Defense Against Pantheism
Sean W. O’Brien
APOL 500: Apologetics
February 1st, 2024
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Introduction
In exploring the different ideas of religious and philosophical thought, this paper dives
into the profound worldview of pantheism, a perspective that proposes an inherent and
all-encompassing divinity within the cosmos. Pantheism claims that the divine and the universe
are synonymous, cultivating a holistic understanding of existence. This analysis utilizes
apologetics, a reasoned defense of faith, to articulate why Christianity is a superior worldview in
contrast to pantheism. Through careful examination and analysis, we seek to highlight the unique
aspects of a transcendental God and argue for its accuracy, moral grounding, and creative power
in offering a more compelling worldview compared to pantheism. Pantheism, with its emphasis
on the interconnectedness of the universe, lacks an explanation for an immanent moral
framework and the beginning of existence, while Christianity, on the other hand, provides a
coherent explanation of an infinite deity outside of society who sets a perfect standard of good.
Analysis of Aspects of Pantheism
Oftentimes, humans experience a deeper connection with the universe that leads them to
believe they are a part of something bigger. Looking into a night sky and seeing billions of stars
light up, watching a magnificent sunset turn the whole sky orange, or feeling small while
standing at the foot of a mountain, can all trigger this emotion of awe and amazement. Pantheism
teaches it is natural to feel like we part of something bigger and concludes that it is due to the
interconnectedness of the universe. Pantheism is the belief that everything exists as a singular
supreme and divine entity, and therefore, we are all a part of god.
Before we can fully begin using apologetics to defend the traditional belief of
Christianity against pantheism, we must take a deeper dive into what Pantheism truly is and
where it was first established. Pantheism is a philosophical religious standing that has been
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around for centuries, first defended and explained in Spinoza’s Ethics written in 1675.1While
Spinoza’s writing has been coined as the most complete explanation of pantheism, the term
“pantheism” was first recorded in the Latin writings of John Toland in 1705 when he wrote
Pantheisticon: or The Form of Celebrating the Socratic-Society. Furthermore, pantheism can be
traced back to its Greek roots pan (all) and theos (god).2The original root words provide a basic
understanding of the meaning of pantheism. Pantheism itself is not a religious belief but is
instead an umbrella which many philosophies and world religions fall under. It is important to
understand that pantheism is not defined as its own religion but instead, it is a term coined to
describe God’s relation to the world. For example Taoism, schools of Hinduism, sects of
Buddhism, and stoicism all fall under the larger umbrella of pantheistic beliefs. Pantheism wasn’t
just widely believed in ancient history, but its influence can even be seen in modern-day society.
So much so that aspects of pantheism are largely evident in Hollywood movies such as Avatar,
Star Wars, Kun Fu Panda, and Moana.
To comprehend the widely accepted worldview of pantheism, we must aim to understand
the presuppositions and beliefs. Commonly seen, pantheists can be held to three congruent
beliefs:
(1) god is identical to the universe as a whole3
(2) Everything that exists constitutes a “unity” and this unity is in some sense divine4
(3) Some features of the universe are more divine than others
HP Owen articulates a more specific definition by stating “Pantheism' ... signifies the
belief that every existing entity is, only one Being; and that all other forms of reality are either
4Levine, Michael P. “Pantheism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University.
3Ibid.
2Corrington, R. S. (2016). Deep pantheism : toward a new transcendentalism. Lexington Books
1Bennett, Jonathan. A Study of Spinoza's Ethics. Indiana: Hackett, 1984.
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modes (or appearances) of it or identical with it."5With this definition of pantheism, it may be
even more confusing what the term “pantheism: means. To gain a better understanding let’s first
separate pantheism from theism by highlighting the major differences between the two belief
systems. First off, theism is belief in a “personal” god, whereas pantheism denies god’s ability to
think and make decisions. God is not a personal being nor does god have the characteristic
properties of a human being in pantheism. God does not have an intentional state, but rather god
is more closely related to an energy that everything flows from. From the pantheistic view, god is
more appropriately referred to as “it” than “he”.6In addition to the non-personal attributes of
god, pantheists deny that god is totally separate from the world and is ontologically distinct.
Instead, the universe and god are inseparable, and therefore, all of the universe is god. God is not
distinct from space and time, but everything found in the universe including laws, nature, and all
of reality comes from a united divine essence and is therefore god.7Where theism tends to hold
to the transcendence of God who is above and separate from the world. Pantheism views god and
the universe as identical.
Now that we have established fundamental differences, let's look at several overlapping
similarities between the theistic and pantheistic viewpoints of god. Both acknowledge the
omniscience and omnipotence of the divine, but still hold to two contrasting ideas of “god”.8
Omniscience is an attribute of knowing everything that many believe only the divine poses. The
Latin roots omni (all) and scientia (knowledge), provide a foundational definition. CS Lewis
depicts a beautiful picture of the similarities and differences between Pantheism and Christianity
in his book Miracles as he writes:
8Francks, Richard. "Omniscience, Omnipotence and Pantheism." Philosophy, 54 (1979) pp. 395-399.
