Immanence

Immanence is the quality of being present within and inherent to something, rather than existing apart from it. The term derives from Latin immanens, from in "in" and manere "to remain," and is often contrasted with transcendence, which denotes existence beyond or outside the world.

In theology, immanence refers to the divine presence within creation; an immanent God is conceived as active within the world and accessible to its beings. In this sense, immanence emphasizes continuity between the divine and the material order, though many traditions also maintain a transcendent aspect. In philosophy, immanence is a broader stance that grounds reality within the immanent processes of the world or experience rather than appealing to a separate realm or being.

Notable usages include Spinoza, who identifies God or Nature as an immanent, infinite substance; all things express the divine through their own essences. In Kantian and post-Kantian thought, the knowable field is seen as immanent to human experience, while things-in-themselves lie beyond. In phenomenology and some Continental theories, immanence is used to secure a non-dual, experiential basis for reality, often challenging metaphysical claims about surplus meaning from outside.

Beyond theology and philosophy, the term has been used in political and cultural theory to describe intrinsic, self-contained structures—such as social norms or value systems—that operate within a given domain rather than being imposed from above. Overall, immanence denotes containment within the present order, contrasting with transcendence as a claim to a higher or external reach.