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Dios

Dios is the Spanish and Portuguese word for "God", denoting the supreme or ultimate reality in monotheistic religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and analogous concepts in other traditions.^[1] The term derives from Latin deus ("god"), which traces back to Proto-Indo-European *deiwós ("celestial" or "shining one"), reflecting ancient Indo-European notions of divinity associated with the sky and light.^[2] This article examines the etymology and terminology of "Dios", its various conceptions and attributes, historical development, and interpretations across Abrahamic and other religions, as well as philosophical debates and modern views.

Etymology and Terminology

Etymology of "Dios"

The name Dios is a Latinized transliteration of the ancient Greek Δῖος (Dîos), borne by the Phoenician historian. In Greek, δῖος functions as an adjective meaning "divine," "heavenly," or "godlike," derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *dyēus (or *deiwos), signifying "sky," "bright," or "to shine"—the same root underlying the name of the god Zeus (Ζεύς).^[3] As a Phoenician writing in Greek during the Hellenistic period, Dios's name likely represents a Hellenized form of a Semitic personal name, possibly incorporating theophoric elements common in Phoenician nomenclature (e.g., references to deities like Baal or El), though no direct Phoenician equivalent survives in the historical record. The exact date and cultural context of his naming remain uncertain due to the fragmentary nature of evidence.^[4])

Names of Dios Across Traditions

The historian's name is consistently rendered as Δῖος in Greek sources, particularly in quotations by Flavius Josephus from the 1st century CE. In Latin scholarship and later translations, it appears as Dius, reflecting standard Greco-Roman transliteration practices. No variants are attested in other linguistic traditions, such as Semitic or Eastern Mediterranean texts, owing to the limited survival of Dios's work and references to him.)^[5] No content appropriate for this section in an article about the ancient historian Dios. The provided material discusses theological concepts unrelated to the subject's historical works and life.

Attributes of Dios

Little is known about the personal attributes or life of Dios, the ancient Phoenician historian, as no biographical details survive beyond his work's fragments preserved in Josephus. His historiography is characterized by reliance on native Phoenician annals, suggesting a commitment to authoritative local sources for accuracy in recording royal events, particularly those involving Tyre and interactions with Israel. Scholars note Dios's style as factual and chronological, focusing on key figures like Hiram I, without embellishment seen in later Greek histories.^[4] )

Historiographical Approach

Dios's work, Phoenician History, demonstrates attributes of precision and cultural fidelity, drawing from annals to detail events such as temple reconstructions and diplomatic exchanges. This approach underscores a neutral, record-based narrative, valuable for pre-Hellenistic Levantine history, though limited by fragmentary survival. Debates exist on the exact date of his composition, possibly 2nd century BCE, but his citations by Josephus highlight reliability in corroborating biblical accounts.^[5] No further personal or incommunicable/communicable attributes are attributable, given the scarcity of sources.

Historical Development

Ancient Polytheistic Origins

Ancient polytheistic beliefs emerged in early civilizations, featuring diverse pantheons of deities that governed natural and human affairs through hierarchical structures and anthropomorphic characteristics. In Mesopotamia, the pantheon was organized socially, with Anu positioned as the sky god and supreme father of the deities, overseeing cosmic order while exhibiting human-like emotions and roles that reflected societal hierarchies.^[6] Similarly, ancient Egyptian religion centered on a structured pantheon where Ra, the sun god, held a preeminent role as creator and daily renewer of life, often depicted in forms like a falcon or scarab that blended human and animal traits to symbolize his dominion over the cosmos.^[7] This hierarchy mirrored Egyptian social order, with major gods like Ra at the apex influencing pharaonic authority and creation myths.^[8] Greek and Roman mythologies further exemplified polytheism through Olympian assemblies led by Zeus in Greek lore, equivalent to Jupiter in Roman tradition, who ruled as king of the gods and personified natural forces such as thunder, storms, and fate via his thunderbolt and eagle symbols.^[9] Myths portrayed these deities with vivid human personalities—jealous, amorous, and vengeful—intervening in mortal lives to enforce justice or unleash cataclysms, thereby anthropomorphizing phenomena like weather and destiny.^[9] Across these traditions, gods commonly controlled domains of fate, fertility, and war, as evidenced in Mesopotamian literature like the Epic of Gilgamesh (c. 2100 BCE), where deities such as Enlil decreed human mortality and Ishtar provoked conflicts, highlighting divine whims shaping epic narratives of heroism and loss.^[10] These polytheistic systems laid groundwork for later developments, with early indicators of transition in Vedic texts exhibiting henotheism, where hymns elevate one god, such as Indra or Agni, as supreme among a multitude of others without denying their existence.^[11]

