لا اله ألا الله وخميني رهبر

    

"Ilah" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Ila or Illah.

Zeus, the chief Greek god

Main articles: Dyeus and God (word)

Further information: Deva (Hinduism)

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For the fictional character, see Mr. Deity.

"Gods" redirects here. For the word, see God (word). For other uses, see Gods (disambiguation).

"DeitY" redirects here. For Department of Government of India, see Department of Electronics and Information Technology.

"Ilah" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Ila or Illah.

Zeus, the chief Greek god

  

Etymology[edit]

Main articles: Dyeus and God (word)

Further information: Deva (Hinduism)

 

The word "deity" derives from the Latin deus ("god"), which is related through a common
Indo-European ori

 

gin

 

Ivory figure of Wen Chang, a Chinese god of culture and literature (Ming Dynasty, ca. 1550–1644)

Folk religions
]

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Theism is the view that at least one deity exists. Some religions are monotheistic and assert the existence of a unique deity. In the English language, the common noun god is equivalent to deity, while the proper noun God (capitalized) references the unique deity of monotheism. Pantheism considers the universe itself to be a deity. Dualism is the view that there are two deities: a deity of good who is opposed and thwarted by a deity of evil, of equal power. Manichaeism, Zoroastrianism, and Gnostic sects of Christianity are, or were, dualist. Polytheism asserts the existence of several deities, who together form a pantheon. Monolatry is a type of polytheism in which the existence of multiple deities is recognized, but worship is given only to one. Henotheism is a form of polytheism in which only one deity is worshipped. Animism is the belief that spirits inhabit every existing thing, including plants, minerals, animals, and, including all the elements, air, water, earth, and fire. The anthropologist E. B. Tylor argued that religion originally took an animist form.
Adherents of polytheistic religions, such as certain schools of Hinduism, may regard all deities in the pantheon as manifestations, aspects, or multiple personalities of the single supreme deity, and the religions may be more akin to pantheism, monotheism, or henotheism than is initially apparent to an observer.
The many religions do not generally agree on which deities exist, although sometimes the pantheons may overlap, or be similar except for the names of the deities. It is frequently argued that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all worship the same monotheistic deity, although they differ in many important details. Comparative religion studies the similarities and contrasts in the views and practices of various religions. Philosophy of religion discusses philosophical issues related to theories about deities. Anthropology of religion studies religious institutions in relation to other social institutions, the comparison of religious beliefs and practices across cultures, and describes each religion as a cultural product, created by the human community that worships it. Narratives about deities and their deeds are referred to as myths, the study of which is mythology. The word "myth" has an overtone of fiction, so religious people commonly (although not invariably) refrain from using this term in relation to the stories about deities which they themselves believe in.

Polytheism[edit]

Main articles: Polytheism and Pantheon (gods)

A pantheon (from Greek Πάνθειον, from πᾶν, all + θεός, god) is a set of all the deities of a particular polytheistic religion or mythology, such as the Egyptian pantheon, or the Greek pantheon. A pantheon may include deities of vastly differing importance and scope.
Max Weber's 1922 opus, Economy and Society discusses the link between a pantheon of deities and the development of monotheism.

Monotheism[edit]

Main article: Monotheism

In some cases, especially the monotheistic Abrahamic God or the supreme deity of henotheistic religions, the divine is not thought of by many believers in the same terms as deities – as a powerful, anthropomorphic supernatural being – but rather becomes esoteric, and ineffable – the Ultimate, the Absolute Infinite, the Transcendent, the One, the All, Existence, becoming or Being itself, the ground of being, the nondualistic, etc.
In this view, God (Allah, Brahman, Elohim, Jesus Christ, Waheguru, etc.) is not a deity, and the anthropomorphic myths and iconography associated with him are regarded as symbolism, allowing worshippers to speak and think about something which otherwise would be beyond human comprehension.Buddhism[edit]

Buddhist temple image of Vaisravana, one of the Four Heavenly Kings (Ssangbongsa, South Korea)

