Warning: Theology ahead.
How is the Christian view of God different from other religions?
Two of the attributes of God that are in the books of theology are immanence and transcendence. The God of the Bible is both.
Immanence, if you spell it correctly, means being close and mingling. Paganism that presents a pantheon of Gods tend to stress the immanence of their gods. If you read the stories of the Greek gods you find that they are always moving around among the people of the earth. Often they are up to mischief and looking for ways to relieve their boredom. This is common with polytheistic religions.
Christianity also believes that God is close and involved in our lives. The anti-Christian crowd would also say he is up to mischief but that is not the way believers see it. He is present on a constant way in the Holy Spirit which we believe not only is active in the world but can indwell us.
The eastern paganism that sees god as a force is into transcendence. This refers to the belief that god is above it all. If you think of the Force of Star Wars or the Buddhist idea of god you see no personhood involved, just a power. Although Christians believe that God is an aware entity they also believe that He is above creation. He is not physical. He is not limited by time or space. He created it all.
So in this area the God Christians worship is different, both immanent and transcendent at the same time. Monotheism is more than a number.
homo unius libri
Always glad to be of service to those who are avoiding certain topics.
ReplyDeleteGrace and peace.