Editing Divinity

{{short description|Related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity}}
{{redirect|Divine|other uses|Divinity (disambiguation)|and|Divine (disambiguation)}}
[[File:Isaac Oliver Elizabeth I and the Three Goddesses.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|''Elizabeth I and the Three Goddesses'' ([[Juno (mythology)|Juno]], [[Minerva]], and [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]]), by [[Isaac Oliver]], {{circa|1558}}]]
{{Spirituality sidebar}}
'''Divinity''' (from Latin {{lang|la|divinitas}}) refers to the quality, presence, or nature of that which is '''divine'''—a term that, before the rise of [[monotheism]], evoked a broad and dynamic field of sacred power. In the [[Classical antiquity|ancient world]], divinity was not limited to a single [[deity]] or abstract ideal but was recognized in multiple forms: as a [[Divine radiance|radiant]] attribute possessed by gods, as a [[vital force]] pervading [[nature]], and even as a quality glimpsed in extraordinary humans, laws, or acts. The Latin {{lang|la|divinitas}} and its Greek counterparts ({{lang|grc|theiotēs}}, {{lang|grc|theion}}) conveyed something both immanent and awe-inspiring: a presence that could be felt in [[List of thunder deities#Greco-Roman|thunder]], [[Dike (mythology)|justice]], [[Ecstasy (emotion)|ecstasy]], [[Moirai|fate]], or [[List of beauty deities#Greek|beauty]].

Among the [[Ancient Greece|Greeks]] and [[Ancient Rome|Romans]], divinity was not confined to a rigid theological system. Gods, heroes, and even emperors might be described as partaking in divinity, just as natural forces or [[Virtus|virtue]] could be seen as expressions of '''divine essence'''. Philosophers such as [[Plato]] and the [[Stoics]] used the term to refer to the [[Anima mundi|soul of the cosmos]] or the [[Logos|rational order]] of the universe, while ritual and myth depicted the divine in vivid ways. To call something divine was not always to worship it as a god, but to acknowledge its participation in a higher, sacred order.

[[Early Christianity]] inherited this language but dramatically reshaped it. With the rise of theological monotheism, divinity came increasingly to denote the singular and absolute nature of [[God in Christianity|God]]. The Christianization of the term narrowed its field: what had once described a quality diffused across nature, fate, and [[Polytheism|multiple gods]] was now claimed exclusively for the creator God and, later, extended to Christ and the [[Holy Spirit]] through doctrines of the [[Trinity]]. Over time, this led to a sharper boundary between the divine and the human, the sacred and the profane.

In contemporary usage, divinity most commonly refers either to a deity (especially in monotheistic traditions) or to a transcendent power associated with [[sacredness]], [[Artistic inspiration|inspiration]], or spiritual authority. The term may describe the essential nature of God, as well as [[religious experience]]s, beings, or principles considered beyond ordinary human life. Outside formal religion, divinity is sometimes used in philosophical or metaphorical contexts, where it retains associations with elevated or ultimate significance.

== Etymology and conceptual range ==
The English word ''divinity'' derives from the Latin term {{lang|la|divinitas}}, which itself stems from {{lang|la|divinus}}, meaning "of a god" or "divine". The Latin root echoes similar concepts in Greek, notably {{transliteration|grc|theiotēs}} ({{lang|grc|θειότης}}) and {{transliteration|grc|theion}} ({{lang|grc|τὸ θεῖον}}), both of which convey a sense of sacred power, majesty, or godlike essence.{{sfnmp|1a1=Bauer|1y=2010|2a1=Audi|2y=2015}}

In pre-Christian [[Greco-Roman religion]], divinity was widely understood as a diffuse and dynamic force rather than a fixed identity. The divine could manifest through natural phenomena—such as thunder, sunlight, or fertility—or through human actions exemplifying justice, courage, or beauty.{{sfnmp|1a1=Dodds|1y=1951|2a1=Burkert|2y=1985}} The word {{lang|la|divinitas}} might be used of a god, a spirit, a concept like fate, or even an [[Roman Emperors|Emperor]], reflecting a worldview in which divine qualities permeated multiple layers of existence.{{sfnmp|1a1=Beard|1a2=North|1a3=Price|1y=1998|2a1=Ando|2y=2008}}