Emergence of Monotheism

The emergence of monotheism represents a pivotal shift in religious history, beginning with isolated innovations in ancient civilizations that challenged prevailing polytheistic frameworks. One of the earliest documented instances occurred in Egypt under Pharaoh Akhenaten (r. c. 1353–1336 BCE), who instituted Atenism, elevating the sun disk Aten as the exclusive deity and suppressing worship of traditional gods like Amun.^[12] This reform, enacted through royal decrees and the construction of open-air temples at Akhetaten (modern Amarna), marked the first historically attested promotion of a single god as the sole source of creation and life. The Great Hymn to the Aten, inscribed on tomb walls and likely composed under Akhenaten's patronage, extols Aten as the "sole god without equal," radiant and all-encompassing, whose rays sustain every living being without distinction.^[13] Atenism's emphasis on a transcendent, impersonal solar force as the universal creator foreshadowed later monotheistic ideals, though it collapsed shortly after Akhenaten's death, reverting Egypt to polytheism. In ancient Iran, Zoroastrianism arose during the 2nd millennium BCE, introducing Ahura Mazda as the supreme, wise lord and uncreated creator of the cosmos, who embodies truth (asha) and opposes chaos through an ethical dualism.^[14] Founded by the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra), this tradition positioned Ahura Mazda above a hierarchy of lesser divine entities (yazatas), effectively establishing a monotheistic core while acknowledging subordinate benevolent spirits. The Gathas, Zoroaster's poetic hymns in the Avesta, portray Ahura Mazda as the origin of all good, urging followers to align with divine order against the destructive force of Angra Mainyu. This framework influenced subsequent Persian imperial religion under the Achaemenid Empire (c. 550–330 BCE) and contributed to broader Near Eastern concepts of cosmic moral struggle, bridging polytheistic roots toward singular divine sovereignty.^[15] The ancient Israelites transitioned from henotheism—exclusive devotion to Yahweh amid acknowledgment of other gods—to uncompromising monotheism, a process culminating in the 6th century BCE following the Babylonian Exile (586–539 BCE).^[16] Early texts reflect Yahweh as Israel's national deity, but post-exilic reforms, driven by prophets like Second Isaiah, asserted Yahweh's absolute uniqueness and sole existence. Central to this development is Deuteronomy 6:4, the Shema Yisrael ("Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one"), which became a foundational creed emphasizing undivided loyalty and rejecting all rival deities. This scriptural declaration, embedded in the Torah's covenantal framework, solidified monotheism as Israel's defining theological stance, reinforced by the Deuteronomistic history's portrayal of idolatry as the cause of national downfall. Monotheism's dissemination gained momentum through Hellenistic Judaism from the 3rd century BCE, as diaspora communities in cities like Alexandria preserved and adapted Jewish scriptures in Greek, fostering intellectual engagement with Greco-Roman philosophy while upholding Yahweh's singularity.^[17] This laid groundwork for Christianity's expansion, which inherited and universalized Jewish monotheism. The Roman Empire's pivotal adoption occurred in the 4th century CE under Emperor Constantine I, whose Edict of Milan (313 CE) legalized Christianity, ending persecutions and enabling its institutional growth.^[18] Constantine's personal conversion, symbolized by his vision before the Battle of Milvian Bridge (312 CE), integrated Christian monotheism into imperial policy, convening the Council of Nicaea (325 CE) to affirm doctrinal unity and facilitating the faith's spread across the Mediterranean world.^[19]

