'The Distinct Usages of Divinity and Divine in Religious Discourse:'

The Distinct Usages of Divinity and Divine in Religious Discourse:

By divine at 06/13/07 06:32

• To refer to a godlike being or deity or Power
• To refer to forces and powers are universal, or transcend human capacities
• To refer to qualities of individuals who are considered to have some special access or relationship to the divine

Overlap occurs between these usages because godlike entitues and deities are often identical with or identified by the powers and forces that are credited to them - in many cases a deity is merely a power or force personified - and these powers and forces are often extended or granted to mortal individuals.

For example, throughout much of the Old Testament Yahweh is closely associated with storms and thunder: He is said to speak in thunder, and thunder is seen as a token of His anger. This power was then extended to prophets like Moses and Samuel, who caused thunderous storms to rain down on their enemies.

Divinity in monotheistic faiths always carries connotations of beauty, goodness, beneficence, justice, and other positive, pro-social attributes. In these faiths there is an equivalent cohort of malefic supranormal beings and powers, such as demons, devils, afreet, etc., which are not conventionally referred to as divine; demonic is often used instead. Pan- and polytheistic faiths make no such distinction; gods and other beings of transcendent power often have complex, ignoble, or even irrational motivations for their acts.

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