Evolutionary Panentheism

lunamoth said:
But I don't think we need to strive toward 'growing past' God as Person, because that's an important part of it too.
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I don't know that I have to grow past God being personal to me, but I feel like I need to grow past seeing God as a Person that is like me, if that makes sense. Maybe it works for other people, but my spiritual journey seems to push me toward giving up this conceptualization of God as something anthropomorphic. I feel that God is this way when I need God to be, but it is largely my need that is the causal factor.
 
Avi1223 said:
I liked the idea of evolutionary panenthesim when I first started thinking about it, but here is the description on the Esalen webpage. I have some concerns about the notion of the “ world-transcendent Being or Divinity” and the “occult worlds”.
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Earl, the idea of panentheism is very appealing from a rationalist point of view. However the description on the Esalen webpage includes notions that make it sound almost anthropomorphic (world transcendent Being or Divinity) and mystical (occult worlds).

Perhaps I am being too critical. That is why I need to read more.

I like the panentheistic idea of G-d interpenetrating every part of nature. And in my view this is consistent with the idea of non-corporeality. So the Esalen description seems like an inconsistancy to me.
Thanks.
 
nativeastral said:
l think youve just described 'evolutionary pan en theism'!
how can it be redundant if it never really 'got off the ground'?
it includes immanence and transcendence [unlike pantheism].
g#d is a 'loaded' term which people argue over incessantly.
l think a lot of the younger generation will embrace this concept more than 'g#d' and 'religion'. Perhaps 'evolutionary spirituality' then?
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I agree with Netti Netti it was simply redundant. Just because something doesn't take off doesn't necessarily mean that it’s a bad idea, it could mean the timing isn't right.

The theory of evolution that Darwin was the brain child of was actually thought of by an ancient Greek originally. He theorized that all humans originated from fish and that all life is all related. Maybe Darwin was influenced by him. End of the day God is all and God is love how can you go wrong with that :)
 
Avi1223 said:
Earl, the idea of panentheism is very appealing from a rationalist point of view. However the description on the Esalen webpage includes notions that make it sound almost anthropomorphic (world transcendent Being or Divinity) and mystical (occult worlds).

Perhaps I am being too critical. That is why I need to read more.

I like the panentheistic idea of G-d interpenetrating every part of nature. And in my view this is consistent with the idea of non-corporeality. So the Esalen description seems like an inconsistancy to me.
Thanks.
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Traditionally, the notion of panentheism was the notion that God/the Divine was both interwoven within all of creation but that all of creation did not fully encompass "God," that there is a part of the Divine that is also simultaneously outside of creation. If it were only the former it would be known as pantheism. I do not hold an anthropomorphic view of "God," though I do think that in a way the Divine can relate to one in a way that seems very "personal." As to the "occult" worlds, I do not believe they mean it in the mundane sense we often mean by that term-the magical arts as it were. Rather, I think that simply means the view that there are various non-material realms and dimensions populated by non-corporeal beings and "energy" flows which I do allow for the possibilty. earl
 
Nice earl! What makes an occult? Could it include any sort of ideology if so would you say the Nazi regime was? If it is can you see anything divine in it?
 
Postmaster said:
Nice earl! What makes an occult? Could it include any sort of ideology if so would you say the Nazi regime was? If it is can you see anything divine in it?
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The occult began as an ancient cult that worshipped a mysterious deity known simply as "Oc." Over time it became known in society as the "occult." ;)
 
Postmaster said:
Nice earl! What makes an occult? Could it include any sort of ideology if so would you say the Nazi regime was? If it is can you see anything divine in it?
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occult simply means 'hidden' imo; all societies had 'secret knowledge', orders and 'levels' initiatory. theres probably 'genuine' [seeds of the unknowable truth] and 'charlatan' [made up for power reasons] versions.
 
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