God in Abrahamic religions

Monotheism—the belief that there is only one deity—is the focus of the Abrahamic religions, which like-mindedly conceive God as the all-powerful and all-knowing deity^[1] from whom Abraham received a divine revelation, according to their respective narratives.^[2] The most prominent Abrahamic religions are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.^[3] They, alongside Samaritanism, Druzism, the Baháʼí Faith,^[3] and Rastafari,^[3] all share a common core foundation in the form of worshipping Abraham's God, who is identified as Yahweh in Hebrew and called Allah in Arabic.^[7] Likewise, the Abrahamic religions share similar features distinguishing them from other categories of religions:^[8]

• all of their theological traditions are, to some extent, influenced by the depiction of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible;^[10]
• all of them trace their roots to Abraham as a common genealogical and spiritual patriarch.^[11]

In the Abrahamic tradition, God is one, eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, and the creator of the universe.^[1] God is typically referred to with masculine grammatical articles and pronouns only,^[1][12] and is further held to have the properties of holiness, justice, omnibenevolence, and omnipresence. Adherents of the Abrahamic religions believe that God is also transcendent, meaning that he is outside of both space and time and therefore not subject to anything within his creation, but at the same time a personal God: intimately involved, listening to individual prayer, and reacting to the actions of his creatures.

With regard to Christianity, religion scholars have differed on whether Mormonism belongs with mainstream Christian tradition as a whole (i.e., Nicene Christianity), with some asserting that it amounts to a distinct Abrahamic religion in itself due to noteworthy theological differences.^[13][14] Rastafari, the heterogenous movement that originated in Jamaica in the 1930s, is variously classified by religion scholars as either an international socio-religious movement, a distinct Abrahamic religion, or simply a new religious movement.^[15]

Judaism, the oldest Abrahamic religion, is based on a strict, exclusive monotheism,^[4][17] finding its origins in the sole veneration of Yahweh,^{[4][18][19][20]} the predecessor to the Abrahamic conception of God.^{[Note 1]} The names of God used most often in the Hebrew Bible are the Tetragrammaton (Hebrew: יהוה, romanized: YHWH) and Elohim.^[4][5] Jews traditionally do not pronounce it, and instead refer to God as HaShem, literally "the Name". In prayer, the Tetragrammaton is substituted with the pronunciation Adonai, meaning "My Lord".^[27] This is referred to primarily in the Torah: "Hear O Israel: the LORD is our God, the LORD is One" (Deuteronomy 6:4).^[27]

God is conceived as unique and perfect, free from all faults, deficiencies, and defects, and further held to be omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, and completely infinite in all of his attributes, who has no partner or equal, being the sole creator of everything in existence.^{[4][27][28][29]} In Judaism, God is never portrayed in any image.^[17][29] The idea of God as a duality or trinity is heretical in Judaism—it's considered akin to polytheism.^{[4][17][29][30]} The Torah specifically forbade ascribing partners to share his singular sovereignty,^[4][17][27] as he is considered to be the absolute one without a second, indivisible, and incomparable being, who is similar to nothing and nothing is comparable to him.^[4][28] Thus, God is unlike anything in or of the world as to be beyond all forms of human thought and expression.^[4][28]

God in Judaism is conceived as anthropomorphic,^[4][26][30] unique, benevolent, eternal, the creator of the universe, and the ultimate source of morality.^[4][31] Thus, the term God corresponds to an actual ontological reality, and is not merely a projection of the human psyche.^[32] Traditional interpretations of Judaism generally emphasize that God is personal yet also transcendent and able to intervene in the world,^[5] while some modern interpretations of Judaism emphasize that God is an impersonal force or ideal rather than a supernatural being concerned with the universe.^[4][32]

Part of a series on
Christianity
Jesus Christ Nativity Baptism Ministry Crucifixion Resurrection Ascension
Bible Foundations Old Testament New Testament Gospel Canon Church Creed New Covenant
Theology God Trinity Father Son Holy Spirit Apologetics Baptism Christology History of theology Mission Salvation Universalism
History Tradition Apostles Peter Paul Mary Early Christianity Church Fathers Constantine Councils Augustine Ignatius East–West Schism Crusades Aquinas Reformation Luther
Denominations (full list) Nicene Catholic Latin Eastern Old Catholic Independent Catholic Sedevacantism Eastern Orthodox Oriental Orthodox Church of the East Protestant Adventist Anabaptist Anglican Baptist Free Evangelical Lutheran Methodist Moravian [Hussite] Pentecostal Plymouth Brethren Quaker Reformed United Protestant Waldensian Nondenominational Christianity Restorationist Christadelphians Iglesia ni Cristo Irvingians Jehovah's Witnesses Latter Day Saints Members Church of God International The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The New Church (Swedenborgian) Unitarians and Universalists
Related topics Civilization Criticism Culture Ecumenism Glossary Index Liturgy Other religions Outline Prayer Sermon Symbolism Worship
Glossary Index Outline  Christianity portal
v t e