This conceptual range extended into early philosophical usage. [[Plato]] described {{lang|grc|theion}} in relation to the [[Form of the Good]], associating it with the source of truth and intelligibility.{{sfnp|Sedley|2007}} For the [[Stoics]], the divine was understood as a rational and animating principle that pervaded the cosmos, often identified with {{transliteration|grc|[[logos]]}} or nature itself.{{sfnp|Long|1986}} In such traditions, divinity was not only [[Transcendence (religion)|transcendent]] but also deeply [[Immanence|immanent]], present in the order and structure of the world.

== In classical antiquity ==
In classical antiquity, the divine was not conceived as wholly separate from the world but was instead embedded within it. [[Deity|Gods]], [[hero|heroes]], natural forces, [[abstract concepts]], and even [[imperial cult|exemplary humans]] could all be considered partakers in or bearers of divinity. The term {{lang|la|divinitas}} in Latin and its Greek equivalents were applied not only to deities like [[Jupiter (mythology)|Jupiter]] or [[Athena]], but also to phenomena such as [[Moirai|fate]] ({{transliteration|grc|moira}}) or [[Dike (mythology)|justice]] ({{transliteration|grc|dike}}).{{sfnmp|1a1=Beard|1a2=North|1a3=Price|1y=1998|2a1=Versnel|2y=2011}}

[[Religion in ancient Rome|Public religion]] in both [[Ancient Greece]] and [[Ancient Rome]] involved a complex interplay between civic life and sacred presence. Gods were not remote; they were part of the [[polis]], honored in [[temples]], festivals, and [[rituals]] that affirmed their power and proximity. [[Roman emperor|Emperors]] in Rome, for instance, could be described as having [[numen]] or even {{lang|la|divinitas}}, indicating a recognized form of divine power or sanction rather than full [[apotheosis|deification]].{{sfnmp|1a1=Lane Fox|1y=1987|2a1=Ando|2y=2008}}

Divinity also permeated the [[Nature|natural world]]. Rivers, mountains, stars, and weather were thought to express divine will or presence. This fluid understanding allowed for multiple overlapping expressions of the divine across the physical and social world.{{sfnp|Burkert|1985}} In this context, [[sacrifice]], [[divination]], and [[augury]] were not merely symbolic acts but means of communication with divine forces that shaped the rhythms of life.{{sfnmp|1a1=Beard|1a2=North|1a3=Price|1y=1998|2a1=Versnel|2y=2011}}

[[Mystery religion|Mystery cults]] and regional traditions added further dimensions to ancient understandings of divinity. Figures such as [[Dionysus]] or [[Isis]] embodied divine realities experienced through [[ritual initiation]], [[religious ecstasy|ecstasy]], and [[spiritual transformation]]. These cults often emphasized personal encounters with the divine, in contrast to the more public and civic nature of traditional [[Religion in ancient Rome|state religion]].{{sfnmp|1a1=Dodds|1y=1951|2a1=Burkert|2y=1985}}

In addition to gods and natural forces, the Greeks also recognized a class of intermediate beings known as {{transliteration|grc|daimones}} ({{lang|grc|δαίμονες}}), whose roles ranged from protective spirits to agents of fate. Originally understood as morally neutral or even benevolent, a {{transliteration|grc|[[daimōn]]}} could denote a divine presence or inspiration not fully personified as a god. Philosophers such as [[Socrates]] described their personal {{transliteration|grc|daimōnion}} as a kind of guiding voice or spiritual influence.<ref>Plato, ''[[Apology (Plato)|Apology]]'' 31d–32a; cf. {{harvp|Dodds|1951}}.</ref> As [[E. R. Dodds]] noted, the {{transliteration|grc|daimōn}} represented an "impersonal agency" often closer to fate or inward inspiration than to anthropomorphic deity. Only later, under Christian influence, did {{transliteration|grc|daimōn}} become associated with malevolent demons—a reinterpretation that obscured its original connection to divinity.{{sfnmp|1a1=Dodds|1y=1951|2a1=Versnel|2y=2011}}

