Conceptions of God

Conceptions of God can vary widely, despite the use of the same term for them all. Theologians and philosophers have studied countless conceptions of God since the dawn of civilization.

The God of monotheism, pantheism or panentheism, or the supreme deity of henotheistic religions, may be conceived of in various degrees of abstraction:

as a powerful, human-like, supernatural being, or as the deification of an esoteric, mystical or philosophical category;
the Ultimate, the summum bonum, the Absolute Infinite, the Transcendent, or Existence or Being itself;
the ground of being, the monistic substrate, that which we cannot understand, etc.
Abrahamic conceptions of God
Main article: Abrahamic conceptions of God
Judaism, Christianity and Islam see God as a being who created the world and who rules over the universe. God is usually held to have the following properties: holiness, justice, sovereignty, omnipotence, omniscience, omnibenevolence, omnipresence, and immortality. He is also believed to be transcendent, meaning that God is outside space and time. Therefore eternal and unable to be changed by earthly forces or anything else within His creation.

In the Abrahamic traditions there are many differences in how these properties are expressed. The importance placed upon those properties is often debated by each group. In the past, as well as modern times people have gone so far as to suggest each group is speaking of a different "god." These religions all share the same roots and God, yet simply differ on the details.


Trinitarian definition

Within Christianity, the doctrine of the Trinity states that God is a single Being who exists, simultaneously and eternally, as a perichoresis of three persons (personae, prosopa): Father (the Source, the Eternal Majesty); the Son (the eternal Logos or Word, human as Jesus of Nazareth); and the Holy Spirit (the Paraclete or advocate). Since the 4th Century AD, in both Eastern and Western Christianity, this doctrine has been stated as "One God in Three Persons," all three of whom, as distinct and co-eternal "persons" or "hypostases," share a single Divine essence, being, or nature. Following Thomas Aquinas and others, the Son is described as eternally begotten by the Father.

This generation does not imply a beginning for the Son or an inferior relationship with the Father. The Son is the perfect image of His Father, and is consubstantial with Him. Speaking in anthropomorphic terms (which necessarily must be analogous), the Father, upon seeing His own being in His Son, loves His Son and so loves Himself. The Son returns that love, and that union between the two is the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Again, the Holy Spirit is consubstantial and co-equal with the Father and the Son.Thus God contemplates and loves Himself, enjoying infinite and perfect beatitude within Himself.

This relationship between the other two persons is called procession. It should be noted that although the theology of the Trinity is accepted in most churches, there are theological differences, notably between Catholic and Orthodox thought on the procession of the Holy Spirit (see filioque). Many Christian communions do not accept the Trinitarian doctrine, at least not in its traditional form. Notable dissenting groups include the Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Christadelphians, Unitarians, Arians, and Adoptionists.

 Islamic concept

Main article: Islamic concept of God
Allah (Arabic allāhu الله) is the Arabic word for "God", and is used by Arabic-speaking Muslims, Chistians and Jews and Mizrahi Jews alike. Muslims consider God to be perfect, unique, eternal, self-sufficient, omnipotent and omniscient. He is said not resemble any of his creations in any way. The Qur'an describes God as being fully aware of everything that happens in the universe, including private thoughts and feelings.

Muslims are not iconodules and this extends to all religious aspects (including any iconographic depiction other than in writing) so that it does not lead to idolatry. Instead, they focus on His 99 "names" that are stated in the Qur'an, the holy book of the Muslims. Nearly one third of the book is used describing God's attributes and actions. Also, "hadith qudsi" are special recorded sayings of Muhammad to Muslims where he quotes what God has taught him.
 

God as unity or Trinity