Dios in Abrahamic Religions

In Judaism

In Judaism, God is conceived as Yahweh, the singular, eternal being who is both transcendent—existing beyond the physical universe—and immanent, actively present within creation to guide and sustain it.^[20] This core understanding is encapsulated in the Shema prayer from Deuteronomy 6:4, which declares, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one," affirming absolute monotheistic unity and serving as a daily recitation to reinforce God's indivisible oneness.^[21] As the foundational Abrahamic faith, Judaism's portrayal of God emphasizes a covenantal relationship with the Jewish people, distinct in its focus on direct divine-human partnership without intermediaries. The pivotal historical event shaping this conception is the revelation of the Torah at Mount Sinai around the 13th century BCE, where God communicated the divine law to Moses and the Israelites, establishing the covenant and ethical framework for Jewish life.^[22] This event, detailed in Exodus 19–20, marks the direct encounter between God and the nation, underscoring Yahweh's role as lawgiver and liberator from Egyptian bondage. Subsequent prophetic writings, such as those of Amos and Isaiah, further emphasize God's demand for justice (tzedek) and righteousness (mishpat), portraying divine will as inherently tied to social equity, protection of the vulnerable, and condemnation of exploitation.^[23] For instance, Amos 5:24 proclaims, "Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream," highlighting God's intolerance for ritual without ethical action.^[24] God's attributes in Jewish practice are vividly illustrated by the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, revealed to Moses in Exodus 34:6–7 and enumerated as compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and truth, among others.^[25] Maimonides, in his Mishneh Torah, interprets these as models for human emulation, promoting an ethical monotheism where God's mercy inspires justice, forgiveness, and moral responsibility in daily conduct.^[26] These attributes are recited in penitential prayers like Selichot, reinforcing God's balanced nature of judgment and compassion as central to Jewish theology. In modern Judaism, interpretations of God's personal intervention vary between denominations. Orthodox Judaism maintains a view of God as actively personal and interventionist, with ongoing miracles and answered prayers possible within the unchanging framework of Sinai revelation, though divine will remains sovereign and inscrutable.^[27] In contrast, Reform Judaism envisions God as dynamically personal, with intervention manifesting through evolving human conscience and ethical progress, allowing for reinterpretation of traditions in response to contemporary needs, such as social justice initiatives.^[27]

In Christianity

In Christianity, Dios is understood as the triune God—one divine essence subsisting in three coequal and coeternal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This doctrine of the Trinity affirms that Dios is not three separate gods but a single Godhead, with the persons distinct in their relations yet undivided in substance, as articulated in the Nicene Creed: "We believe in one God, the Father Almighty... And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God... And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life."^[28] The concept was formalized at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 CE to counter Arianism, which subordinated the Son to the Father, declaring instead that the Son is "of the same substance" (homoousios) with the Father.^[29] This Trinitarian framework underpins Christian theology, emphasizing Dios's unity amid relational diversity. Central to Christian belief is the Incarnation, whereby the second person of the Trinity, the Son, became fully human in Jesus Christ while remaining fully divine. This hypostatic union—two natures, divine and human, united in one person without confusion, change, division, or separation—was defined at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 CE.^[30] The Chalcedonian Definition states that Christ is "truly God and truly man... consubstantial with the Father as touching his Godhead, and consubstantial with us as touching his manhood."^[31] This doctrine resolves earlier Christological debates, affirming that the eternal Son assumed human nature to bridge the divine-human divide, rooted in New Testament accounts such as John 1:14. Christian soteriology portrays Dios as the redeemer who accomplishes salvation through the Son's crucifixion and resurrection. The crucifixion is seen as an atoning sacrifice that reconciles humanity to Dios by bearing the penalty of sin, fulfilling prophecies like Isaiah 53, while the resurrection vindicates this act, conquering death and offering new life to believers. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, "Justification includes the remission of sins, sanctification, and the renewal of the inner man," achieved through Christ's Paschal mystery of death and resurrection. This redemptive work is appropriated by faith, enabling participation in divine life. Denominational differences emerge in how this understanding of Dios is accessed and expressed. Catholicism emphasizes the sacraments as essential channels of grace instituted by Christ, such as baptism and the Eucharist, which convey Dios's saving presence objectively. In contrast, Protestant traditions, stemming from the Reformation, uphold sola scriptura—Scripture alone as the ultimate authority—prioritizing personal faith and the preached Word over sacramental mediation, though varying in sacramental views (e.g., Lutherans retain a real presence in the Eucharist).^[32] These distinctions reflect broader tensions between tradition-augmented authority and Scripture's sufficiency in relating to the triune Dios.

