View source for Transcendence (religion)

{{Short description|Deity's nature beyond the material universe}}
{{distinguish|Transcendentalism|Transcendent theosophy}}
{{see also|Transcendence (philosophy)}}

{{use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2009}}

In [[religion]], '''transcendence''' is the aspect of existence that is completely independent of the material [[universe]], beyond all known [[physical law]]s. This is related to the nature and power of [[deity|deities]] as well as other [[Spirit world (Spiritualism)|spiritual]] or [[supernatural]] beings and forces. This is contrasted with [[immanence]], where a god is said to be fully present in the physical world and thus accessible to creatures in various ways. In [[religious experience]], transcendence is a state of being that has overcome the limitations of physical existence, and by some definitions, has also become independent of it. This is typically manifested in  [[prayer]], [[ritual]]s, [[meditation]], [[psychedelic drug|psychedelic]]s and [[paranormal]] visions.

It is affirmed in various religious traditions' concept of the [[divinity|divine]], which contrasts with the notion of a [[god]] (or, the [[Absolute (philosophy)|Absolute]]) that exists exclusively in the physical order ([[immanence|immanentism]]), or is indistinguishable from it ([[pantheism]]). Transcendence can be attributed in knowledge as well as or instead of its being. Thus, an entity may transcend both the universe and knowledge (is beyond the grasp of the human mind).

Although transcendence is defined as the opposite of [[immanence]], the two are not necessarily [[mutually exclusive]]. Some [[theology|theologians]] and [[metaphysics|metaphysicians]] of various religious traditions affirm that a god is both within and beyond the universe ([[panentheism]]); in it, but not of it; simultaneously pervading it and surpassing it.

==In Abrahamic religions==
{{main|God in Abrahamic religions}}

===Judaism===
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2014}}
[[Jewish]] theologians, especially since the [[Middle Ages]], have described the transcendence of God in terms of [[divine simplicity]], explaining the traditional characteristics of God as [[omniscient]] and [[omnipotent]].  Interventions of divine transcendence occur in the form of events outside the realm of natural occurrence such as [[miracle]]s and the [[revelation]] of the [[Ten Commandments]] to [[Moses]] at [[Mount Sinai]].

In Jewish [[Kabbalistic]] [[cosmology]], God is described as the "[[Ein Sof]]" (literally, without end) as reference to God's divine simplicity and essential unknowability. The emanation of creation from the Ein Sof is explained through a process of filtering. In the Kabbalistic [[creation myth]] referred to as the "breaking of the vessels," filtering was necessary because otherwise this intense, simple essence would have overwhelmed and made impossible the emergence of any distinct creations. Each filter, described as a vessel, captured the emanation of this creative force until it was overwhelmed and broken by the intensity of God's simple essence. Once broken, the vessel's shards, full of absorbed "divine sparks," fell into a vessel below. This process ultimately continued until the "light" of Godliness was sufficiently reduced to allow the world we inhabit to be sustained without breaking. The creation of this world, however, comes with the consequence that Godly transcendence is hidden, or "exiled" (from the immanent world). Only through the revelation of sparks hidden within the shards embedded in our material world can this transcendence be recognized again. In [[Hasidic]] thought, divine sparks are revealed through the performance of commandments or "[[mitzvot]]," (literally, the obligations and prohibitions described in the [[Torah]]). A Kabbalistic explanation for the existence of malevolence in the world is that such terrible things are possible with the divine sparks being hidden. Thus there is some urgency to performing mitzvot in order to liberate the hidden sparks and perform a "[[tikkun olam]]" (literally, healing of the world). Until then, the world is presided over by the immanent aspect of God, often referred to as the [[Shekhinah]] or divine spirit, and in feminine terms.