== Philosophical and theological reflections ==
Ancient philosophy developed increasingly abstract conceptions of divinity, seeking to understand the nature of the divine beyond anthropomorphic gods. For [[Plato]], the divine was not confined to the traditional pantheon but was associated with the eternal and unchanging [[Form of the Good]]—the highest reality and source of truth, intelligibility, and order.{{sfnp|Sedley|2007}} The divine, in this framework, was radically transcendent but also the ultimate cause and goal of all existence.

Later [[Middle Platonism]] and [[Neoplatonism]] extended this abstraction. In the writings of [[Plotinus]], the divine was identified with the ineffable [[One (Neoplatonism)|One]], from which all reality emanates in hierarchical stages. Divinity, in this view, was not a person or force but the source of being itself. Below the One were successive layers of reality: the [[Nous]], the [[Anima mundi|World Soul]], and the material world. Each stage retained something of the divine, though to lesser degrees.{{sfnmp|1a1=Johnston|1y=2011|2a1=Shaw|2a2=Milbank|2y=2014}}

[[Stoicism|The Stoics]] offered a contrasting, more immanent view. For them, the divine was not separate from nature but identical with it—expressed as {{transliteration|grc|[[logos]]}}, the rational principle that ordered the cosmos. Every part of the universe, including the human soul, participated in this divine reason.{{sfnp|Long|1986}} Stoic ethics were grounded in living according to this divine nature, aligning the individual will with the cosmic order.

These philosophical developments interacted with evolving religious traditions. In [[Hellenistic religion]], philosophical conceptions of the divine coexisted with traditional cultic practices and new forms of personal piety. Ideas about divine immanence, transcendence, and [[Great chain of being|hierarchical being]] shaped how [[mystery religion]]s, [[astrology]], and theurgy were interpreted and practiced.{{sfnmp|1a1=Versnel|1y=2011|2a1=Marmodoro|2a2=Viltanioti|2y=2017}}

In [[Gnosticism]], emerging in the same intellectual milieu as Middle Platonism and Neoplatonism, a radical reinterpretation of divinity developed. In many Gnostic systems, true divinity was wholly transcendent and unknowable—often called the ''[[Pleroma]]'' or ''Invisible Spirit''—while the visible world was the flawed creation of a lesser being, the [[Demiurge]], ignorant of the higher realms. This [[cosmological dualism]] recast divine hierarchy not as a continuum of emanation but as a rupture between divine fullness and cosmic error. Gnostic texts such as the ''[[Apocryphon of John|Secret Book of John]]'' describe the soul’s entrapment in materiality and its path of ascent through layers of hostile [[archon]]s, aided by inner revelation (''[[gnosis]]'') and the remembrance of its [[divine spark]].{{sfnmp|1a1=Jonas|1y=1992|2a1=Davies|2y=2012}} In this view, divinity was present as a spark within the human being, a fragment of the higher world seeking return.{{sfnp|Rudolph|2001}}

The elasticity of the concept also allowed for overlap between divine beings and metaphysical principles. [[Theurgy]], as practiced by [[Neoplatonism|Neoplatonists]] like [[Iamblichus]], emphasized ritual engagement with divine intelligences, asserting that divine powers could be invoked and experienced through specific acts.{{sfnp|Shaw|Milbank|2014}} Gnostic traditions likewise incorporated theurgical elements—especially in their use of invocations, names of power, and visionary ascent texts—to transcend the material realm and rejoin the divine source.{{sfnp|DeConick|Shaw|Turner|2013}} In such contexts, ritual was not merely symbolic but transformative. Through prescribed invocations, visualizations, and gestures, practitioners sought a form of [[ritual identification]] with divine powers, temporarily embodying aspects of the divine as a means of ascent or union.{{sfnp|Shaw|Milbank|2014}}