In Islam

In Islam, Dios is understood as Allah, the singular, transcendent Creator who demands absolute submission from humanity. The core doctrine of Tawhid asserts Allah's absolute oneness, without partners, equals, or divisions, forming the foundation of Islamic belief and practice. This unity is emphatically declared in the Quran, particularly in Surah Al-Ikhlas, which states: "Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ 'He is Allah—One ˹and Indivisible˺; Allah—the Sustainer ˹needed by all˺; He has never had offspring, nor was He born; And there is none comparable to Him.'"^[33] Tawhid rejects any form of polytheism or association (shirk), emphasizing that all worship and devotion must be directed solely to Allah, as elaborated in scholarly analyses of Quranic monotheism.^[34] Allah's nature is further revealed through the 99 Names (Asma ul-Husna), which describe His attributes without implying anthropomorphism or limitation. These names, derived from the Quran and authentic Hadith, include Ar-Rahman (The Most Merciful), highlighting Allah's boundless compassion toward creation, and Al-Qadir (The All-Powerful), underscoring His omnipotence. Traditional compilations, such as those in Tirmidhi's hadith collection, categorize these names to aid believers in contemplation and invocation, fostering a deeper understanding of divine qualities while maintaining Allah's incomparability.^[35]^[36] Prophethood serves as the means by which Allah communicates His will, culminating in the revelation to Muhammad in the 7th century CE through the angel Gabriel, as detailed in the Quran's opening chapter: "Recite in the name of your Lord who created." Unlike incarnational concepts in other traditions, Muhammad is regarded as the final human messenger, not divine, tasked with delivering the unaltered Quran as guidance for all humanity. This prophethood emphasizes universal monotheism, calling people to submit to the one Allah without intermediaries in worship.^[37] Central to submission are the Five Pillars of Islam, which structure daily life as acts of devotion to Allah alone. These include the Shahada (declaration of faith in Allah's oneness and Muhammad's prophethood), Salat (five daily prayers), Zakat (obligatory charity), Sawm (fasting during Ramadan), and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca for those able). Each pillar reinforces Tawhid by orienting the believer's actions toward exclusive worship of the singular Dios, as codified in prophetic traditions and Quranic injunctions.^[38]^[39]

Existence and Philosophical Debates

Arguments for Existence

The ontological argument, first articulated by Anselm of Canterbury in the 11th century, posits that Dios, defined as "a being than which nothing greater can be conceived," must exist in reality as well as in the understanding. Anselm reasoned that if such a being existed only in the mind, a greater being could be conceived—one that exists in reality—contradicting the definition; thus, Dios exists necessarily. This a priori argument relies on the concept of perfection and has been influential in philosophical theology.^[40] The cosmological argument seeks to demonstrate Dios's existence through the necessity of a first cause for the universe's existence and motion. In the 13th century, Thomas Aquinas outlined five ways in his Summa Theologica, including the argument from motion, which holds that everything in motion is moved by another and that an infinite regress is impossible, requiring an unmoved mover as the first cause—identified as Dios. Similarly, the argument from efficient causation asserts that every effect has a cause, leading to a necessary uncaused first cause to avoid infinite regress. These demonstrations integrate Aristotelian principles with Christian theology to affirm a transcendent originator of all contingent beings.^[41] The teleological argument, or argument from design, infers Dios's existence from the apparent order and purposefulness in the universe, akin to artifacts implying a designer. In modern physics, this evolves into the fine-tuning argument, which highlights how fundamental constants, such as the gravitational constant (approximately 6.67430 × 10^{-11} m³ kg^{-1} s^{-2}), must fall within extraordinarily narrow ranges to permit the formation of stable matter, stars, and life; deviations by even a factor of 1 in 10^{40} would render the universe inhospitable. Proponents argue this precision suggests intentional calibration rather than chance, with the strength of electromagnetism relative to gravity also finely balanced to allow atomic structures essential for complexity.^[42] The moral argument contends that objective moral values and duties imply the existence of a divine lawgiver. Immanuel Kant, in the 18th century, proposed in his Critique of Practical Reason that moral imperatives, such as the categorical imperative to act only according to maxims that can be universalized, require the postulate of Dios's existence to ensure the highest good—virtue united with happiness—is attainable. Without Dios as a moral guarantor and provider of an afterlife for just retribution, rational agents could not consistently pursue duty, rendering ethics incoherent; thus, belief in Dios is a necessary presupposition of practical reason.^[43]