Christianity originated in 1st-century Judea from a sect of apocalyptic Jewish Christians within the realm of Second Temple Judaism,^{[33][34][35][36][37]} and thus shares most of its beliefs about God, including his omnipotence, omniscience, his role as creator of all things, his personality, immanence, transcendence and ultimate unity, with the innovation that Jesus of Nazareth is considered to be, in one way or another, the fulfillment of the ancient biblical prophecies about the Jewish Messiah, the completion of the Law of the prophets of Israel, the Son of God, and/or the incarnation of God himself as a human being.^{[17][30][33][34][38]}

Most Christian denominations believe Jesus to be the incarnated Son of God, which is the main theological divergence with respect to the exclusive monotheism of the other Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Samaritanism, the Baháʼí Faith, and Islam.^{[17][30][38][39]} Although personal salvation is implicitly stated in Judaism, personal salvation by grace and a recurring emphasis in orthodox theological beliefs is particularly emphasized in Christianity,^[39] often contrasting this with a perceived over-emphasis in law observance as stated in Jewish law, where it is contended that a belief in an intermediary between man and God or in the multiplicity of persons in the Godhead is against the Noahide laws, and thus not monotheistic.^{[40][better source needed]}

In mainstream Christianity, theology and beliefs about God are enshrined in the doctrine of monotheistic Trinitarianism, which holds that the three persons of the trinity are distinct but all of the same indivisible essence, meaning that the Father is God, the Holy Spirit is God, and the Son is God, yet there is one God as there is one indivisible essence.^[39][41][42] These mainstream Christian doctrines were largely formulated at the Council of Nicaea and are enshrined in the Nicene Creed.^[39][41][42] The Trinitarian view emphasizes that God has a will, and that God the Son has two natures, divine and human, though these are never in conflict but joined in the hypostatic union.^[39][41][42]

In the belief system held by the Christian churches that adhere to the Latter Day Saint movement and most Mormon denominations, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), the term God refers to Elohim (God the Father),^[43][44] whereas Godhead means a council of three distinct gods: Elohim (the Eternal Father), Jehovah (God the Son, Jesus Christ), and the Holy Ghost, in a Non-trinitarian conception of the Godhead.^[43][44] The Father and Son have perfected, material bodies, while the Holy Ghost is a spirit and does not have a body.^[43][44] This differs significantly from mainstream Christian Trinitarianism; in Mormonism, the three persons are considered to be physically separate beings, or personages, but united in will and purpose.^[43][44][45] As such, the term Godhead differs from how it is used in mainstream Christianity.^[44][43] This description of God represents the orthodoxy of the LDS Church, established early in the 19th century.^[44]

A small minority of Christians, largely coming under the heading of Unitarianism, hold Non-trinitarian conceptions of God.

Part of a series on Islam
Allah (God in Islam)
Allah Jalla Jalālah in Arabic calligraphy
Theology Allah Names Attributes Phrases and expressions Islam (religion) Throne of God Sufi metaphysics Theology Schools of Islamic theology Oneness Kalam Anthropomorphism and corporealism
Expressions and phrases Tasbih (Subhan Allah) Takbir (Allahu Akbar) Hamd (Praise) Shahada Basmala Hawqala Ta'awwudh Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un Allahumma Be, and it is
Terms Shirk (polytheism) Iman (belief) Ihsan (development) Nifaq (hypocrisy) Kufr (disobidience/denial) Ta'til (denial of divine attributes) Tanzih (transcendance) Bila Kayf Tafwid
Scripture Quran Al-Ikhlas Throne Verse Verse of Light Al-Mu'awwidhatayn Hadith Qudsi
Others Inshallah Mashallah Alhamdulillah Jazakallah Istighfar Fi sabilillah Al-Ism al-A'zam Dhikr Ghaib Ilah
Islam portal • Category
v t e

