Gods

What Exactly Is a Deity?

A deity or god is a supernatural being considered sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. But what exactly does this mean? How do we define such an abstract concept that has been central to human culture for millennia?

Defining Deities

The term ‘deity’ derives from Old French deité, the Latin deitatem, and is related to the Proto-Indo-European root *deiwos. The English word ‘god’ refers to a supreme being or deity and has undergone various etymologies, including tracing it to the PIE root *ghut-, which means ‘that which is invoked.’

Types of Deities

The concept of deities varies widely across cultures. Monotheistic religions accept one deity, while polytheistic religions accept multiple deities. Theism is the belief in one or more deities, and henotheism considers all deities as equivalent representations of a single divine principle.

Monotheism

Monolatry believes many deities exist but only one may be worshipped. Monotheism is the belief that only one deity exists, usually described as omnipotent and eternal. Deism proposes a creator who does not intervene in the world, pantheism sees the universe as God or everything composing an all-encompassing deity.

Pandeism

Pandeism suggests the creator became a pantheistic universe, while panentheism believes divinity pervades but transcends the universe. Agnosticism is the position that it’s impossible to know if a deity exists, and atheism is the non-belief in any deity.

Historical Evidence of Deities

Prehistoric evidence of deities includes cave drawings and engravings depicting animals or rituals. These were preserved by Africans in their plantation communities, and their festivals continue to be observed today. In Southern African cultures, a similar deity combination includes Hieseba or Xuba (deity, god), Gaune (evil spirits) and Khuene (people).

Deities Across Cultures

In ancient Egypt, numerous deities were revered, including Min, Neith, Anubis, Isis, Ra, Meretseger, Nut, Osiris, Shu, Sia, and Thoth. The ancient Canaanites believed in a pantheon of deities led by El, Asherah, Baal, Anat, Astarte, and Yahweh.

Germanic Languages

In Germanic languages, the terms cognate with ‘god’ such as Old English: god and Old Norse: guð were originally neuter but became masculine after Christianisation. In Norse mythology, Æsir (singular áss or ǫ́ss) are the principal group of gods, while the term ásynjur (singular ásynja) refers specifically to the female 🕰.

Greek and Roman Deities

The ancient Greeks revered both gods and goddesses. The most important deities in the Greek pantheon were the Twelve Olympians: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, Hermes, Demeter, Dionysus, Hephaestus, and Ares. The Roman pantheon had numerous deities, both Greek and non-Greek.

Indigenous Cultures

The Inca culture believed in Viracocha as the creator deity, who existed before creating space and time. Other important deities include Inti (sun deity) and Mama Qucha (goddess of the sea). The Maya calendar had 18 months with presiding deities who inspired social rituals and festivals.

Abrahamic Religions

In Christianity, modern orthodox Christians believe in three equal persons: God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The examination of Jesus Christ, divine grace in incarnation, non-transferability, and completeness has been a historic topic.

Islam

Ilah (Arabic: إله; plural: آلهة ʾālihah) means ‘god’ and appears in the name of the monotheistic god of Islam as Allah (al-Lāh), meaning ‘the god.’ The term Allah is used by Muslims for God. The Persian word Khuda can be translated as god, lord, or king and is also used to refer to God in Islam by Persian, Urdu, Tat, and Kurdish speakers.

Judaism

Judaism affirms the existence of one God (Yahweh, or YHWH), who revealed himself throughout Jewish history. The classical presentation of Judaism has been as a monotheistic faith that rejected deities and idolatry.

Mandaeanism

In Mandaeism, Hayyi Rabbi (The Great Life) is the supreme God from which all things emanate. He created the material world, formed the soul through his power, and placed it into the human body via angels. Mandaean doctrine recognizes God as the eternal creator of all, the one and only in domination with no partner.

Asian Religions

In Anitism, composed of indigenous religions from the Philippines, there are over 100 different ethnic groups each having their own supreme deity or deities. Although Buddhists do not believe in a creator deity, deities are an essential part of Buddhist teachings about cosmology, rebirth, and saṃsāra.

Hinduism

The concept of God varies in Hinduism, it being a diverse system of thought with beliefs spanning henotheism, monotheism, polytheism, panentheism, pantheism, and monism among others. In the ancient Vedic texts of Hinduism, a deity is often referred to as Deva (god) or Devi (goddess).

Shinto

Shinto is polytheistic, involving the veneration of many deities known as kami. In Japanese, no distinction is made here between singular and plural, and hence the term kami refers both to individual kami and the collective group of kami.

Taoism

Taoism is a polytheistic religion with gods and immortals believed in by Taoism. The gods and immortals can be roughly divided into two categories, namely ‘gods’ and ‘xian.’ Xian is acquired through the cultivation of the Tao, persons with vast supernatural powers, unpredictable changes, and immortality.

Attempts to Explain Belief in Deities

Attempts to rationally explain belief in deities extend back to ancient Greece, where philosophers such as Democritus and Euhemerus argued that gods were formed through human observation of natural phenomena or the deification of mortal kings. A tendency to believe in deities may be an integral part of the human consciousness, driven by humans’ overactive agency detection system and inclination to think teleologically.

So, what do you think? How does your understanding of deities compare with these diverse beliefs across cultures?