Is it Time to Revise Our Definition of God to Include a More Encompassing View?

Spirituality is a belief in something greater than ourselves. Whether we call that something greater God, Allah, Creator, Great Spirit, Spiritual Intelligence, Universal Mind or another term, we need a common language and understanding. I use the term God in my writing, but this discussion fits any of the terms.

There are five basic approaches to God, or our something greater. Theseappear in Rabbi Rami Shapiro's "Why Aren't You An Atheist?" (Spirituality&Health, March-April 2007, 16):

theist

atheist

agnostic

pantheist

panentheist

For the first three, God is defined as an entity outside of time and space who created the world and judges, rewards, and punishes everyone in it. While theists believe in the existence of this God, atheists do not and agnostics are not sure.

The Pantheists' God is the same as nature; god is nature and nature is god. Panentheists, however, believe in a broader definition that includes and transcends the universe. This is the belief that everything is within God, as explained by Anderson and Whitehouse (New Thought: A Practical American Spirituality,2003, 89). Panentheism includes pantheism, since nature is part of the universe but goes beyond to include more than just this physical world.

The theist view of God is the one that most of us grew up with and the one that has dominated. Many writers, however, are recording the demise of this old definition. Jim Marion, author of Death of a Mythic God in an EnlightenNext magazine interview (Issue 38, October - December 2007, 95-102) claims that the theist God of reward and punishment has evolved. In the 1950s, 50% of Americans had traditional Christian views. Today, only 19% cling to the mythic God. Yet 92% of Americans say they believe in God.

Current views, as described by David Korten, reflect the panentheist approach, as many people are moving away from the director and controller view, accepting a more integral God ("Everybody Wants to Rule The World", Sun, September 2007, 4-13). These two views are:

the anthropomorphic, or theist, God that most of grew up with who directs our lives.

the Panentheist everything-is-within God.

Imagine that God is evolving, in our world of shifting knowledge. While many argue that a changing God who fits our constant demands is self-serving, history shows this is not the first time God has developed. Tribal societies believed in magical gods, goddesses and superstition that merged into the mythic, or theist, view.

Psychologists teach that as people progress in consciousness from one level to another, and every time we go up a level in consciousness, as explained by Marion, our world view changes. This includes our idea of who or what God is. The last 3000 years held to a mythic God after magical gods gave way to a ruler, a punisher, a patriarch. Why would we expect this view to remain unchanged?

If we no longer choose the old, theist God, perhaps, we accept panentheism, a spiritual intelligence, co-creator, or integral spirit. Perhaps, as suggested by Korten, we believe in God, even if, or because, our definition, name and understanding of that entity have changed significantly.

Cheryl A. Chatfield, Ph.D. is a writer, teacher and inspirational speaker. This article is an excerpt from her recent Do It Yourself Guide To Spirituality: Seven Simple Steps. Visit http://NottInstitute.org to download and read this 40-page booklet, or visit to receive the free monthly Practical Spirituality Newsletter. The Nottingham Institute is a nonprofit organization that promotes materials for an everyday, practical spirituality for people who don't find answers in traditional religions.

Arnold Patent