Pantheism vs. Panentheism — What's the Difference?

The belief in an impersonal God inherent in all things.

Belief in a dynamic relationship between the universe and its divine ground.

A religious position that opposes the dualism of creator and creation.

The belief that God encompasses the universe but also extends beyond it.

The identification of God with the cosmos itself.

A theological position positing a transcendent, personal God in addition to an immanent presence.

A doctrine that equates God with the forces and laws of the universe.

A view where God’s transcendence and immanence are both affirmed.

Philosophical belief that God is everything and everything is God.

Doctrine where the universe is part of God, but God retains more than the universe.

Pantheism is the belief that reality is identical with divinity, or that all-things compose an all-encompassing, immanent god. Pantheist belief does not recognize a distinct personal god, anthropomorphic or otherwise, but instead characterizes a broad range of doctrines differing in forms of relationships between reality and divinity.

Panentheism ("all in God”, from the Greek πᾶν pân, "all", ἐν en, "in" and Θεός Theós, "God") is the belief that the divine intersects every part of the universe and also extends beyond space and time. The term was coined by the German philosopher Karl Krause in 1828 to distinguish the ideas of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831) and Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling (1775–1854) about the relation of God and the universe from the supposed pantheism of Baruch Spinoza, after reviewing Hindu scriptures.

A doctrine which identifies God with the universe, or regards the universe as a manifestation of God.

A doctrine that the universe subsists within God, but that God nevertheless transcends or has some existence separate from the universe.

The worship or tolerance of many gods.

(rare) A belief in all gods.

A doctrine identifying the Deity with the universe and its phenomena.

Belief in and worship of all gods.

(religion) The belief that the Universe is in some sense divine and should be revered. Pantheism identifies the universe with God but denies any personality or transcendence of such a God.

The belief in all gods; omnitheism.

The doctrine that the universe, taken or conceived of as a whole, is God; the doctrine that there is no God but the combined force and natural laws which are manifested in the existing universe; cosmotheism. The doctrine denies that God is a rational personality.

(rare) worship that admits or tolerates all gods

The doctrine or belief that God is the universe and its phenomena (taken or conceived of as a whole) or the doctrine that regards the universe as a manifestation of God

Pantheism might struggle more with the problem of evil, seeing all aspects of the universe, including evil, as part of God. Panentheism allows for a distinction between God's will and the universe's state, offering a more nuanced approach to addressing evil.

Yes, pantheism is often seen as compatible with science because it equates God with the observable universe and its natural laws, avoiding supernatural explanations.

Critics of panentheism often argue that it is overly complex or that it straddles unnecessarily between theism and pantheism without providing clear theological advantages.

Panentheism can enrich personal spirituality by providing a framework that emphasizes a personal, yet omnipresent God, encouraging believers to see divine presence in everyday life while also aspiring towards a transcendent relationship with God.

In panentheism, divine intervention is conceivable because, although God permeates everything, He also transcends it and can interact with the universe in a meaningful way.

Pantheism has roots in various philosophical traditions, notably within Stoicism and Spinoza's philosophy, which equate God with nature or existence itself.

Panentheism typically views the universe's creation as an expression or manifestation of God, suggesting a dynamic ongoing act of creation where God is both within and beyond the universe.

A common critique of pantheism is that it lacks a personal deity and therefore may not provide a satisfactory framework for religious practices that depend on a personal relationship with God.

Pantheism might imply a more deterministic universe where free will is an illusion, given its non-dualistic view. Panentheism, with its dual aspects of God, can accommodate a concept of free will within the divine framework.

Yes, elements of panentheism are found in several major religions, including aspects of Christianity, Hinduism, and Kabbalistic Judaism, where God is seen as both transcendent and immanent.

Pantheism generally does not emphasize an afterlife, focusing instead on the unity and sanctity of life in the present universe.

In pantheism, ethical behavior is often derived from a sense of unity with the universe, promoting respect and care for nature as an extension of oneself.

Mysticism plays a significant role in panentheism, where the mystical experience is often about transcending physical existence to experience the divine that exists beyond yet within the universe.

Yes, modern movements such as scientific pantheism and neo-pantheism embrace aspects of pantheism, particularly its harmony with nature and its compatibility with scientific understanding.

Both pantheism and panentheism can promote strong environmental ethics; pantheism by emphasizing the divinity of all nature, and panentheism by suggesting a sacred duty to protect and respect the world as a part of God's creation.