By late antiquity, such reflections had laid the groundwork for later [[Christian theology]], [[Islamic philosophy]], and [[Jewish mysticism]], all of which engaged with and reinterpreted these classical philosophical insights into the nature of the divine.{{sfnp|Armstrong|2004}}

== Transformation in early Christianity ==
[[File:Alexandr Ivanov 015.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|''Transfiguration'' by [[Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov|Alexandr Ivanov]], 1824]]
The Christian reconfiguration of divinity cannot be understood apart from the theological developments of [[Second Temple Judaism]]. During this period, Jewish thought increasingly emphasized the singular and transcendent nature of [[Yahweh|God]], in contrast to the [[Polytheism|polytheism]] of surrounding cultures. Although the [[Hebrew Bible]] includes references to divine beings—such as [[angel]]s, the [[Elohim]], and the [[Heavenly host|heavenly hosts]]—[[Jewish philosophy]] came to insist that only the God of Israel was truly divine.{{sfnmp|1a1=Wright|1y=2003|2a1=Young|2y=2013}}

At the same time, certain Jewish texts introduced intermediary figures such as [[Chokhmah|Wisdom]] ({{lang|he|חָכְמָה}}, {{transliteration|he|Ḥokhmāh}}), the [[Logos]], and the [[Son of Man]]—portrayed in works like [[1 Enoch]], the [[Book of Daniel]], and the [[Wisdom of Solomon]]. These figures served as vehicles for divine action and presence without threatening strict [[Monotheism|monotheism]]. This layered view of divinity helped lay the groundwork for early [[Christian theology]].{{sfnmp|1a1=Wright|1y=2003|2a1=Young|2y=2013}}

The rise of [[Christianity]] introduced a profound transformation in the concept of divinity. Drawing on both Second Temple Judaism and Greco-Roman philosophy, early Christian thinkers redefined the divine not as a plural or diffused power but as the singular and transcendent being of [[God in Christianity|God]]. This theological shift placed greater emphasis on divine unity, omnipotence, and moral perfection.{{sfnmp|1a1=Johnston|1y=2011|2a1=Hart|2y=2013}}

Central to this transformation was the assertion of the [[divinity of Jesus]]. Early Christians believed that Jesus, though fully human, also shared in the divine nature. This radical claim provoked intense theological debate, especially over how divinity could be reconciled with humanity. In the fourth century, the [[First Council of Nicaea|Council of Nicaea]] (325 CE) affirmed that Christ was {{transliteration|grc|[[homoousios]]}} ("of the same substance") with the Father, a term drawn from Greek metaphysics to assert full equality within the Trinity.{{sfnmp|1a1=Williams|1y=2002|2a1=Young|2y=2013}}

The doctrine of the [[Trinity]]—Father, Son, and [[Holy Spirit]] as three persons sharing one divine essence—emerged as a core feature of Christian theology, marking a significant departure from earlier polytheistic and philosophical models. Christian thinkers such as [[Athanasius]], [[Gregory of Nyssa]], and [[Augustine of Hippo]] worked to articulate a divine unity that preserved distinct personal identities without division.{{sfnmp|1a1=Young|1y=2013|2a1=Williams|2y=2018}}

In this context, divinity came to denote not a quality diffused through nature or cosmos but the essential being of the Creator. The divine was no longer immanent in rivers, stars, or fate, but radically transcendent, revealed through [[revelation]], [[incarnation]], and [[sacrament]].{{sfnmp|1a1=Wright|1y=2003|2a1=Hart|2y=2013}} At the same time, [[mystical theology]] and sacramental theology preserved a sense of divine presence operating within the world, particularly through the [[Eucharist]] and the [[Holy Spirit]].

The Christianization of the concept also reshaped language. The Greek term {{transliteration|grc|theiotēs}}—used in earlier texts for divine quality—was absorbed into Christian scripture and doctrine, as in [[Romans 1:20]], where it refers to God's "eternal power and divinity."{{sfnp|Bauer|2010}} The Latin {{lang|la|divinitas}} likewise narrowed in scope, now primarily describing the being of God and, derivatively, that of Christ and the Spirit.

