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    Definitions – Ask the Rabbi

    Q. Can you explain the terms deism, theism, pantheism and panentheism?

    A. Deism: belief that God is completely beyond the universe.
    Theism: belief that God is both within and beyond the universe.
    Pantheism: belief that God is identical with Nature.
    Panentheism: belief that everything is in God.

    Each concept has its own history and its own proponents. Deism and pantheism are problematical for Judaism. Chassidism tends towards panentheism.

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