Religion & spirituality

Gods, goddesses and other deities

A reading guide to the many ways religious traditions, philosophers and non-theistic worldviews understand divine beings, sacred power and the possibility of God.

Sunlight breaking through clouds over a broad landscape

Different traditions ask different questions of the divine.

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An orientation

Many meanings, no single definition

The word “god” can refer to very different ideas. Some traditions teach one personal creator; others recognize many deities, understand the sacred as present throughout reality, or avoid claims about gods altogether. Even within one religion, believers may disagree about divine attributes and action.

This collection introduces those differences without treating one tradition as the standard for all others. It covers historical development, philosophical arguments, prayer, suffering and the ways communities describe relationships between humanity and the divine.

Browse the archive

Core paths into the subject

These sections distinguish descriptions of belief from arguments for or against a particular conclusion.

Names and traditions

Explore deities remembered or worshipped in cultures around the world.

Religious perspectives

Compare broad concepts while recognizing variation within each community.

Nature of the divine

Learn how philosophical categories describe God's relationship to the universe.

Changing concepts

Historical accounts examine how ideas about gods developed and changed.

Language and writing

Editorial choices can reflect theology, convention or respect for differing usage.

Belief and public opinion

Archived surveys illustrate how respondents have described their beliefs.

Philosophy of religion

Existence, evidence and uncertainty

Arguments about God depend on definitions, assumptions about evidence and different ideas of what can be proven.

Can God's existence be established?

Theistic and non-theistic positions

A philosophical essay series

The archive includes critical responses to several classical cases for God and related questions about divine nature. These are contributed arguments rather than a site-wide conclusion.

Divine presence

Prayer, miracles and action

Religions differ over whether divine action is continuous, exceptional, symbolic, unknowable or absent.

Prayer and discernment

Miracles

Accounts of miracles may be interpreted as divine intervention, testimony, metaphor, unexplained experience or natural coincidence.

Introduction to miracle claims

Remote or involved?

Theism usually describes an active deity, while Deist thought generally presents a creator who does not intervene in ordinary events.

A persistent question

Suffering, justice and divine goodness

The problem of suffering asks how claims about power and goodness relate to tragedy, natural disaster and moral harm.

Theodicy and tragedy

Ethics, punishment and sacred texts

Contributed viewpoints

Essays from the archive

These pieces represent their contributors' arguments. Inclusion supports comparison and does not imply endorsement.

Knowing and describing God

Relationship and devotion

Frequently asked questions

Does every religion believe in a god?

No. Some religions are non-theistic, and others give deities a role very different from the creator God found in many forms of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Are “God,” “deity” and “higher power” interchangeable?

Not always. Their meanings depend on the speaker and tradition. The glossary and guide to confusing terms offer useful context.

Does this page argue that God exists or does not exist?

No. It organizes religious, philosophical and non-theistic perspectives so readers can understand their premises and differences.

Why are some survey pages dated?

They are historical records of attitudes at a particular time. Archived results should not be treated as current measurements.

How should contributed essays be read?

As individual arguments. Contributors may disagree with one another and with summaries elsewhere in the collection.

Where can I compare religions more broadly?

Visit the comparison guide or the essay on different perceptions of God.

How can I report an error?

Use the contact page or email info@religioustolerance.en-html.org with the page title and correction.