In sum, early Christianity both inherited and redefined classical ideas of divinity, recasting them within a monotheistic and doctrinal framework that would shape theological discourse for centuries.

== Mystical and medieval views ==
[[File:Hildegard von Bingen.jpg|thumb|[[Hildegard von Bingen]] receives a divine inspiration and passes it on to her scribe]]
In both Christian and non-Christian traditions, divinity has often been understood not only as a theological proposition but as a reality encountered through [[mysticism]], vision, or ecstatic experience. These encounters are frequently described as ''praeternatural''—beyond ordinary nature but not necessarily supernatural in a transcendent or theistic sense.{{sfnmp|1a1=Zaehner|1y=1957|2a1=Otto|2y=1958}}

In [[Christian mysticism]], figures such as [[Hildegard of Bingen]], [[Mechthild of Magdeburg]], [[Meister Eckhart]], and [[Julian of Norwich]] described divine presence in terms that transcend rational theology: as an ineffable union, a luminous darkness, a radiant harmony,{{sfnp|King-Lenzmeier|2001}} or what Eckhart called the ''[[Ground of the Soul]]''—a silent depth where divinity and the self are one.{{sfnp|Otto|1958}} Hildegard articulated her visionary theology through music and illuminations, describing the divine as "Living Light" and the world as shot through with divine vitality.{{sfnp|Flanagan|1989}}

[[File:The Cloud of Unknowing (Harley 2373 ).jpg|thumb|left|The first page of Cloud of Unknowing in the 15th century manuscript Harley MS 2373]]

Another voice was that of the ''[[Book of the 24 Philosophers]]'', a 12th-century anonymous text offering cryptic, metaphysical definitions of divinity such as "God is an infinite sphere whose center is everywhere and circumference nowhere."{{sfnp|Eco|1988}} These definitions were meditated upon throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance, influencing [[Hermeticists]] and [[Christian humanists]] alike.

These currents of mystical theology culminate in texts like the 14th-century ''[[The Cloud of Unknowing]]'', which urges the contemplative to abandon all concepts and dwell in a "cloud" of forgetting and unknowing, through which love alone may reach God.{{sfnp|Gallacher|1997}} Such writings reflect a broader medieval tradition of [[apophatic theology]], or the {{lang|la|via negativa}}, where the divine is approached not through assertions but through negation, paradox, and silence.{{sfnmp|1a1=Turner|1y=1995|2a1=Hart|2y=2013}}

Meanwhile, more systematic theological reflections were offered by scholastic thinkers such as [[Thomas Aquinas]], who defined God as {{lang|la|[[ipsum esse subsistens]]}}—the very act of being itself. For Aquinas, God is both radically transcendent and immanently present, knowable through natural reason yet exceeding all conceptual grasp. Aquinas's synthesis of Aristotelian metaphysics and Christian doctrine represented a high point of medieval intellectual theology.{{sfnmp|1a1=Eco|1y=1988|2a1=Grant|2y=2001}}

[[Umberto Eco]] observed that medieval thought did not regard God as merely the conclusion of a logical system, but as the principle of harmony, proportion, and illumination that permeated all levels of reality—from grammar and rhetoric to cosmology.{{sfnp|Eco|2002}} For medieval thinkers, the divine was not just a theological abstraction but the very pattern by which the world was ordered and intelligible.
{{clear}}

== Modern and secular use ==
In modern philosophy and secular discourse, the concept of divinity has been reinterpreted, challenged, and, in some contexts, retained in metaphorical or symbolic form. [[Age of Enlightenment]] critiques of [[theism]] and [[revelation]] prompted many thinkers to redefine or discard traditional notions of divine agency. At the same time, the idea of “the divine” persisted as a way to speak about ultimate concerns, [[Transcendence (philosophy)|transcendence]], or the horizon of meaning.{{sfnmp|1a1=Johnston|1y=2011|2a1=Taylor|2y=2018}}

