Theism facts for kids

Theism is a belief that at least one god exists. It usually means believing in God or gods in general.

For example, Christianity is a theistic religion because Christians believe in God. The opposite of a theist is an atheist. An atheist is someone who does not believe in any supreme being or gods.

Different Ways to Think About Gods

People have many different ideas about gods. Here are some common ways people think about them:

Not Believing in Gods

• Atheism is when someone does not believe in any gods or deities at all. It's the opposite of theism.
• Agnosticism is the idea that we cannot truly know if gods exist or not. It's about not being sure.

Sometimes, atheism and agnosticism are grouped together as nontheism. This means there isn't a clear belief in any god.

Believing in Gods

These are the main types of theism:

• Polytheism is believing that many gods or goddesses exist. You might hear this called paganism sometimes.
• Monotheism is believing that only one god exists. Religions like Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are monotheistic.
• Ditheism is the belief that two gods exist, and they are both equally powerful.

How Gods Relate to the World

Here are other ways people think about the nature of gods:

• Deism is believing that god(s) created the universe but do not get involved in our daily lives. They set things in motion and then stepped back.
• Pantheism is the belief that god and the universe are the same thing. Everything is part of God.
• Panentheism is similar to pantheism, but it believes the universe is part of God, but God is also bigger than the universe.
• Dystheism or maltheism is the idea that god or the gods are evil or not good.

Other Beliefs About Gods

• Animism is the belief that everything is alive and has a spirit or soul. This includes animals, plants, rocks, and even rivers.
• Monolatry is when people believe there might be more than one god, but they only worship one supreme god. Other gods are seen as expressions of this main god.
• Henotheism is similar to monolatry. It means there might be more than one god, but only one is considered the most powerful or supreme.
• Kathenotheism is when people believe in many gods, but they worship one god at a time, making that god supreme for a certain period. Each god takes a turn being the most important.