Arguments Against Existence

One of the most enduring philosophical challenges to the existence of an omnipotent, omnibenevolent Dios is the problem of evil, articulated in Epicurus' trilemma, which posits that the coexistence of evil with a Dios who is both all-powerful and all-good is logically incompatible. Epicurus (341–270 BCE) argued that if Dios is willing to prevent evil but unable to do so, then Dios lacks omnipotence; if Dios is able but unwilling, then Dios lacks benevolence; and if Dios is both willing and able, the existence of evil remains unexplained. This trilemma, preserved in later texts such as Lactantius' De Ira Dei (early 4th century CE), has been a cornerstone of atheistic critiques, though theistic responses like the free will defense—suggesting that moral evil arises from human choices necessary for genuine freedom—have been proposed without resolving the evidential weight of widespread suffering. Scientific naturalism further undermines arguments for divine design by providing naturalistic explanations for phenomena traditionally attributed to a creator. Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species (1859) introduced the theory of evolution by natural selection, demonstrating how biological complexity and diversity arise through gradual, unguided processes without requiring intelligent intervention.^[44] Similarly, the Big Bang model, first proposed by Georges Lemaître in his 1927 paper "Un Univers homogène de masse constante et de rayon croissant," describes the universe's origin from a hot, dense state expanding over billions of years, consistent with general relativity and observational evidence like cosmic microwave background radiation, obviating the need for a supernatural initiator.^[45] Logical inconsistencies in divine attributes also pose challenges, including the omnipotence paradox, which questions whether an all-powerful being can perform logically impossible tasks, such as creating a stone too heavy for itself to lift.^[46] This paradox, discussed in medieval philosophy and modern analyses, suggests that omnipotence cannot coherently encompass contradictions, potentially rendering the concept self-defeating.^[46] Complementing this is the argument from divine hiddenness, advanced by J. L. Schellenberg in Divine Hiddenness and Human Reason (1993), which contends that a loving Dios who desires relationship with humans would provide clear, non-resistant evidence of existence, yet the absence of such unambiguous revelation for non-resistant nonbelievers implies no such Dios exists.^[47] Atheistic positions emphasize the burden of proof, as illustrated by Bertrand Russell's teapot analogy in his 1952 article "Is There a God?", where he compared the unverifiable claim of a teapot orbiting the sun to assertions about Dios's existence, arguing that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence and that the onus lies on theists to substantiate them rather than on skeptics to disprove. This analogy underscores evidentialism, reinforcing that belief in Dios without compelling proof is unjustified.

Modern Interpretations

Neurobiological Perspectives

Neurobiological perspectives on experiences of Dios, often termed religious or spiritual experiences, examine how brain activity correlates with sensations of divine presence, unity, or transcendence through empirical methods like neuroimaging and stimulation techniques. These studies, part of the emerging field of neurotheology, aim to map neural mechanisms without presupposing ontological claims about divinity, focusing instead on observable physiological patterns during prayer, meditation, or mystical states.^[48] One influential line of research involves direct brain stimulation to evoke a "sensed presence," interpreted by some participants as a divine entity. In experiments conducted from the 1980s to the 2000s, neuroscientist Michael Persinger developed the "God Helmet," a device applying weak, complex magnetic fields to the temporal lobes. This stimulation disrupted interhemispheric communication, leading approximately 80% of subjects to report a vivid sense of an otherworldly being nearby, attributed to heightened right-hemispheric activity mimicking external agency. Persinger's work suggested that such experiences arise from temporal lobe sensitivity, common in epileptic patients who also describe mystical encounters.^[49] Complementing stimulation studies, neuroimaging has revealed patterns during voluntary religious practices. Andrew Newberg's research in the 1990s and early 2000s used single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans on practitioners of meditation and prayer, showing increased activity in the prefrontal cortex—linked to focused attention and emotional regulation—alongside decreased activity in the parietal lobes, which handle spatial orientation and self-boundary perception. This reduction in parietal function correlates with reports of ego dissolution and boundless unity with the divine, as seen in Franciscan nuns during repetitive prayer or Tibetan meditators in deep states. These findings indicate that religious rituals modulate brain regions involved in self-other distinctions, fostering transcendent feelings.^[50] From an evolutionary standpoint, cognitive science posits religious beliefs, including perceptions of Dios, as byproducts of adaptive mental mechanisms rather than direct selections. A key example is the hyperactive agency detection device (HADD), an evolved cognitive bias prompting humans to infer intentional agents behind ambiguous events—like rustling bushes signaling predators—to enhance survival in ancestral environments. This overattribution extends to natural phenomena, birthing anthropomorphic gods; studies in developmental psychology show children naturally exhibit such agency detection, supporting religion's emergence as a spandrel of broader social and precautionary cognition. Influential models emphasize how theory of mind and costly signaling further propagate these beliefs in groups.^[51]^[52] Critics of these neurobiological approaches argue they embody reductionism, portraying divine experiences as mere neural firings and dismissing subjective or existential dimensions, potentially undermining spiritual authenticity. Proponents counter that such science is compatible with faith, offering insights into how the brain facilitates transcendent encounters without negating them. Recent advances in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) from the 2020s reveal persistent neural effects post-experience, such as enhanced default mode network connectivity in regular meditators or prayer participants, suggesting lasting structural changes like increased gray matter density in attention-related areas, which may underpin long-term well-being benefits.^[53]^[54]^[55]

