Panentheism

• God: The word “pan-en-theism” literally means “all in God” – different from pantheism that means “all is God.” In panentheism God has what are called two poles – one pole is an actual pole (the real world) and the other pole is the potential pole (beyond the real world: “spiritual”). Said another way, in this view God is like the “mind” or “soul” of the universe, and the universe itself is like God’s body. To panentheists God’s actual pole (body) is not infinite but is finite, is not unchanging but changing, and is not perfect but is working towards perfection – in fact, as the universe progresses and changes, so to does God. His potential pole (mind) however is unchanging and eternal. God can not exist without the universe in this view.[1]

• Humanity: To panentheists humans are seen as free personal agents. In fact, humanity as a whole is a co-creator with God. Humanity is in control of their own destiny and shape their own world events, and they can also decide the course God will take. To panentheists, humanity can change God and progress Him towards perfection – they can do this by guiding humanity and the worlds towards perfection (examples: “healing the earth by fighting industrialization” “protecting the environment at all costs”).[2]

• Salvation: There is no real need for salvation. Rather, we as humans can “live forever in God’s cosmic memory” if we show that we have contributed richly to God’s life. We must show that we care about God by helping Him progress and reach perfection – those who do not do this will not be remembered with much fondness by God.[3]

• Authority: This varies greatly among panentheists because there are dozens of panenthesitic sects in various world religions: Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Eastern religions and so forth. Roughly however, it could be safe to say that a major source for all panentheists in general would be the Universe and its naturalistic laws (I use a big “U” because in this worldview, God is IN all, He is IN the universe and the universe is His body – you can not have God without the universe).

• Time: Panentheism teaches that time is never ending – there is no ultimate end goal for everything. “There will always be the unsurpassable deity who is constantly growing in perfection. And there will always be some world filled with self-creative creatures whose inclusive aim is to enrich the experience of God.”[4]

• Jesus Christ: Either Jesus was a mythological person, or He was a real man but not divine. To panentheists, there are no real miracles – “miraculous intervention in the world is our of character with the nature of the panentheistic God.”[5] This is important because we can see that panentheists then will assert that Jesus was not born to a virgin, did not perform miracles and did not rise from the dead – all which are supernatural and miraculous. In short, if Jesus did live, He was merely a 1st Century Jewish rabbi who started a new religion but was executed – a good guy, but nothing divine.