The Problem of “God”: Personal, Impersonal, Transcendent, Imminent?

If a new view of Divinity is to become universally accepted throughout the world, the problem of a “God” that is personal to some, impersonal to others, transcendent to some, and immanent to others, must be finally sorted out. Bearing in mind that the three “Religions of the Book” — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — all take their standpoint on the foundation provided by Hebrew biblical tradition (itself founded on earlier sacred traditions), we can make a start by understanding where and why these actually differ without actually understanding why.

Both Christianity and Islam hold firmly to the idea of the “First Cause” as synonymous with the “One God” who is supposedly the “Creator of All,” whereas ancient philosophy (even long before the Alexandrian gnostics) saw this as fundamentally illogical. To the latter, that which created a world or universe in which imperfections and evils of all sorts were self-­evidently rampant could not be either perfect or ultimately “Good.” Therefore, that aspect of Divinity that was only partial in its nature was also logically imperfect. Hence, the insistence by Judaic theology that its God was the sole Creator persuaded the Alexandrian gnostics — who had already otherwise completely misinterpreted its function — to regard it as evil.

Misconceptions About Each Religion's Deity

The Problem of “God”: Personal, Impersonal, Transcendent, Imminent?The other curiosity is that Judaism is commonly regarded as monotheistic. The fact that it believes in only one god — that is, the tribal “God of Israel” — does not actually render it monotheistic in the commonly accepted sense adopted by Christians and Moslems, or otherwise by general public interpretation and acknowledgment.

Modern orthodox Judaism does not understand its own Deity, while both Christianity and Islam have a complete misconception about theirs as well, each supposedly in its own favor. This altogether ludicrous situation, however, forms the very basis of all Western and much Middle-Eastern religious belief, both of which are essentially self-blinded in nature, through their own philosophical ignorance.

Having said all this, it would be frankly absurd to imagine that the forthcoming New Age is suddenly going to see the end of all devotion to a Deity. Those of a naturally humanistic tendency and those with the benefit of esoteric training will undoubtedly do so on the basis of understanding that an infinitude of celestial hierarchies of greater and greater Intelligence does not constitute an ultimate God figure. However, the vast majority of the world’s population will not fit into either of these categories and will therefore seek a continuing focus for their religious observances, certainly still orientated toward a “personal” God.


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The blind belief inherent in all orthodox (i.e., purely devotional) religion must thus come to an end, and it is here that the general adoption of science (or rather, of scientifically and esoterically orientated philosophy) must inevitably play a major, reconstructive part, although not in an atheistic sense. It will do so by confirming in ever-increasing detail that the universe is guided and maintained by an intelligently disciplined order, which necessitates the existence of moderation and sharing in all areas of life. It will also confirm the existence of a universal spectrum of Divine Intelligence quite distinct from the presumed Deity of theologians and the “gods” of untutored native belief.

This progress is already well under way because mainstream science itself is at a point where it cannot resolve its many current paradoxes with merely materialistic reasoning. Similarly, the merely devotional approach of orthodox religion is already seen to be widely in denial of straightforward reason, while positive ecumenism is simultaneously on the rise.

©2013 by J. S. Gordon. All Rights Reserved.
Reprinted with permission of Inner Traditions, Inc.
www.innertraditions.com


This article was adapted from the book:

The Path of Initiation: Spiritual Evolution and the Restoration of the Western Mystery Tradition
by J. S. Gordon.

The Path of Initiation: Spiritual Evolution and the Restoration of the Western Mystery Tradition by J. S. Gordon.As the precessional cycle transits from Pisces to Aquarius, great shifts in spiritual evolution are on the horizon for those who have undertaken the necessary spiritual preparation and initiatory work. We are part of the overall evolutionary process of Nature, a system guided by the most highly evolved Adepts and extending beyond Earth to the entire kosmos.

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About the Author

J. S. Gordon, author of: The Path of InitiationJ. S. Gordon (1946-2013) held a master’s degree in Western Esotericism from the University of Exeter and was a senior fellow of the Theosophical Society of England, where he lectured on ancient history and metaphysics. Known for his in-depth knowledge on the ancient Egyptian mystical tradition, he wrote several books, including The Path of Initiation and Land of the Fallen Star Gods.