Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality;...

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Theism, Deism, Pantheism

Transcript of Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality;...

Page 1: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Theism, Deism, Pantheism

Page 2: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Theism Overview

Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God), as opposed to pantheism (all is God), polytheism (many gods), and atheism (without God).

Christianity, Islam, and Judaism all have the monotheistic belief in one god, whereas a polytheistic religion such as Hinduism holds a belief in many gods.

Page 3: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Puritans and Theism

The Puritans were a group of people who grew discontented in the Church of England and worked towards religious, moral and societal reforms. They contended that The Church of England had become a product of political struggles and man-made doctrines.

Page 4: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Puritans

The Puritans were one branch of dissenters/rebels who decided that the Church of England was beyond reform. Escaping persecution from church leadership and the king, they came to America.

Page 5: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

City on the Hill

They wanted to create a “city on the hill”. In other words, they wanted to be the shining example to all other communities that this was the best way to live your life.

Governor John Winthrop stated, "We shall be as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us.“

Page 6: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Puritans and Theism

The Puritans believed that the Bible was God's true law, and that it provided a plan for living. The established church of the day described access to God as possible only within the confines of "church authority".

Page 7: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Puritans stripped away the traditional trappings and formalities of Christianity which had been slowly building throughout the previous 1500 years. Theirs was an attempt to "purify" the church and their own lives.

Page 8: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Most of the Puritans settled in the New England area. As they immigrated and formed individual colonies, their numbers rose from 17,800 in 1640 to 106,000 in 1700.

Page 9: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

The spiritual beliefs that they held were strong. This strength held over to include community laws and customs. Since God was at the forefront of their minds, he was to motivate all of their actions. This premise worked both for them and against them.

Page 10: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Each church congregation was to be individually responsible to God, as was each person. The New Testament was their model, and their devotion was so great that it permeated their entire society. People of opposing theological views were asked to leave the community or to be converted.

Page 11: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

God had already chosen who would be in heaven or hell, and each believer had no way of knowing which group they were in. Those who were wealthy were obviously blessed by God and were in good standing with Him.

Page 12: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),
Page 13: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

The Protestant work ethic was the belief that hard work was an honor to God which would lead to a prosperous reward.

Page 14: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Any deviations from the normal way of Puritan life met with strict disapproval and discipline. Since the church elders were also political leaders, any church infraction was also a social one.

Page 15: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

The devil was behind every evil deed. Constant watch needed to be kept in order to stay away from his clutches. Words of hell fire and brimstone flowed from the mouths of eloquent ministers as they warned of the persuasiveness of the devil's power. The sermons of Jonathan Edwards, a Puritan minister, show that delivery of these sermons became an art form

Page 16: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),
Page 17: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Three English diversions were banned in their New England colonies: drama, religious music and erotic poetry. The first and last of these led to immorality. Music in worship created a "dreamy" state which was not conducive in listening to God.

Page 18: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Since the people were not spending their time idly indulged in trivialities, they were left with two godly diversions: work and prayer.

Page 19: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Quick Quiz

Page 20: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

You’re really looking for a blessing from God. You know that winter is coming in just two weeks and hunting one more deer, or wolf, would be awesome! What do you do to get some help and favor from God?

Mmm… WOLF!!

Page 21: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

A guy goes to Chilis and starts making a huge fuss about how cold his meal is even though there is steam coming off the plate. When the waitress brings him a new dish, the man begins yelling at her because she’s taking way too long. After he starts to eat his mean, the guy beings choking. Puritans would say that the man is choking because:

A. KarmaB. God’s will due to this chump’s behaviorC. He obviously tried eating too big of a piece.

There’s no other reason.

Page 22: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Which of these religions is considered theist?

Judaism

Islam

Christianity

Hinduism

Page 23: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

This is Jenna, and she is looking to run for mayor in the local Puritan town. She enjoys dancing, poetry, and she thinks that everyone should have two days off from work each week. She likes going to church and enjoys being a part of the local community.

Why might Jenna have a hard time getting this political position?

Page 24: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

As a Puritan leaving the Church of England, you decide to take a cruise to which part of the New World?Take a cruise aboard this beautiful 17th

century ship! You will love the comfort of our wooden beds, the adventure of sea storms, and the taste of bread that can last for weeks and weeks! Can someone

say mmm….? Call Today!!!

Page 25: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Deism and Revolutionaries

Deism is the belief in a rational, law-governed world created by a “supreme architect” or cosmic “clockmaker.” 

In other words, Deists believed that God created the universe and stepped back without much or any interference/influence.

Page 26: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),
Page 27: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Deism and Revolutionaries

Deists insisted that religious truth should be subject to the authority of human reason rather than divine revelation.

