainly indirect arguments for the absence of God, when in relationship to our existence. Ontological arguments about the nature of God’s being, which dictate by definition a necessary existence seem to be exempt from this point of view. So that it can be said by Transtheist that:

Arguments against the existence of God only provide inferences for the absence of God.
Arguments for the existence of God only provide inferences for the results of God’s absence.

Transtheist may consider credible evidence for or against the existence of God is absent. So it is a shorter logical step to declare God absent from the universe, rather than existent or non-existent. Following on this we are presented with a choice, to believe between a possible objective reality beyond our universe (another existence) or no possible objective realities beyond this universe (assuming this universe is all there is). Transtheism define God's existence, as an objective occurring entity (beyond our universe), which is considered the natural disposition of reality (entities have objectivity) within the relative state of this universe. Transtheism defines the universe and God as separate objective realities. The absence of one in the other is a logical consequence of this point of view.