Pantheism is the belief that the universe and nature are divine.

Every religion has had its pantheists. Pantheism is the perennial religion, which continually emerges from all transcendental or idealist religions.

In addition people in every religion have seen God in nature, whether they formally express that identity or not. Examples include Shaftsbury, Rousseau, and many poets from Wordsworth to Robinson Jeffers.

Pantheism has taken many diverse forms. Strict or scientific pantheism holds that God and the material universe are identical. Its first adherents were the Greek materialist Heraclitus, the Chinese Taoist Chuang Tzu, and the Stoic philosopher Zeno of Cittium. Later proponents have included the Christian David of Dinant, the neo-Confucian Chang Tsai, and the author of these pages, Paul Harrison. Taoism is a form of materialist pantheism, as are some types of Mahayan Buddhism.

There have been many other types of pantheism. All of them identify God in some way with what is considered most fundamental in the Universe.

Some pantheisms are idealistic or world-negating - believing that the visible world is unreal or an illusion, masking an underlying unity. These include the Eleatic school of Xenophanes and Parmenides, the Upanishads, and most schools of Mahayana Buddhism.

Related to pantheism, and included in this history, is panentheism. Panentheists believe that God is present in the sensible universe, but also extends beyond it. These include the neo-Platonist Plotinus and most Christian and Islamic pantheists such as Meister Eckhart, Ibn Al'Arabi or Attar.

Many panentheists, while accepting that the material world exists, are world-rejecting, believing that the material world is in some way separate from and inferior to the spiritual world. A common view is that the body is the prison of the soul, which can only be liberated if it suppresses the body's needs, and only fully liberated after death.

The world-negating and world-rejecting pantheisms are as distant from scientific pantheism as it is possible to get. In a sense they are the reverse of pan-theism - "everything=God" - in that they deny or denigrate the "everything" part of the equation, at least in any normal sense of the word "everything." They despise or deny the world of the senses and of the body. They are included in this history for completeness - and to remind us of pitfalls to avoid.

---

The following quotes are from an abstract work named "Ethics" by Spinoza,
a pre-modern Pantheist and translated by R. H. Elwes.

Nothing exists but God

God is one, that is, only one substance can be granted in the universe. [I.14]

Whatsoever is, is in God, and without God nothing can be, or be conceived. {I.15]

God is the indwelling and not the transient cause of all things. All things which are, are in God. Besides God there can be no substance, that is, nothing in itself external to God. [I.17]

God is the force preserving things in existence

Although each particular thing be conditioned by another particular thing to exist in a given way, yet the force whereby each particular thing perseveres in existing follows from the eternal necessity of God's nature. [ii.45]

Individual things are expressions of the attributes of God

Individual things are nothing but modifications of the attributes of God, or modes by which the attributes of God are expressed in a fixed and definite manner.[i.25.]

There is no evil

The perfection of things is to be reckoned only from their own nature and power; things are not more or less perfect, according as they delight or offend human senses, or according as they are serviceable or repugnant to mankind. [i.Appendix]

Knowledge of God is the highest good

The intellectual love of the mind towards God is part of the infinite love where with God loves himself . . . The love of God towards men, and the intellectual love of the mind towards God, are identical. [v.36]

The mind's highest good is the knowledge of God, and the mind's highest virtue is to know God. [iv.28]

The human mind has ideas from which it perceives itself and its own body and external bodies as actually existing; therefore it has an adequate knowledge of the eternal and infinite essence of God. [ii.47]

Our highest happiness is in . . . the knowledge of god . . . We may thus clearly understand how far astray from a true estimate of virtue are those who expect to be decorated by God with high rewards for their virtue; as if virtue and the service of God were not in itself happiness and perfect freedom. [ii.49]

Learning to see God in all things

The mind can bring it about, that all bodily modifications or images of things maybe referred to the idea of God. [v.14]

The more we understand particular things, the more we understand God. [v.24]

He who clearly and distinctly understands himself and his emotions loves God, and so much the more in proportion as he more understands himself and his emotions.[v.15]

