Baal Baal (Baʿal), was a title and honorific meaning “owner,” “lord” in the Northwest Semitic languages spoken in the Levant during antiquity. From its use among people, it came to be applied to gods. Scholars previously associated the theonym with solar cults and with a variety of unrelated patron deities, but...
Gender Of God In Judaism Although the Gender of God in Judaism is referred to in the Tanakh with masculine imagery and grammatical forms, traditional Jewish Philosophy does not attribute the concept of sex to God, but does attribute gender. At times, Jewish aggadic literature and Jewish mysticism do treat God as gendered....
What Is Tzimtzum? The tzimtzum or tsimtsum (צמצום ṣimṣūm “contraction, constriction, condensation”) is a term used in the Lurianic Kabbalah to explain Isaac Luria’s doctrine that God began the process of creation by “contracting” his Ohr Ein Sof (infinite) light in order to allow for a “conceptual space” in which finite and seemingly independent...
What Is Tawhid? Tawhid (تَوْحِيد, tawḥīd, meaning “unification or oneness of God”; also romanized as Tawheed, Touheed, Tauheed or Tevhid) is the indivisible oneness concept of monotheism in Islam. Tawhid is the religion’s central and single most important concept, upon which a Muslim’s entire religious adherence rests. It unequivocally holds that God is One (Al-ʾAḥad) and Single...
What Are Essence And Attributes Of God? This article covers the answer to the question: “What Are the Essence and Attributes of God, Can We Describe Him?“ God is absolutely other than His creation. The Creator cannot by any means be the same kind of being as that which He...
Son of God Historically, many rulers have assumed titles such as son of God, son of a god or son of heaven. The term “son of God” is used in the Hebrew Bible as another way of referring to humans with special relationships with God. In Exodus, the nation of Israel is called God‘s “Firstborn son”. In Psalms, David is called...
Sons Of God Sons of the God (בני האלהים, bənê hāʼĕlōhîm, literally: “sons of the Gods“) is a phrase used in the Hebrew Bible and Christian Apocrypha. The phrase is also used in Kabbalah where bene elohim are part of different Jewish angelic hierarchies. Hebrew Bible Genesis 6 And it came to pass,...
God In Catholicism God in Catholicism is YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whom the Catholic Church teaches Jesus Christ revealed to be the Trinity. Names The Old Testament names of God in Judaism are the names of God in Catholicism since they originate in the Bible, which...
God In Judaism In Judaism, God has been conceived in a variety of ways. Traditionally, Judaism holds that YHWH, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the national god of the Israelites, delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, and gave them the Law of Moses at biblical Mount Sinai...
God In Abrahamic Religions Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are sometimes called Abrahamic religions because they all accept the tradition of the God, Yahweh, (known as Allah in Arabic), that revealed himself to the prophet Abraham. The theological traditions of all Abrahamic religions are thus to some extent influenced by the...
Creator Deity A creator deity or creator god (often called the Creator) is a deity or god responsible for the creation of the Earth, world, and universe in human religion and mythology. In monotheism, the single God is often also the creator. A number of monolatristic traditions separate a secondary creator from a...
What is Henotheism? Henotheism (meaning ‘one god‘) is the worship of a single god while not denying the existence or possible existence of other deities. Friedrich Schelling (1775–1854) coined the word, and Friedrich Welcker (1784–1868) used it to depict primitive monotheism among ancient Greeks. Max Müller (1823–1900), a German philologist and orientalist, brought the term into wider usage in his...
Abrahamic Religions The Abrahamic religions, also referred to collectively as Abrahamism, are a group of Semitic-originated religious communities of faith that claim descent from the Judaism of the ancient Israelites and the worship of the God of Abraham. The Abrahamic religions are monotheistic, with the term deriving from the patriarch Abraham...
Monotheism Monotheism is defined as the belief in the existence of only one god that created the world, is all-powerful and intervenes in the world. A broader definition of monotheism is the belief in one god. A distinction may be made between exclusive monotheism, and both inclusive monotheism and pluriform (panentheistic) monotheism which, while...
Abstinence In Judaism Abstinence is the refraining from enjoyments which are lawful in themselves. Abstinence (in Judaism) in general can be considered a virtue only when it serves the purpose of consecrating a life to a higher purpose. The saints, or adherents of religious and philosophical systems that teach the...
Sexual Abstinence Sexual abstinence or sexual restraint is the practice of refraining from some or all aspects of sexual activity for medical, psychological, legal, social, financial, philosophical, moral, or religious reasons. Asexuality is distinct from sexual abstinence; and celibacy is sexual abstinence generally motivated by factors such as an individual’s personal or...
What Is Asceticism? Asceticism (exercise, training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their practices or continue to be part of their society, but typically adopt a frugal lifestyle, characterised by the renunciation...
What Is Jewish Vegetarianism? Jewish vegetarianism is a commitment to vegetarianism that is connected to Judaism, Jewish ethics or Jewish identity. While classical Jewish law neither requires nor prohibits the consumption of meat, Jewish vegetarians often cite Jewish principles regarding animal welfare, environmental ethics, moral character, and health as reasons...
Ta’anit, Fasting in Judaism A ta’anit (taanis in Ashkenaz pronunciation, or taʿanith in Classical Hebrew) is a fast in Judaism in which one abstains from all food and drink, including water. A Jewish fast may have one or more purposes, including: A tool for repentance An expression of mourning Supplication, such as the Fast...
Prayers Of Praise From The Bible We have collected some of the best Prayers Of Praise From The Bible to use in request to God. May these prayers for safety bring you comfort and peace of mind. May these prayers for strength encourage your spirit and strengthen your faith. The Bible (from Koine Greek τὰ βιβλία, tà biblía,...