Cultural and Scientific Views

In literature and media, representations of Dios have evolved from medieval allegories to contemporary speculative fiction. In Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy (completed around 1320), Dios is depicted as the ultimate point of light and love at the center of the universe, guiding the soul's journey through Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso toward divine union.^[56] More recently, modern science fiction explores Dios through concepts like the simulation hypothesis, where advanced civilizations might create simulated realities indistinguishable from base reality, positing a "programmer" as a digital analogue to a creator deity; this idea gained prominence in philosopher Nick Bostrom's 2003 paper, which argues that if posthuman societies simulate ancestors, most observed realities would be simulations.^[57] Scientific debates on Dios often intersect with cosmology, challenging traditional notions of creation. Stephen Hawking and James Hartle's 1983 no-boundary proposal suggests the universe has no singular beginning or edge in imaginary time, akin to the surface of a sphere, thereby avoiding the need for a creator to initiate existence from nothing and proposing a self-contained quantum origin.^[58] Similarly, multiverse theories, arising from inflationary cosmology and string theory, offer an alternative to the fine-tuning argument for Dios by positing an ensemble of universes with varying physical constants, where our life's permitting conditions arise by chance selection rather than design; this framework, while untestable directly, is explored in Bayesian analyses showing it as a viable explanatory hypothesis for apparent cosmic tuning.^[59] Secular movements in the 21st century highlight tensions and dialogues around Dios. The New Atheism movement, exemplified by Richard Dawkins' 2006 book The God Delusion, aggressively critiques belief in Dios as a delusion unsupported by evidence, advocating for science and reason over faith and labeling religion as harmful. In contrast, progressive spirituality emphasizes inclusive, non-dogmatic approaches to the divine, often integrating interfaith elements to foster mutual understanding; post-9/11 interfaith dialogues, such as those promoted by religious leaders in the U.S., have countered Islamophobia and promoted cooperation among Christians, Muslims, Jews, and others, leading to sustained initiatives like joint community programs.^[60] These efforts reflect a broader shift toward viewing Dios through pluralistic lenses rather than confrontational rejection. Global surveys indicate shifting patterns in belief in Dios and religion. According to Pew Research Center data from 2010 to 2020, the global share of religiously unaffiliated individuals rose slightly to 24.2%, with declines in Christian affiliation prominent in Western Europe and North America due to secularization, while religious populations grew in sub-Saharan Africa (driven by high fertility rates) and parts of Asia, maintaining or increasing belief in a higher power.^[61] A 2020 Pew survey across 34 countries highlighted regional differences in views on God and religion, with belief remaining strong in regions like Africa and Latin America but lower in Western Europe, underscoring regional divergences in cultural views of the divine.^[62]