Our mind, in so far as it knows itself and the body under the form of eternity, has to that extent necessarily a knowledge of God, and knows that it is in God, and is conceived through God. [v.30]

Acceptance of destiny

In so far as we understand the causes of pain, to that extent it ceases to be a passion, that is, it ceases to be pain; therefore, in so far as we understand God to be the cause of pain, we to that extent feel pleasure. [v.18]

The wise man . . . is scarcely at all disturbed in spirit, but, being conscious of himself, and of God, and of things, by a certain eternal necessity, never ceases to be, but always possesses true acquiescence of his spirit. [v.52]

The mind has greater power over the emotions and is less subject thereto, in so far as it understands all things as necessary. Proof: The mind understands all things to be necessary and to be determined to existence and operation by an infinite chain of causes, therefore . . . it thus far brings it about, that it is less subject to the emotions arising therefrom, and feels less emotion towards the things themselves. [v.6]

Nature does not work with an end in view

Nature does not work with an end in view. For the eternal and infinite Being, which we call God or Nature, acts by the same necessity as that whereby it exists. . . . Therefore, as he does not exist for the sake of an end, so neither does he act for the sake of an end; of his existence and of his action there is neither origin nor end. [iv. Preface]

God is indifferent to individuals

God is without passions, neither is he affected by any emotion of pleasure or pain . . . Strictly speaking, God does not love anyone. [V.17]

He who loves God cannot endeavour that God should love him in return. [V.19]

SCIENTIFIC PANTHEISM reveres the universe as the only real divinity. It fuses religion and science, and concern for humans with concern for nature. It provides the most realistic concept of life after death, and the most solid basis for environmental ethics. It is a religion that requires no faith other than common sense, no revelation other than open eyes and a mind open to evidence,  no guru other than your own self.

The ancient faith of Pantheism is experiencing a modern resurrection. Pantheism, never a dogmatically defined philosophy, has evolved into a meaningful path for modern life. Its tenets are simple: the Universe is divine, the Earth is sacred. The Pantheist doesn't get his or her God from any book or prophet, nor does he or she place ultimate faith in any of the inventions of Man, but rather in the creative Universe itself.

It has been said that whatever you put your ultimate faith and trust in is your God, but to say that to the Pantheist "God is Nature" is incomplete. Pantheism can be viewed as a theistic religion, but alternatively as a world view relevant to the non-theist. Pantheism has known a long and varied religious history, dating back beyond Spinoza, to the Stoics of ancient Greece, the philosophers of ancient India, and the animism of many native cultures. However, there has been no organization to represent modern Pantheists until the formation of the Universal Pantheist Society in 1975. Today there is a great need for an ethical Pantheism.

In the modern world, the destruction of the biosphere and the need for an ecologically valid ethical system places Pantheism in a new position. While it is not necessary that Pantheism be seen as the sole solution toward revising human attitudes and behavior toward the natural world, the institution of the Pantheist world view is one way of insuring the survival and well-being of all life on Planet Earth. The label "Pantheism" isn't necessary so much as an awareness of the wholeness and holiness of life.

In the struggle for responsible use and preservation of the Earth's environment, reverence for Earth may be the only philosophical baseline that can match the powerful impetus of economic special interest.

Adherents of Pantheism understand it as a way of life, a way of viewing a world where human beings are but one of many living things. For the Pantheist, creator and context are one entity, the Universe being experienced holistically. Pantheists who use a theistic terminology define God as the Universe taken as a whole. The Universe is a creative process, thus our Creator; but at the same time we are a part of it. Pantheists derive their fundamental religious experience through their personal relationship with the surrounding Universe, recognizing that humanity is not apart from Nature, but that Nature is the ultimate context for human existence. Humanity's unity with the Universe is our fundamental religious impulse. Thus, those who are uncomfortable with deities and names for deities, can still find comfort within Pantheism.