===Christianity===
{{Attributes of God}}
{{expand section|date=November 2016}}
The [[Catholic Church]], as do other [[Christian denomination|Christian denominations]], holds that God transcends all creation.<ref>[http://ccc.usccb.org/flipbooks/catechism/index.html#35/z Catechism of the Catholic Church §§42, 212]</ref> According to [[Thomas Aquinas|Aquinas]], "concerning God, we cannot grasp what he is, but only what he is not, and how other beings stand in relation to him."<ref>Aquinas, Thomas. SCG I, 30</ref> Anthropomorphic depictions of God are largely metaphorical and reflect the challenge of "human modes of expression" in attempting to describe the infinite.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usccb.org/sites/default/files/flipbooks/catechism/index.html|title=Catechism of the Catholic Church|website=www.usccb.org}}</ref> [[Augustine of Hippo|St. Augustine]] observed "...[I]t is only by the use of such human expressions that [[Bible|Scripture]] can make its many kinds of readers whom it wants to help to feel, as it were, at home."<ref>Augustine of Hippo, ''City of God'', 15, 25</ref> The "sense of transcendence" and therefore, an awareness of the "sacred", is an important component of the liturgy.<ref>[http://www.lincolndiocese.org/op-ed/bcwriting/102-reflecting-on-transcendence-in-the-liturgy-the-new-translation-of-the-mass-and-what-will-it-mean-for-us Conley, James D., "Reflecting on Transcendence in the Liturgy", ''southern Nebraska Register'']</ref> Thus, God is recognized as both transcendent and [[Immanence|immanent]].

Trascendence of God is implicitly affirmed by the [[First Vatican Council]]'s apostolic constitution ''[[Dei Filius]]'':
{{quote|The holy Catholic Apostolic Roman Church believes and confesses that there is one true and living God, Creator and Lord of [[heaven]] and earth, almighty, eternal, immense, ''incomprehensible'', infinite in intelligence, in will, and in all perfection, who, as being one, sole, absolutely simple and immutable spiritual [[Ousia|substance]], is to be declared as ''really and essentially distinct from the world, of supreme beatitude in and from Himself'', and ''ineffably exalted above all things which exist, or are conceivable, except Himself''.|[https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/creeds2.v.ii.i.html Dei Filius], Chapter I}}
God's transcendence deals with His [[impassibility]], [[ineffability]], as well as with His [[immutability]] and infinity (all what is in the space-time is mutable and finite).

===Islam===
{{Main|Allah|God in Islam|Tawhid|Tanzih}}
''Tawhid'' is the act of believing and affirming that [[God]] (Arabic: [[Allah]]) is one and unique (''wāḥid''). The Qur'an asserts the existence of a single and absolute truth that transcends the world; a unique and indivisible being who is independent of the entire creation.<ref name="EncRel">Vincent J. Cornell, Encyclopedia of Religion, Vol 5, pp.3561-3562</ref> According to the Qur'an, as mentioned in [[Surat al-Ikhlas]]:<ref name="EncRel"/>

{{Quote|text='''1.''' Say: He, Allah, is [[Ahad]] (the Unique One of Absolute Oneness, who is indivisible in nature, who is unique in His essence, attributes, names and acts, the One who has no second, no associate, no parents, no offspring, no peers, free from the concept of [[Multiplicity (mathematics)|multiplicity]], and far from conceptualization and limitation, and there is nothing like Him in any respect).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.islamawakened.com/quran/112/1/|title=IslamAwakened [Qur'an 112:1]|website=IslamAwakened.com|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210604214131/https://www.islamawakened.com/quran/112/1/|archive-date=4 Jun 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=[[Ibn Juzayy]]|url=https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=2&tTafsirNo=88&tSoraNo=112&tAyahNo=1&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=1|title=Tafsir Ibn Juzayy [Surat al-Ikhlas: 1-4]|publisher=[[Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought]]|website=www.altafsir.com|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210702002657/https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=2&tTafsirNo=88&tSoraNo=112&tAyahNo=1&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=1|archive-date=2 Jul 2021|language=Arabic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author='Ala' al-Din al-Khazin|url=https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=2&tTafsirNo=18&tSoraNo=112&tAyahNo=1&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=1|title=Tafsir al-Khazin [Surat al-Ikhlas: 1-4]|publisher=[[Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought]]|website=www.altafsir.com|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210629035650/https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=2&tTafsirNo=18&tSoraNo=112&tAyahNo=1&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=1|archive-date=29 Jun 2021|language=Arabic}}</ref>

