Divinity

"Divine" redirects here. For other uses, see Divinity (disambiguation) and Divine (disambiguation).

Elizabeth I and the Three Goddesses (Juno, Minerva, and Venus), by Isaac Oliver, c. 1558

Divinity (from Latin divinitas) refers to the state or quality of being divine, and is commonly associated with deities or supreme beings in religious and philosophical traditions. The term may denote the essential nature of a deity, the divine presence, or qualities attributed to sacred beings or forces. In monotheism, divinity is typically identified with the singular, omnipotent God; in polytheism, it refers to the powers and attributes of multiple gods. Other traditions, such as pantheism and animism, may understand divinity as immanent within the natural world, often synonymous with notions of the sacred or transcendence.

Etymology and translations

The root of the word divinity is the Latin divus meaning of or belonging to a God (deus). The word entered English from Medieval Latin in the 14th century.

In the Christian biblical tradition, several Greek words are translated as "divinity" or "divine" in English versions of the New Testament. The noun θεῖον (theion) appears in verses such as Acts 17:29 and Romans 1:20, and is translated as “divinity” in the Douay–Rheims Bible, where it refers to the nature or essence of God.

Another term, θεότης (theotēs), appears in Colossians 2:9, often translated as "Godhead" (e.g., in the King James Bible: "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily"), or as "deity" or "divine nature" in modern translations.

The adjective θεῖος (theios, genitive theias) occurs in 2 Peter 1:3–4, referring to divine power and divine nature.

Usages

The concept of divinity can be categorized into two general usages:

• Divine force or power – A transcendent or supernatural force that operates beyond human capacities or within the natural order;
• Divinity applied to mortals – Qualities or statuses attributed to human individuals who are believed to embody or channel divine presence.

These usages often overlap, especially in traditions where deities are personifications of natural forces or principles. For example, in the Hebrew Bible, the God of Israel is associated with thunder and storms as expressions of divine power, and prophets such as Moses and Samuel are portrayed as mediating that power in historical events. In many religious systems, divinity is also linked with positive moral or social attributes—such as justice, wisdom, and compassion—but the nature and character of divine beings vary widely. In monotheistic traditions, malevolent beings such as devils or demons are typically regarded as oppositional to the divine, whereas in polytheistic and animistic systems, powerful beings may display both benevolent and destructive traits. The Greek term daimōn (δαίμων), often misunderstood in later Christian contexts as demonic, originally referred to a divine or spiritual power, sometimes neutral in character.

Uses in religious discourse

There are three distinct usages of divinity and divine in religious discourse:

Entity

Main article: Deity

In many religious traditions, divinity is personified in the form of one or more deities. In monotheistic religions, the term often refers to the singular, supreme God, sometimes capitalized as "the Divinity" to denote uniqueness and transcendence. The adjective "divine" may likewise be used to describe attributes, actions, or manifestations associated with such a being.

In polytheistic and animistic systems, "divinity" may refer more broadly to gods, spirits, or sacred beings regarded as possessing supernatural power or authority. These entities are often conceived as occupying an intermediate status between the human and the absolute, and may be invoked for guidance, protection, or intervention. In these traditions, the term "divine" can apply to a wide range of beings that are considered holy, immortal, or otherwise distinct from ordinary reality.

Divine force or power

In addition to denoting gods or deities, the concept of divinity is often associated with a transcendent power or principle believed to operate within the world. In many religious systems, this power may manifest as divine intervention, providence, or miracles. In some Eastern and philosophical traditions, divinity may be understood more abstractly, as a natural, impersonal force that underlies reality—such as the tao in Taoism or dharma in Hinduism and Buddhism. In mystical and esoteric traditions, the divine may be approached as an immanent presence or guiding principle rather than a personal deity. These views often emphasize harmony with divine law or cosmic order as a spiritual path.

Mortal

Main article: Apotheosis

In the third usage, extensions of divinity and divine power are credited to living, mortal individuals. In many religious and historical traditions, divinity has been attributed to mortals in the form of apotheosis, the elevation of a human to divine status. This is exemplified by rulers such as the Egyptian pharaohs, Roman emperors, and certain Hindu deities believed to have been born as mortals. In some cases, individuals were regarded as possessing divine attributes or serving as intermediaries between the human and the divine, such as prophets, saints, or sages. Religious mysticism in traditions like Sufism, Advaita Vedanta, and certain forms of Gnosticism holds that the divine may be realized or manifested within the individual through spiritual practice.

In religions

Latter-day Saints

Main articles: God in Mormonism, Plan of salvation (Latter Day Saints), and Mormon cosmology

The most prominent conception of divine entities in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) is the Godhead, a divine council of three distinct beings: Elohim (the Father), Jehovah (the Son, or Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. Joseph Smith described a nontrinitarian Godhead, with God the Father and Jesus Christ each having individual physical bodies, and the Holy Spirit as a distinct personage with a spirit body. Smith also introduced the existence of a Heavenly Mother in the King Follett Discourse, but very little is acknowledged or known beyond her existence.

Mormons hold a belief in the divine potential of humanity; Smith taught a form of divinization where mortal men and women can become like god through salvation and exaltation. Lorenzo Snow succinctly summarized this using a couplet, which is often repeated within the LDS Church: "As man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be."

Wicca

See also: Wiccan views of divinity

Wiccan views of divinity are generally theistic, and revolve around a Goddess and a Horned God, thereby being generally dualistic. In traditional Wicca, as expressed in the writings of Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente, the emphasis is on the theme of divine gender polarity, and the God and Goddess are regarded as equal and opposite divine cosmic forces. In some newer forms of Wicca, such as feminist or Dianic Wicca, the Goddess is given primacy or even exclusivity. In some forms of traditional witchcraft that share a similar duotheistic theology, the Horned God is given precedence over the Goddess.

See also

• Christology
• Divinization (Christian)
• Ho'oponopono (Morrnah section)
• List of deities

References

Works cited

• Audi, Robert, ed. (2015). The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
• Bauer, Walter (2000). Danker, Frederick W. (ed.). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. University of Chicago Press.
• Blenkinsopp, Joseph (1995). The Pentateuch: An Introduction to the First Five Books of the Bible. Yale University Press.
• Bowker, John (1997). The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. Oxford University Press.
• Dodds, E. R. (1951). The Greeks and the Irrational. University of California Press.
• Eliade, Mircea, ed. (2005). The Encyclopedia of Religion (2nd ed.). Macmillan Reference.
• Zaehner, R. C. (1961). Mysticism: Sacred and Profane. Oxford University Press.

External links

• Media related to Divinity at Wikimedia Commons