But Pantheism remains more than a mere philosophy of life, because all Pantheists, whether approaching religious ideas from a theistic or non-theistic viewpoint, have a sense of reverence for the world. Thus, Pantheists oppose the world view of anthropo-centrism - that is, a belief that the world was created exclusively for the benefit of human beings. Pantheists consider that anthropocentric attitude to be equivalent to specism; perhaps worse than racism in its capacity for undermining the very existence of our species as a part of the community of living things. The Pantheist religion is seen as a system of reverent behavior toward Nature rather than anthropomorphic deities.

Pantheists celebrate three different approaches to "knowing" or growing closer to the sacredness of the Universe: the way of knowledge, the way of devotion, and the way of works. By integrating these approaches, we recognize the unity of body and mind, nature and spirit, and fulfill the wholeness of being alive.

The intellectual approach (knowledge) for the Pantheist is the study of Nature. This includes everything from the most rigorous scientific research to personal observation of the natural world.

Pantheists likewise have their own forms of devotion which are significant approaches to religious experience. Communion with Nature may involve artistic expression, nature observation, or various forms of outdoor activities. Wonder, reverence, and awe are promoted by the simple practice of sensory awareness, and a sense of the miraculous is a vital aspect of a Pantheist's personal devotion. Pantheists recognize that becoming connected in a real way with the genuine and awesome power of the vital primeval life-stream, both in external Nature and Nature within ourselves, is an authentic form of meditation, transcending temporary relaxation.

A dedication to living an ethical life style (works) is one of the most important modes of religious experience for the modern Pantheist. Doing some good in the world is properly understood to mean not merely to aid the well-being of neighbors, community, and humanity at large, but also to protect the natural environment upon which all living things depend. A respect for other creatures demands an affirmation of wildness and natural diversity. In working to preserve the biosphere, Pantheists are preserving a covenant with the Earth. An ethical Pantheist does not practice conservation out of simple self interest, but rather as a religious motivation, inspired by reverence for the world. This results in a concern for the natural, social, and psychic environment.

Reverent behavior toward the earth necessitates a personal commitment toward living in greater harmony with the biosphere. Mankind must use materials in the environment, just as any species, but blatant destruction is self-defeating. A devotion for the welfare of both humankind and the natural environment requires recognition of modern need for new life-styles of creative sustainability, in which we are producers as well as consumers.

Pantheism is in accord with current social movements which emphasize recycling, simple living, natural foods, and self sufficiency. Dietary choice helps to lighten the burden on the biosphere, to enhance understanding of our dependence on natural forces, and to honor our own bodies. Pantheists often avoid processed, denatured food, learning to eat and perhaps grow fresh, natural foods. Although some Pantheists are vegetarian, others simply try to live lower on the food chain.

Pantheist life-styles emphasize personal growth, natural living, creativity, and an attitude of nurture for living things, as opposed to the spiritual decay of materialism, high energy consumption, and consumptive forms of work and entertainment. To achieve a fully sustainable society may require a transformation of social and economic systems where such things as composting toilets and solar electricity can become commonplace. However, beginning with individual efforts, we can each work for such ideals by increasing recycling, gardening, non-motorized or at least public transportation, reducing waste, stopping pollution, and preserving natural habitats. Whether through lifestyle changes, or by pursuing educational, social, political, and spiritual outreach, we can work toward improved health, economic freedom, and a closer connection with natural forces. We can each find ways to cultivate our inner selves and help expand our human potential. For example, among the aids to personal improvement is periodic self-analysis and writing a personal mission statement. No one else can do it for you or tell you what to do; each of us must take responsibility to implement a lifestyle of Pantheist fulfillment.

For the Pantheist, the Universe as context is a way of understanding one's place in the world. We know that the fulfillment of a meaningful life depends upon a good relationship with our ultimate context: the Universe and the Earth. Humankind and our inventions are integral parts of the Universe, but should not be allowed to become out of balance with a healthy biosphere. Imbalance is unhealthy for both Nature and the individual as well. The promotion of harmony among people and context is the Pantheist's ultimate religious pursuit, both for our personal life and as a societal objective.