References

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Dios | Oxford Classical Dictionary - Oxford Research Encyclopedias
Dios wrote in Greek a Phoenician history whose only remnant is a citation, appearing twice in identical form in Josephus (AJ 8. 147–9; Ap. 1.
[2]
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Deus - Etymology, Origin & Meaning
"God" originates from mid-13th century French and Latin, meaning a deity; phrases like "deus ex machina" derive from Greek, meaning "god from the device," ...
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*dyeu- - Etymology and Meaning of the Root
Derived from Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to shine," this word's origin links to sky, heaven, and god, reflecting its luminous, divine meaning.
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Dios Etymology for Spanish Learners
The Spanish word 'dios' (meaning 'god') comes from the Latin word 'deus', which had the same meaning. Going even further back, 'deus' developed from the ...
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Deva - Etymology, Origin & Meaning
Originating from Sanskrit deva meaning "a god," derived from PIE root *dyeu- "to shine," deva means god, divinity, or good spirit in Hinduism.
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Día and Dios are related - Spanish Linguist
Dec 2, 2014 · Día comes from Latin diēs, which is in turn derived from PIE *diéus, meaning 'Sky-god' or 'daytime sky'. Dios comes from Latin deus, from PIE *deiuós 'God'.Missing: romance | Show results with:romance
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YHWH: The Original Arabic Meaning of the Name - TheTorah.com
Jan 1, 2019 · God reveals his name to Moses as “I am,” from the Hebrew root ה.ו.י, “being.” The name YHWH, however, originates in Midian, and derives from the ...
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Apr 1, 2010 · This name of the God of Israel—הוהי/yhwh—occurs over 6,800 times in the. Hebrew Bible. It is sometimes referred to as the Tetragrammaton, ...
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Allah - Etymology, Origin & Meaning of the Name
Arabic name Allah, from 1702 Alha, is a contraction of al-Ilah meaning "the God," originating from Arabic al + Ilah, cognate with Aramaic elah and Hebrew ...<|separator|>
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The NT application to Jesus of the Greek terms theos or to the definite article ho theos, both of which mean 'God' in some sense.
[12]
Strong's Greek: 2316. θεός (theos) -- God, god - Bible Hub
Strong's Greek: 2316. θεός (theos) -- God, god. the supreme Divinity, God, godly. Of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with ho) the supreme Divinity; ...Θεοῦ (theou) · Θεῷ (theō) · Θεόν (theon) · 311 OccurrencesMissing: scholarly | Show results with:scholarly
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Brahman is the Ultimate Reality, the absolute essence of all existence, and a supreme, universal, eternal, and unchanging spirit in Hinduism.
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Mar 15, 2024 · In Latin, “deus” came to denote god or deity in a general sense, used both for the pantheon of Roman gods and, later, within Christian Latin, ...
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"Heaven" (tian 天) is an important concept of Chinese philosophy, especially in Confucianism. During the Shang 商 (17th to 11th cent. BCE) and Zhou 周 (11th ...
[16]
Tian (Heaven) - Key Concepts in Chinese Thought and Culture
After Christianity was introduced to China, missionaries used this term as a translation of the word “God.”
[17]
[PDF] History of the Tetragrammaton - Josh McDowell Ministry
Owing to its sacred character, from c.300 BC the Jews tended to avoid uttering it when reading the Scriptures, and substituted 'Adonai' (i.e. the Hebrew.<|separator|>
[18]
The Unpronounceable Tetragrammaton is - Adoremus Bulletin
Sep 15, 2008 · The “tetragrammaton” (referring to its four letters) had been held “unpronounceable” out of reverence for the majesty and greatness of God.
[19]
YHWH: Meaning and Etymology of the Tetragrammaton - Bart Ehrman
Jul 27, 2024 · The Hebrew phrase can be translated as either “I am who I am,” or “I will be what I will be.” While it is not the only name for God in the ...Missing: source | Show results with:source
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The History of the Tetragrammaton - Biblical Archaeology Society
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Among Christians, the most common interpretation of shaddai today is “mighty,” and El Shaddai would translate to “God Almighty.” Coinciding with this, one ...
[22]
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Shaddai is likely related to shad, meaning "teat" or "breast." The phrase may emphasize God's nurturing and sustaining role. Traditional rendering as " ...
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[24]
[PDF] Intentions of Indigenous Idolatry in Early Colonial Latin America
the Nahuatl word teotl to designate God, but the Spanish Dios, to emphasize the difference between the pagan divinities and the single God of the Christians.
[25]
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The second essential characteristic is that God is personal. The God of ethical monotheism is not some depersonalized force: God cares about His creations. As ...
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Western Concepts of God. Western concepts of God have ranged from the detached transcendent demiurge of Aristotle to the pantheism of Spinoza.Missing: Dios entry - -<|control11|><|separator|>
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I mean, would you say that the non-existence of God can be proved? Russell: No, I should not say that: my position is agnostic. Copleston: Would you agree with ...
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In this paper, by considering theistic worship, prayer, and understanding of scriptural revelation, I argue that at least these central theistic practices do ...
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Maimonides - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Jan 24, 2006 · He recognizes that when one is first exposed to Bible stories and the ritual of daily prayer, one may need anthropomorphic descriptions of God ...
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