Main article: God in Buddhism

In Buddhism\Buddhist mythology, devas are beings inhabiting certain happily placed worlds of Buddhist cosmology. These beings are mortal (being part of saṃsāra), numerous, and are respected but not worshipped; it is also common for Yidams to be called deities, although the nature of Yidams are distinct from what is normally meant by the term.
The Buddhist Madhyamaka argue strongly against the existence of a reificating creator or essential being (such as Brahman). Some Prasangikas hold that even the conventional existence of an essential being is a non-existent, whereas others consider that the conventional existence of such a being is an existent.
Some modern Buddhists, especially in the west, believe that deities exist in the same manner that elves or unicorns do – as an archetypal consensual entity that serves a symbolic purpose in the popular imagination.
Though this may seem a rather weak basis of existence for some, as many Buddhists (such as the Yogacara) deny any objective existence (of e.g. a chair), and many more deny any sort of essential existence of phenomena at all, the distinction between the existence and non-existence of consensual entities is important to Buddhist philosophy.

Judaism[edit]

Main article: God in Judaism

Christianity[edit]

Main article: God in Christianity

Hinduism[edit]

Ganesha at Morgaon, aṣṭavināyaka complex

Main article: God in Hinduism

In Hinduism, the concept of God varies from one sect to another and from one book to another. Hinduism is set in a diverse system of thought with beliefs spanning henotheism, monotheism, polytheism, panentheism, pantheism and monism among others.^[6][7][8][9] It is often aptly termed monistic theism and even open monotheism by some scholars, but is not purely polytheistic as outsiders perceive it to be.
The philosophical system of Advaita or nondualism is categorically explained in Vedas and Upanishads, and is popular among schools of Shaivism such as Kashmir Shaivism. The concept was also spread by Adi Shankara in the 9th century, within the framework of the Vedanta school of classical Hindu philosophy. This nondualism postulates the identity of the Self or Atman with the Whole or Brahman, and can be described as monism or pantheism.
Forms of explicit monotheism find mention in the canonical Bhagavad Gita. Explicit monotheism in the form of emotional or ecstatic devotion (bhakti) to a single external and personal deity (in the form of Shiva or Vishnu) became popular in South India in the early medieval period. Ecstatic devotion to Krishna, a form of Vishnu, gained popularity throughout India during the Middle Ages and gave rise to schools of Vaishnavism. Ecstatic devotion to Goddess Durga became popular in some parts of India in the later medieval and early modern ages.
Today, most Hindus are polytheistic or monotheistic but open to believing in and praying to several gods. Vaishnavism, particularly Krishnaism, Shaktism and some forms of Shaivism remain the most explicit forms of monotheistic worship of a personal God within Hinduism. Hindus who practice Shaivism tend to assume the existence of a singular God, but do not necessarily associate God with aspects of a personality. Rather they envisage God as an impersonal Absolute (Brahman), who can be

 

Panel from an ancient Roman sarcophagus depicting the creation of humans by Prometheus, with deities including Minerva (Roman Athena) and Mercury (Hermes) looking on

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Theories and myths about, and modes of worship of, deities are largely a matter of religion. At present, the majority of humans are adherents of some religion,^[4] and this has been true throughout recorded human history.^[5] Human burials from between 50,000 and 30,000 B.C. provide evidence of human belief in an afterlife and possibly in deities, although it is not clear when human belief in deities became the dominant view.
Some deities are thought to be invisible or inaccessible to humans, dwelling mainly in otherworldly, remote or secluded and holy places, such as the concepts of Heaven, and Hell, the sky, the underworld, under the sea, in the high mountains or deep forests, or in a supernatural plane or celestial sphere. Typically, they rarely reveal or manifest themselves to humans, and make themselves known mainly through their effects. Monotheistic deities are often thought of as being omnipresent, though invisible.
Often people feel an obligation or submission to their deity, although some view their deity as something that serves them.

Ivory figure of Wen Chang, a Chinese god of culture and literature (Ming Dynasty, ca. 1550–1644)

Buddhism[edit]

Buddhist temple image of Vaisravana, one of the Four Heavenly Kings (Ssangbongsa, South Korea)

.

Christianity[edit]

Main article: God in Christianity

Hinduism[edit]

Ganesha at Morgaon, aṣṭavināyaka complex

Main article: God in Hinduism

In Hinduism, the concept of God varies from one sect to another and from one book to another. Hinduism is set in a diverse system of thought with beliefs spanning henotheism, monotheism,