In Islam, God (Allah) (Arabic: ٱلل‍َّٰه, romanized: Allāh, IPA: [ɑɫˈɫɑː(h)] ^ⓘ, lit. "the God")^[6] is the supreme being, all-powerful and all-knowing creator, sustainer, ordainer, and judge of the universe.^[6][46][47] Islam puts a heavy emphasis on the conceptualization of God as strictly singular (tawhid).^[6][48] He is considered to be unique (wahid) and inherently one (ahad), all-merciful and omnipotent.^[6][49] According to the Quran, there are 99 Names of God (al-asma al-husna, lit. meaning: "The best names") each of which evoke a distinct characteristic of God.^[50][51] All these names refer to Allah, considered to be the supreme and all-comprehensive divine Arabic name.^[6][52] Among the 99 names of God, the most famous and most frequent of these names are "the Entirely Merciful" (al-Rahman) and "the Especially Merciful" (al-Rahim).^[50][51]

Islam rejects the doctrine of the Incarnation and the notion of a personal God as anthropomorphic, because it is seen as demeaning to the transcendence of God. The Quran prescribes the fundamental transcendental criterion in the following verses: "The Lord of the heavens and the earth and what is between them, so serve Him and be patient in His service. Do you know any one equal to Him?" (19:65); "(He is) the Creator of the heavens and the earth: there is nothing whatever like unto Him, and He is the One that hears and sees (all things)" (42:11); "And there is none comparable unto Him" (112:4). Therefore, Islam strictly rejects all forms of anthropomorphism and anthropopathism of the concept of God, and thus categorically rejects the Christian concept of the Trinity or division of persons in the Godhead.^[53][54]

Muslims believe that Allah is the same God worshipped by the members of the Abrahamic religions that preceded Islam, i.e. Judaism and Christianity (29:46).^[55] Creation and ordering of the universe is seen as an act of prime mercy for which all creatures sing his glories and bear witness to his unity and lordship. According to the Quran: "No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision. He is above all comprehension, yet is acquainted with all things" (6:103).^[47] Similarly to Jews, Muslims explicitly reject the divinity of Jesus and don't believe in him as the incarnated God or Son of God, but instead consider him a human prophet and the promised Messiah sent by God, although the Islamic tradition itself is not unanimous on the question of Jesus' death and afterlife.^[56][57][58]

Part of a series on the
Baháʼí Faith
Central figures Baháʼu'lláh The Báb ʻAbdu'l-Bahá
Basics Teachings Unity of God Unity of humanity Unity of religion Laws Prayer Calendar Nineteen Day Feast
Key scripture Kitáb-i-Aqdas Kitáb-i-Íqán The Hidden Words Some Answered Questions Other Texts
Institutions Covenant of Baháʼu'lláh Administrative Order The Guardianship Universal House of Justice Spiritual Assemblies
History Baháʼí history Timeline Bábism Persecution
People Shoghi Effendi Hands of the Cause Apostles Other Baháʼís Bábis Letters of the Living Mullá Husayn Táhirih
Places House of Worship Shrine of Baháʼu'lláh Qiblih Shrine of the Báb Síyáh-Chál World Centre Pilgrimage Haifa Acre
Other topics Tasjil Socioeconomic development Progressive revelation Cosmology Symbols Homosexuality Gender Science Prophecies Statistics Orthography
Category
v t e

The writings of the Baháʼí Faith describe a monotheistic, personal, inaccessible, omniscient, omnipresent, imperishable, and almighty God who is the creator of all things in the universe.^{[59][60]: 106} The existence of God and the universe is thought to be eternal, without a beginning or end.^[61]

Though transcendent and inaccessible directly,^{[62]: 438–446} God is nevertheless seen as conscious of the creation,^{[62]: 438–446} with a will and purpose that is expressed through messengers recognized in the Baháʼí Faith as the Manifestations of God^[60]: 106 (all the Jewish prophets, Zoroaster, Krishna, Gautama Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, the Báb, and ultimately Baháʼu'lláh).^{[62]: 438–446} The purpose of the creation is for the created to have the capacity to know and love its creator,^[60]: 111 through such methods as prayer, reflection, and being of service to humankind.^[63] God communicates his will and purpose to humanity through his intermediaries, the prophets and messengers who have founded various world religions from the beginning of humankind up to the present day,^{[60]: 107–108 [62]: 438–446} and will continue to do so in the future.^{[62]: 438–446}

The Manifestations of God reflect divine attributes, which are creations of God made for the purpose of spiritual enlightenment, onto the physical plane of existence.^[64] In the Baháʼí view, all physical beings reflect at least one of these attributes, and the human soul can potentially reflect all of them.^[65] The Baháʼí conception of God rejects all pantheistic, anthropomorphic, and incarnationist beliefs about God.^[60]: 106

