teism

Teism (often spelled theism in English) denotes the belief in the existence of one or more gods or deities who have some role in the creation, governance, or moral order of the universe. As a broad category of religious and philosophical positions, teism includes a range of views from strict monotheism to various forms of polytheism and henotheism. Key distinctions within teism concern the nature of the divine—personal versus impersonal—and attributes commonly ascribed to a supreme deity, such as omnipotence, omniscience, and moral perfection, as in classical theism.

Historically, teistic beliefs have been central to many world religions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and various indigenous traditions. Philosophical discussions of teism have engaged arguments for the existence of God (cosmological, teleological, moral, and ontological arguments) as well as critiques such as the problem of evil, appeals to naturalistic explanations, and challenges based on evidential standards.

Variations related to teism include deism, which posits a non-interventionist creator, pantheism, which identifies God with the universe, and panentheism, which sees the divine as both immanent and transcendent. Within contemporary discourse, teism intersects with ethics, science, politics, and cultural identity, and remains a subject of theological reflection, philosophical debate, and sociological study.