Divine presence
Concept in religion, spirituality, and theology
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Conceptualizations
The concept is shared by many religious traditions, is found in a number of independently derived conceptualizations, and each of these has culturally distinct terminology. Some of the various relevant concepts and terms are:
- Immanence – usually applied in monotheistic, pantheistic, pandeistic, or panentheistic faiths to suggest that the spiritual world permeates the mundane. It is often contrasted with transcendence, in which the divine is seen to be outside the material world.
- Inner light – in various religions, the presence of God as a "light". The Religious Society of Friends regards this concept as a fundamental belief.
- Divine light – an aspect of divine presence with qualities of illumination: thought, intellect, knowledge, insight, wisdom, being, divine love.
- Numen – Latin term for "presence", used historically to refer to a Roman religious concept.
- Divine embodiment – ritual identification with or embodiment of a deity
- Theophany – the appearance of a deity to a human.
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Abrahamic religions
Judaism
- Angel of the Presence – an entity variously considered angelic or else identified with God himself.
- Shekhinah – the dwelling or settling of the divine presence of God and his cosmic glory.
The Sages of Israel have given expression of the Divine Presence (Hebrew: Shekhinah) in their writings:
The Divine Presence rests not [upon man] through sadness, neither through sloth, nor through jesting, nor through levity, nor through loquacity, nor through [a host of] vain pursuits, but rather through the joyful performance of keeping one’s religious duty.
Christianity
- Immanuel – "God with us" is a Biblical concept that deals with the concept of divine presence, often used by Christians as a title for Jesus
- Incarnation (Christianity) – Believed of the second person of the Trinity, also known as God the Son or the Logos (Word), who "became flesh" by being conceived in the womb of Mary.
Christians generally take Matthew 18:20 to confirm Christ's presence when they meet in his name; cf. Catholic teaching according to the Second Vatican Council: "Christ is always present in His Church, especially in her liturgical celebrations". Christians also recognize a special presence of Christ in the Eucharist, although among varying denominations they differ about exactly how, where, and when Christ is present. While all agree that there is no perceptible change in the elements, some believe that they actually become the body and blood of Christ, others believe the true body and blood of Christ are really present in, with, and under the bread and wine which remain physically unchanged, others believe in a real but purely spiritual presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and still others take the act to be only a symbolic reenactment of the Last Supper.
- Transubstantiation – Catholic sacramental doctrine – Catholic concept of Christ fully, truly and substantially present in the Eucharist with the physical species being substantially absent.
- Consubstantiation – Christian theological doctrine – Lutheran concept of Christ being "infused" within the species of communion with these aspects still substantially present.
Islam (with Sufism)
Divine Presence in Islam is known as "Hadra" and the human experience of it is known as "Hudur".
Practices in Sufism intended to evoke Hudur usually characterize it as "the heart's presence with Allah" ("Hudur al-Qalb"). Examples of such practices include:
- The Haḍra group ritual
- Muraqabah (meditation) in general
- Realization of the Jism Latif subtle body through practice with the Lataif-e-Sitta
Indian religions
In Hinduism, an avatar is the appearance or incarnation of a deity on Earth.