For many traditional followers of God, there is no question about whether or not they believe in a higher power. Many Christians and many followers of other religions have been believers since they were born. Their faith is deeply rooted in their identity.
An excellent Bible quote to portray this idea comes from Hebrews 11:1. It says,
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Did you know that there is a word for this very concept?
It’s known as being a theist.
Theism Defined
What does theism mean? What does theist mean? As a standalone term, theism is defined as the belief or assurance that a god, gods or other deity exists. A person who believes in a higher power is known as a theist.
While this single term is great for describing on its own, the theism definition can be expanded. The suffix –theist or –theism can be added on to words to describe different religious beliefs. Here are some you may recognize:
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Monotheism – the belief in one god
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Polytheism – the belief that there are many gods
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Atheism – non-belief, or the view that there is no god
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Pantheism – the belief that god exists in every form, and that everything is god
You may realize that Christians practice monotheism. Although there is a Father, Son and Holy Spirit, they all exist within our one and single God. We put our faith wholly into our God and our God only.
Theists and Christianity
Theism and Christianity go hand in hand as concepts, meaning that it is difficult to explain one without mentioning the other. While Christianity is only one type of theism, Christians fit the theist definition perfectly.
While there are no universal beliefs across Christianity, different types of theism are talked about widely throughout the religion. In a previous post, we discussed the idea of supernatural theism. Supernatural theism is the belief or tendency to picture God as a human-like person. This concept can be shown through many ways that Christians describe their beliefs, such as saying that God exists “up in Heaven,” as though God is a person residing in a physical place that exists above our world.
While Christians practice monotheism, it is also important to understand that others in the world around us may practice different beliefs and therefore, different types of theism.
Why do these beliefs matter?
There are many types of theism that exist, and they all come with different beliefs, cultures, stereotypes and people who practice them. As a Christian, understanding monotheism and therefore theism as a whole can help you better comprehend how to learn more about yourself as a follower of God. This belief is an undeniable part of your identity, whether you have been a lifelong Christian or have only recently begun to devote your faith to Him.
Understanding theism can also help you better understand the world you live in and the way that God created it. Aspire to continue your learning by reading more about modern Christianity and theism.
Furthering Your Knowledge
Interested in learning more about Progressive Modern Christianity? Please refer back to our home page for more about Marcus J Borg.