Some modern philosophers, such as [[Immanuel Kant]], relegated knowledge of the divine to the realm of [[practical reason]], arguing that moral obligation points toward the postulation of God, though God cannot be known through speculative reason. Others, like [[Friedrich Schleiermacher]], emphasized religious feeling as a sense of the infinite, shifting the ground of divinity from doctrine to experience.{{sfnp|Armstrong|2009}}

In [[depth psychology]], particularly in the work of [[Carl Gustav Jung]], divinity is approached not as an external being but as a central archetype within the [[collective unconscious]]. Jung interpreted the divine as a symbol of the Self—the totality of the [[Psyche (psychology)|psyche]]—which often appears in dreams and visions as luminous, [[numinous]] figures. His model emphasized the psychological necessity of religious imagery, arguing that symbolic representations of divinity serve to mediate the integration of unconscious contents into consciousness.{{sfnmp|1a1=Jung|1y=1969|2a1=Stein|2y=1998}} This approach reframed traditional theological questions in terms of inner experience and individuation, influencing fields ranging from theology to comparative religion.

In the twentieth century, theologians such as [[Paul Tillich]] described God as the "[[Paul Tillich#God as the ground of being|ground of being]]" rather than a being among others, influencing post-theistic and [[existential theology]].{{sfnp|Hart|2013}} Philosophers such as [[Charles Taylor (philosopher)|Charles Taylor]] and [[Mark Johnston (philosopher)|Mark Johnston]] have explored how secular modernity continues to be shaped by religious categories, even as explicit belief declines. In this view, divinity may refer less to a supernatural entity than to what commands awe, love, or ethical seriousness in a disenchanted world.{{sfnmp|1a1=Taylor|1y=2018|2a1=Johnston|2y=2011}}

In sum, modern and secular philosophies have neither wholly abandoned nor wholly retained ancient conceptions of divinity. Instead, they have recast the divine in terms of value, depth, and existential orientation—often preserving its affective and symbolic power while detaching it from metaphysical or doctrinal claims.

== Contemporary usage ==
In contemporary usage, the term ''divinity'' continues to serve multiple roles across religious, philosophical, and cultural contexts. In mainstream [[Christianity]], [[Islam]], and [[Judaism]], divinity is most often associated with the singular, transcendent being of [[God]], understood as omnipotent, omniscient, and morally perfect. In [[theology]], it refers to God's essential nature or substance—especially in discussions of [[Trinitarianism]] or [[Attributes of God (disambiguation)|divine attributes]].{{sfnmp|1a1=Hart|1y=2013|2a1=Williams|2y=2018}}

Beyond formal religion, the term is often used more broadly to describe a quality of sacredness, inspiration, or ultimate significance. In many forms of [[spirituality]], particularly within the [[New Age]] and [[ecospirituality]] movements, divinity may be conceived as immanent in the cosmos, nature, or the self. The phrase "the divine" can refer to a felt presence, a source of inner transformation, or a principle of harmony and connection.{{sfnmp|1a1=Armstrong|1y=2009|2a1=Taylor|2y=2018}}

[[Modern pagan]] and [[Wiccan views of divinity]] are often expressed through [[duotheism]], a theological structure that emphasizes a divine feminine (the [[Triple Goddess (Neopaganism)|Goddess]]) and a divine masculine (the [[Horned God]]), representing complementary cosmic forces. Scholars such as [[Ronald Hutton]] and [[Margot Adler]] have noted that Wiccan theology often blends [[polytheism]], [[pantheism]], and [[animism]], emphasizing direct religious experience and reverence for [[Nature]].{{sfnmp|1a1=Adler|1y=1986|2a1=Hutton|2y=1999}}

In academic contexts, ''divinity'' remains a key term in disciplines such as [[philosophy of religion]], [[comparative religion]], and theological studies. It is frequently examined in light of global religious diversity, cross-cultural mysticism, and changing understandings of transcendence. Universities and seminaries often use the term in institutional titles (e.g., "[[School of Divinity]]") to denote [[Divinity (academic discipline)|programs of study]] in theology, ministry, or sacred texts.{{sfnmp|1a1=Bowker|1y=2016|2a1=Audi|2y=2015}}