7MacIntyre, Alasdair. "Pantheism." In Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Ed. Paul Edwards. New York:
Macmillan and Free Press, 1967.
6Levine, Michael P. Elements of Pantheism. Routledge, 2002.
5Levine, Michael P. “Pantheism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University.
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“Pantheists and Christians agree that God is present everywhere. Pantheists conclude that
He is “diffused” or “concealed” in all things and therefore a universal medium rather that
a concrete entity, because their minds are really dominated by the picture of a gas, or
fluid, or space itself. The Christian, on the other hand, deliberately rules out such images
by saying that God is totally present at every point of space and time, and locally present
in none. Again the Pantheist and Christian agree that we are all dependent on God and
intimately related to Him. But the Christian defines this relation in terms of Maker and
made, whereas the Pantheist (at least of the popular kind) says, we are “parts” of Him, or
are contained in Him. Once more, the picture of a vast extended something which can be
divided into areas has crept in. Because of this fatal picture Pantheism concludes that
God must be equally present in what we call evil and what we call good and therefore
indifferent to both (ether permeates the mud and the marble impartially). The Christian
has to reply that this is far too simple; God is present in a great many different modes: not
present in matter as He is present in man, not present in all men as in some, not present in
any other man as in Jesus.”9
Now that we have defined and clarified the foundational beliefs of pantheism and
compared them to those of Christianity, we can begin examining the logic and rationale behind
the two. Through the use of apologetics and rational thought, I hope to expose any flaws or
errors found within the worldview of pantheism.
Critique of Pantheism
This portion of the paper will aim to disprove the premises of pantheism stated in
the previous section and attempt to discredit the logic behind the belief. The heart behind this
portion isn’t to prove one wrong, rather, it is to point one away from deception and towards the
truth of the Gospel in Christ Jesus. Scripture tells us “Always be prepared to give an answer to
everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness
and respect” (1 Peter 3:15, NIV). Through the use of apologetics and the work of the Holy Spirit,
eyes can be opened to flaws of pantheism and drawn to the truths of Christianity if done so with
a humble and gentle posture.
The major problem pantheism runs into is trying to account for the evil that exists
within the world. If everything is a piece of god and contains divine energy, then even the evil
9Lewis, C. S. Miracles: A Preliminary Study. Fount, 1974. 48.
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parts of the world would have to be considered good since they are a mode of god. When we run
with this idea, we quickly realize that with pantheism there is no objective moral code. Even
when examining the Holocaust, child suffering, murder, etc. these things cannot be classified as
bad, due to the conclusion that such things are god.10 So then, how does society title certain
things good and others evil? When we take this idea even further, we not only determine an
objective moral code exists but there must be a God separate from the universe to set such a
standard.11 Therefore, God is the standard above and outside of society, who determines what is
right and wrong. He is the creator of an objective moral code. Simply put, a man does not know a
line is crooked if he does not have an idea of a straight line.12 Once again CS Lewis describes
this dilemma but this time in his book Mere Christianity, as he writes:
“If you do not take the distinction between good and bad very seriously, then it is
easy to say that anything you find in this world is a part of God. But, of course, if you
think some things really bad, and God really good, then you cannot talk like that. You
must believe that God is separate from the world and that some of the things we see in it
are contrary to His will. Confronted with a cancer or a slum the Pantheist can say, 'If you
could only see it from the divine point of view, you would realise that this also is God?
The Christian replies, 'Don't talk damned nonsense." For Christianity is a fighting
religion. It thinks God made the world - that space and time, heat and cold, and all the
colours and tastes, and all the animals and vegetables, are things that God ‘made out of
His head’ as a man makes up a story. But it also thinks that a great many things have
12 Staples), Lewis C S (Clive. Mere Christianity. Simon and Schuster, 1996.
11 Paul M. Gould, Travis Dickinson, and R. Keith Loftin, Stand Firm: Apologetics and the Brilliance of the
Gospel (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2018), 43.
10 Sweis, Khaldoun, A. and Chad V. Meister. Christian Apologetics: An Anthology of Primary Sources.
Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012.
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gone wrong with the world that God made and that God insists, and insists very loudly,
on our putting them right again.”13
Another one of the major flaws when observing pantheism is the explanation for the
beginning of creation. Pantheism has a wide range of options when choosing to explain the very
start of creation, but no matter which concept within the overarching belief is selected, errors
will arise. Common responses associated with the worldview are emanationism, Maya, or divine
eternal existence. In 1984, Macquarrie explains why emanationism is closely related to
pantheism as he describes “Emanationism is the view that "creation" is not a "making," but in
some sense a "flowing forth" from God or its origin. And, what "flows forth" "maintains a closer
relation to [its] origin. It participates in the origin, and the origin participates in it."14 A roadblock
quickly comes up with emanatonism, especially when we continue with the belief of a divine
being who is not characterized as “personal.” If god is not characterized as a “minded” being and
does not make decisions, how can everything flow from such entity? God can be seen as the
cause of all things, yet god is not a “thinking” being.