Everything has an logical explanation.

Page 28: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Deism and Revolutionaries

For Deists, God was a benevolent, if distant, creator whose revelation was nature and human reason.

Page 29: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Applying reason to nature taught most Deists that God organized the world to promote human happiness and our greatest religious duty was to further that end by the practice of morality and using our human brain to reason.

Page 30: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Deism and Revolutionaries

With other statesmen of the Revolutionary age, such as Benjamin Franklin, Jefferson expressed familiar Deist sentiments; however, Jefferson was not himself a Deist. He believed in the teachings of Jesus and considered himself a Christian.

For this follower of reason, the natural world was like a great book, made legible to scientists (or “natural philosophers”) through its predictable and lawful patterns.

Page 31: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),
Page 32: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Enlightened men who recognized nature’s laws and figured out the way that the universe worked could begin to master the world by promoting the improvement of man’s lot and fulfilling God’s original intentions for His creation.

Page 33: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Even politics could be reduced to a science. Revolutionary law-givers crafted new constitutions for self-governing peoples in the states and for the federal union.

Page 34: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

These constitutions were like machines or instruments for determining and enacting the will of a progressively more open-minded political public: they were something like the great clock that the deists’ clockmaker God had set in motion at the beginning of time. 

Page 35: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),
Page 36: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Human agency and divine purpose were fused.: piety/goodness and enlightenment/explanation, along with religion and science, worked together.

Page 37: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

A guy goes to Chili’s and starts making a huge fuss about how cold his meal is even though there is steam coming off the plate. When the waitress brings him a new dish, the man begins yelling at her because she’s taking way too long. After he starts to eat his mean, the guy beings choking. Revolutionaries would say that the man is choking because:

A. KarmaB. God’s will due to this chump’s behaviorC. He obviously tried eating too big of a piece.

There’s no other reason.

Page 38: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Pantheism

Pan= All

Theos= God

At its most general, Pantheism may be understood positively as the view that God is identical with the cosmos or the universe.

Page 39: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

In the mid to late 1800’s, a group of people called the Transcendentalists were large followers of Pantheism and used this to guide them in their beliefs on nature and spirituality.

This group of people were writers who used this belief system to write about ways to live life.

Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau

Page 40: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Pantheism and Transcendentalists

Transcendentalists believed that all answers and spirituality could be found within nature.

One did not need any specific organized religion to find God.

Page 41: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

If God is part of the cosmos, this means that he is in everything and is everywhere. One can see God’s miracle in nature.

Nature is everything that God has created; therefore, God is in the sun, the trees, the planets, the wind, the air, etc.

Page 42: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Transcendentalists believed that people only needed their inner thoughts, intuition, and awareness of what nature held.

This does not mean that Transcendentalists rejected other religions. This only meant that one did not need organized religion to find the spirituality they wanted.

Page 43: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Many Transcendentalists believed that individuality and looking to yourself for answers was what you should strive to do.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, a well-known Transcendentalist and Pantheist, often explained that people needed self-reliance to truly find who they were as people.

Page 44: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Emerson’s “Nature” is a very Transcendentalist piece that pushes for a closer examination of the connectedness to God and spirituality found within nature.

Lucky you! You will get to read it today!

Page 45: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Pantheism Quotes

All things are parts of one single system, which is called Nature; the individual life is good when it is in harmony with Nature. (Zeno, 4th Century B.C.) 

Page 46: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

For there is one Universe out of all, one God through all, one substance and one law, one common Reason of all intelligent creatures and one Truth. Frequently consider the connection of all things in the universe. We should not say 'I am an Athenian' or 'I am a Roman' but 'I am a citizen of the Universe'.(Marcus Aurelius, Meditations)

Page 47: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

Pantheism Quotes

One grand great life throbs through earth's giant heart, And mighty waves of single Being roll From nerve-less germ to man, for we are part Of every rock and bird and beast and hill, One with the things that prey on us, and one with what we kill.(Oscar Wilde, Panthea) 

Panthea is from Greek meaning “of all Gods”

Page 48: Theism, Deism, Pantheism. Theism Overview Theism is the belief in the existence of a divine reality; this is usually referring to monotheism (one God),

A guy goes to Chili’s and starts making a huge fuss about how cold his meal is even though there is steam coming off the plate. When the waitress brings him a new dish, the man begins yelling at her because she’s taking way too long. After he starts to eat his mean, the guy beings choking. Transcendentalists would say that the man is choking because:

A. KarmaB. God’s will due to this chump’s behaviorC. He obviously tried eating too big of a piece.

There’s no other reason.