Popular usage of "divine" or "divinity" also extends into literature, art, and everyday speech, where it can signal aesthetic admiration, moral approval, or emotional intensity. Though sometimes metaphorical, such uses often retain a sense of elevated or awe-inspiring significance.{{sfnp|Armstrong|2009}}

== Comparative and cross-cultural perspectives ==
Across world religions, the concept of divinity encompasses a wide range of meanings, from personal gods to impersonal forces, from transcendent creators to immanent presences. In many traditions outside the Abrahamic lineage, divinity is not confined to a singular, all-powerful being but is encountered as multiple, interrelated aspects of reality.

In [[Hinduism]], divinity can be personal, as in the worship of [[Vishnu]] or [[Shiva]], or impersonal, as in the identification of the divine with [[Brahman]], the ultimate, formless ground of being. [[Tantra|Tantric traditions]] emphasize ritual embodiment and visualization as means of accessing divine power, often conceived in nondual terms.{{sfnp|Brooks|1990}}

In [[Buddhism]], although the tradition is non-theistic in its mainstream forms, certain schools—particularly in [[Vajrayana]] and [[East Asian Buddhism|East Asian traditions]]—describe states of [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|enlightenment]] using language of divine radiance, [[Luminous mind|luminosity]], or purity. The [[Dharmakaya]] or "truth body" of a [[buddha]] is sometimes compared to an all-pervasive divine principle, although without implying a creator god.{{sfnp|Fiorella|2023}}

In [[Sufism]], the mystical dimension of [[Islam]], divinity is often approached through the language of love, beauty, and yearning. The divine names and attributes are experienced as veils of the One, and the spiritual path involves remembrance (''dhikr'') and annihilation of the self (''fana'') in the divine.{{sfnp|Sharma|2012}}

Many [[indigenous religions]] and [[animist]] traditions understand divinity as an immanent presence within the natural world—rivers, trees, animals, ancestors—each bearing a spark of sacred power. Rather than separating the divine from the mundane, such traditions often treat the cosmos itself as alive and communicative.{{sfnp|Irwin|2014}}

Although theologies differ widely, a common thread across many traditions is the experience of the divine as something that both transcends and pervades reality, often described in symbolic or paradoxical language. [[Nondualism]]—the view that divinity and reality are ultimately not-two—is a recurring theme in both Eastern and Western mysticism, offering a shared framework for interpreting the sacred across cultural boundaries.{{sfnp|Sharma|2012}}

==See also==
* {{anli|Augoeides|''Augoeides''}}
* {{anli|Classical education}}
* {{anli|Divine Comedy|''Divine Comedy''}}
* {{anli|Divine countenance}}
* {{anli|Divine embodiment}}
* {{anli|Divine grace}}
* {{anli|Divine illumination}}
* {{anli|Divine intervention}}
* {{anli|Divine judgment}}
* {{anli|Divine light}}
* {{anli|Divine madness}}
* {{anli|Divine mercy}}
* {{anli|Divine presence}}
* {{anli|Divine proportion}}
* {{anli|Divine providence}}
* {{anli|Divine retribution}}
* {{anli|Divine right of kings}}
* {{anli|Divine simplicity}}
* {{anli|Divine vision}}
* {{anli|Divinization (Christian)|Divinization}}
* {{anli|Ground (Dzogchen)|Ground}}
* {{anli|Monas Hieroglyphica|''Monas Hieroglyphica''}}
* {{anli|Theophany}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

===Works cited===
{{refbegin|30em|indent=yes}}
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{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
*{{cite magazine |last=Schulz |first=Kathryn |title=Hildegard of Bingen Composes the Cosmos |magazine=The New Yorker |date=6 February 2023 |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/02/06/hildegard-of-bingen-composes-the-cosmos |access-date=2025-04-12}}
*{{Commonscatinline|Divinity}}

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[[Category:Divinity| ]]
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