Panentheism FAQs
What is Panentheism:
While there is no one answer to that question because there is no central authority in the belief, in the briefest terms, Panentheism is the belief that everything that exists does so within and as part of God itself. I holds that there is nothing outside of God, for the creator and the created are one in the same, in a constant state of self-creation.
How or what does a Panentheist worship?
The short answer is we do not worship, but that is only in the traditional sense. considering ourselves to be part of, and in total communion with God, there is nothing outside of ourselves that should or could be worshiped. However, it is the nature of a panentheist to see all things as holy and sacred, for all things are in fact God. Reverence for all things and events as part of the Devine existence is usually part of a Panentheist's experience.
Is it a religion?
No, Panentheism is not a religion, it is a belief structure, a paradigm or working model of the universe, God and humanity. There are also no religions within that paradigm, do to the nature of its beliefs
How does Panentheism view God in relation to humans?
We are creatures of God, not as some religions hold that we are created by God and separated from that Devine Being; but Panentheism holds that we are indeed extensions of the Devine, here in the physical, relative realm for the purpose of experiencing what God is. Experiencing this in minute detail, in ways that the Total could never experience because we have taken on the forgetfulness of not being or seeing the Total. In this way, we are free to see things as separate from other things, to experience events devoid of understanding, to "discover" things anew. To create things anew.
Do Panentheists believe in an afterlife?
Panentheists believe in the eternal nature of life, it is a never ending state of being. Panentheists do not view being human as a separate life, but only a state of being, and when this state ends, we continue on, creating other states of being. We do not hold the traditional western view of a static existence after the body dies, where we are placed in a state of being dependant on our behavior here on earth.
We do not hold a vision of heaven or hell.
Do Panentheists believe in a soul?
Yes, but we see it differently. We view the soul as our true being, the core of who we are, and it is part of God. The soul is a individuation of the sum total of God, in constant communion with all other souls. It is our driving nature.
Reading list- so far
"Conversations With God", books 1,2,3
"Friendship With God"
"Communion With God"
all written by Neale Donald Walsch
"Illusions", by Richard Bach
"Healing The Soul Of America", by Marianne Williamson
Web links