Thirdly, pantheism cannot account for the Law of Contradiction. The teleological
argument for the Law of Contradiction states:
1. The Law of Contradiction (LOC) is obeyed by reality and all things in it.
2. The universe cannot account for the existence of the LOC for the universe obeys
the LOC (The universe cannot both exist and not exist at the same time and in the
same respect).
3. Therefore, an omnipotent being (God) above laws and logic must exist in order to
account for the existence of the LOC.15
15 Kepnes, S. (2020). Seeing and Not Seeing the Face of God: Overcoming the Law of Contradiction in
Biblical Theology. European Journal for Philosophy of Religion,12(2), 133–147.
14 Levine, Michael P. “Pantheism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University.
13 Ibid.
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Now that we have established pantheism's inability to account for an objective moral
code, the beginning of creation, and the Law of Contradiction, we will begin to shift our focus to
Christianity and how scripture addresses each of these.
Defense of Christianity
We now take an examination of what Scripture tells us about the Christian faith and
God’s relation to creation. In the Bible, the concept of God as love and goodness is heavily
emphasized. One notable passage that expresses this fundamental aspect of God's nature is found
in the New Testament, where it states, "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God
is love." (1 John 4:8, NIV) This concise declaration captures the essence of God's character as
inherently loving. Moreover, the Bible consistently teaches that God's goodness is boundless and
eternal. In Psalm 100:5, it is written, "For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his
faithfulness continues through all generations." (New International Version) These verses
underscore the enduring nature of God's love and goodness, conveying the idea that God's
essence is characterized by boundless love and unwavering goodness, forming a foundational
aspect of the Christian understanding of the divine. Christians point to their God, who is outside
and above creation as the standard of good and evil.
Looking further into the topic of creation, the Bible articulates the profound concept of
God as the Creator of the universe. Genesis 1:1 boldly declares, "In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth." (NIV) This verse serves as the foundational statement highlighting
God's role as the ultimate architect and originator of all existence. The following verses in
Genesis detail the creative process, emphasizing God's intentional design and order including
day and night,, and all living creatures. Psalm 33:6 (NIV) further affirms this perspective, stating,
"By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth."
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These passages collectively underscore the biblical assertion that God, through His creative
power, brought the entire universe into being, showcasing His creativity and sovereignty.
Through the examination of these passages, it is evident that Christians view God as an intimate
Creator of all things and above His creation. Just as a painter is not his painting, God is not His
creation.
The Bible consistently emphasizes God's supremacy above creation, highlighting His
transcendence and authority. In Isaiah 55:8-9, God declares, "For my thoughts are not your
thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the
earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (NIV) This
passage underscores the vast difference between God's wisdom and understanding compared to
human comprehension, revealing His position above creation. This verse affirms the biblical
teaching that God is above and beyond His creation, transcending human understanding and
holding all authority over the cosmos. Ultimately God cannot be restricted to the laws of the
universe, including the Law of Contradiction, for His ways are beyond our understanding.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while pantheism offers an intriguing perspective on the universe, it falls
short in providing a comprehensive moral framework, explaining the beginning of creation, and
reconciling the law of contradiction. Without a transcendent source of morality, it struggles to
ground ethical principles objectively. Moreover, its conception of the universe as divine lacks a
coherent explanation for the origin and purpose of existence. Conversely, Christianity offers a
logical and coherent belief system that addresses these shortcomings. With the idea of a personal
and moral God, Christianity provides a solid foundation for ethics and offers a narrative for the
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beginning of creation in the book of Genesis. Throughout scripture, God’s love, supremacy, and
omnipotence are undeniable and provide the foundation for a superior and logical worldview.
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Bibliography
Bennett, Jonathan. A Study of Spinoza's Ethics. Indiana: Hackett, 1984.
Corrington, R. S. (2016). Deep pantheism : toward a new transcendentalism. Lexington
Books
Francks, Richard. "Omniscience, Omnipotence and Pantheism." Philosophy, 54 (1979)
pp. 395-399.
Gould, Paul, Travis Dickinson, and R. Keith Loftin, Stand Firm: Apologetics and the
Brilliance of the Gospel (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2018), 43.
Kepnes, S. (2020). Seeing and Not Seeing the Face of God: Overcoming the Law of
Contradiction in Biblical Theology. European Journal for Philosophy of Religion,12(2),
133–147.
Levine, Michael P. Elements of Pantheism. Routledge, 2002.
Levine, Michael P. “Pantheism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford
University.
Lewis C S (Clive. Mere Christianity. Simon and Schuster, 1996.
MacIntyre, Alasdair. "Pantheism." In Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Ed. Paul Edwards.
New York: Macmillan and Free Press, 1967.
Sweis, Khaldoun, A. and Chad V. Meister. Christian Apologetics: An Anthology of
Primary Sources. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012
