Godencapsulates

Godencapsulates is a term used in contemporary philosophy of religion to describe a model in which the divine reality contains within itself all aspects of reality. The term is a neologism formed from “God” and “encapsulates,” signaling ontological containment rather than a literal enclosure.

In this view, the entire structure of being—actual and possible worlds, events, and beings—are encompassed within the divine essence or mind. Proponents argue that encapsulation provides a precise way to account for divine sovereignty, omniscience, and aseity without collapsing distinctions between creator and creation. The model is typically discussed in relation to debates about divine simplicity, modality, and the nature of divine immanence.

Variants interpret containment differently: some see God as the essential boundary around all that exists, while others consider encapsulation as a metaphor for the way divine actuality grounds and interpenetrates the cosmos, aligning with panentheistic motifs but maintaining a functional distinction from pantheism.

Critics warn that strict encapsulation risks implying a closed system incompatible with an open, libertarian sense of creaturely freedom or with the authenticity of temporal processes. Supporters respond that the term clarifies how omniscience can be compatible with contingency and change.

See also: panentheism, omnipotence, divine simplicity, modality, divine immanence. Notes: Godencapsulates is a modern term used mainly in philosophical discussions and is not tied to a single, universally accepted doctrine.