• Betz, Arnold Gottfried (2000). "Monotheism". In Freedman, David Noel; Myer, Allen C. (eds.). Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans. pp. 916–917. ISBN 978-90-5356-503-2.
• Bremer, Thomas S. (2015). "Abrahamic religions". Formed From This Soil: An Introduction to the Diverse History of Religion in America. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 19–20. ISBN 978-1-4051-8927-9. LCCN 2014030507. S2CID 127980793.
• Bulliet, Richard W. (2015). "Islamo-Christian Civilization". In Blidstein, Moshe; Silverstein, Adam J.; Stroumsa, Guy G. (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of the Abrahamic Religions. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 109–120. doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199697762.013.6. ISBN 978-0-19-969776-2. LCCN 2014960132. S2CID 170430270.
• Byrne, Máire (2011). The Names of God in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: A Basis for Interfaith Dialogue. London: Continuum International. ISBN 978-1-44116-3-417. LCCN 2010050008.
• Christiano, Kevin J.; Kivisto, Peter; Swatos, William H. Jr., eds. (2015) [2002]. "Excursus on the History of Religions". Sociology of Religion: Contemporary Developments (3rd ed.). Walnut Creek, California: AltaMira Press. pp. 254–255. doi:10.2307/3512222. ISBN 978-1-4422-1691-4. JSTOR 3512222. LCCN 2001035412. S2CID 154932078.
• Cohen, Charles L. (2020). The Abrahamic Religions: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-065434-4. LCCN 2019950996.
• Day, John (2002). Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses of Canaan. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament: Supplement Series. Vol. 265. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press. doi:10.2307/3217888. ISBN 978-0-567-53783-6. JSTOR 3217888. S2CID 161791734.
• Hayes, Christine (2012). "Understanding Biblical Monotheism". Introduction to the Bible. The Open Yale Courses Series. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. pp. 15–28. ISBN 9780300181791. JSTOR j.ctt32bxpm.6.
• Hughes, Aaron W. (2012). "What Are "Abrahamic Religions"?". Abrahamic Religions: On the Uses and Abuses of History. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 15–33. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199934645.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-993464-5. S2CID 157815976.
• Niehr, Herbert (1995). "The Rise of YHWH in Judahite and Israelite Religion: Methodological and Religio-Historical Aspects". In Edelman, Diana Vikander (ed.). The Triumph of Elohim: From Yahwisms to Judaisms. Leuven: Peeters Publishers. pp. 45–72. ISBN 978-90-5356-503-2. OCLC 33819403.
• Ratzinger, Joseph (2004) [1968]. "Part One: God – Chapter II: The Biblical Belief in God". Introduction to Christianity (2nd Revised ed.). San Francisco: Ignatius Press. pp. 116–136. ISBN 9781586170295. LCCN 2004103523. S2CID 169456327.
• Reynolds, Gabriel S. (2020). "God of the Bible and the Qur'an". Allah: God in the Qurʾān. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. pp. 203–253. doi:10.2307/j.ctvxkn7q4. ISBN 978-0-300-24658-2. JSTOR j.ctvxkn7q4. LCCN 2019947014. S2CID 226129509.
• Römer, Thomas (2015). The Invention of God. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. doi:10.4159/9780674915732. ISBN 978-0-674-50497-4. JSTOR j.ctvjsf3qb. S2CID 170740919.
• Smith, Mark S. (2017). "YHWH's Original Character: Questions about an Unknown God". In Van Oorschot, Jürgen; Witten, Markus (eds.). The Origins of Yahwism. Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft. Vol. 484. Berlin and Boston: De Gruyter. pp. 23–44. doi:10.1515/9783110448221-002. ISBN 978-3-11-042538-3. S2CID 187378834.
• Van der Toorn, Karel (1999). "God (I)". In Van der Toorn, Karel; Becking, Bob; Van der Horst, Pieter W. (eds.). Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible (2nd ed.). Leiden: Brill Publishers. pp. 352–365. doi:10.1163/2589-7802_DDDO_DDDO_Godi. ISBN 978-90-04-11119-6.
• Van der Horst, Pieter W. (1999). "God (II)". In Van der Toorn, Karel; Becking, Bob; Van der Horst, Pieter W. (eds.). Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible (2nd ed.). Leiden: Brill Publishers. pp. 365–370. doi:10.1163/2589-7802_DDDO_DDDO_Godii. ISBN 978-90-04-11119-6.

• Abulafia, Anna Sapir (23 September 2019). "The Abrahamic religions". www.bl.uk. London: British Library. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
• Amzallag, Nissim (August 2018). "Metallurgy, the Forgotten Dimension of Ancient Yahwism". The Bible and Interpretation. University of Arizona. Archived from the original on 26 July 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
• Gaster, Theodor H. (26 November 2020). "Biblical Judaism (20th–4th century BCE)". Encyclopædia Britannica. Edinburgh: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved 28 December 2020.