Dancing on the pinhead of panentheism
The conclusion to a short series asking if panentheism is a better way to understand God and nature than traditional theism. While this popular new “doctrine of God” has appeal, at its heart it fails to account for the distinction between creator and created.
Is choosing between pantheism, theism and panentheism a modern version of deciding how many angels can dance on the head of a pin? The question, posed initially by Thomas Aquinas to explore the materiality or immateriality of angelic beings is frequently used to say some theological speculations are a big waste of time.
I think it not a waste because how we conceive of God or no God matters greatly for how we live our lives. Whether it matters for the life after I’ll leave for another day. I’ve already expressed in earlier posts that considering the panentheistic idea where God as Spirit is far more intimately entwined with nature than I previously considered has helped me understand and appreciate the deep unity of all things. I do not worship nature, as some do, but I do worship the God who created it and who is so much a part of it that it can be said He/She/It is closer to me than my own breath. And as close as that to every water molecule, every stone, every human no matter how great or small, strong or weak they may be.