'''2.''' Allah is [[al-Samad]] (the Ultimate Source of all existence, the [[unmoved mover|uncaused cause]] who created all things out of nothing, who is eternal, absolute, immutable, perfect, complete, essential, independent, and self-sufficient; Who does not need to eat or drink, sleep or rest; Who needs nothing while all of creation is in absolute need of Him; the one eternally and constantly required and sought, depended upon by all existence and to whom all matters will ultimately return).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.islamawakened.com/quran/112/2/|title=IslamAwakened [Qur'an 112:2]|website=IslamAwakened.com|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210604205554/https://www.islamawakened.com/quran/112/2/|archive-date=4 Jun 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ahmedhulusi.org/en/quran/112-al-ikhlas|title=Decoding The Quran (A Unique Sufi Interpretation)|website=www.ahmedhulusi.org|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210628224634/https://www.ahmedhulusi.org/en/quran/112-al-ikhlas|archive-date=28 Jun 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=[[Abu Ishaq al-Tha'labi]]|url=https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=2&tTafsirNo=75&tSoraNo=112&tAyahNo=1&tDisplay=yes&Page=3&Size=1&LanguageId=1|title=Tafsir al-Tha'labi [Surat al-Ikhlas: 1–4]|publisher=[[Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought]]|website=www.altafsir.com|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210702003255/https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=2&tTafsirNo=75&tSoraNo=112&tAyahNo=1&tDisplay=yes&Page=3&Size=1&LanguageId=1|archive-date=2 Jul 2021|language=Arabic}}</ref>

'''3.''' He begets not, nor is He begotten (He is Unborn and Uncreated, has no parents, wife or offspring).

'''4.''' And there is none comparable (equal, equivalent or similar) to Him.}}

According to [[Vincent J. Cornell]], the Qur'an also provides a [[monism|monist]] image of God by describing the reality as a unified whole, with God being a single concept that would describe or ascribe all existing things:<ref name="EncRel"/> "God is the First and the Last, the Outward and the Inward; God is the Knower of everything." [Qur'an [https://www.islamawakened.com/quran/57/3/ 57:3]] All Muslims have however vigorously criticized interpretations that would lead to a monist view of God for what they see as blurring the distinction between the creator and the creature, and its incompatibility with the radical monotheism of Islam.<ref>Roger S. Gottlie (2006), p.210</ref>

In order to explain the complexity of unity of God and of the divine nature, the Qur'an uses 99 terms referred to as "Most Beautiful Names of Allah" (Sura 7:180)[12]. Aside from the supreme name "Allah" and the neologism al-Rahman (referring to the divine beneficence that constantly  (re)creates, maintains and destroys the universe), other names may be shared by both God and human beings. According to the Islamic teachings, the latter is meant to serve as a reminder of God's [[immanence]] rather than being a sign of one's divinity or alternatively imposing a limitation on God's transcendent nature.

Tawhid or Oneness of God constitutes the foremost article of the Muslim profession.<ref name="EoI">D. Gimaret, ''Tawhid'', [[Encyclopedia of Islam]]</ref> To attribute divinity to a created entity is the only unpardonable sin mentioned in the Qur'an.<ref name="Barlas96">Asma Barlas (2003–2007) Believing Women in Islam. University of Texas Press, p.96</ref> Muslims believe that the entirety of the Islamic teaching rests on the principle of Tawhid.<ref>Tariq Ramadan (2005), p.203</ref>

===Baháʼí Faith===
The [[Baháʼí Faith]] believes in a [[Monotheism|single]], imperishable [[god]], the creator of all things, including all the creatures and forces in the universe.<ref name="britannica">{{cite encyclopedia | year = 1988 | title = The Baháʼí Faith | encyclopedia = Britannica Book of the Year | publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica | location = Chicago | isbn = 0852294867 | url = https://archive.org/details/1988britannicabo0000daum }}</ref>  In the Baháʼí tradition, god is described as "a personal god, unknowable, inaccessible, the source of all Revelation, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent, and almighty."<ref>{{cite book|first=Shoghi |last=Effendi |author-link=Shoghi Effendi |year=1944 |title=God Passes By |publisher=Baháʼí Publishing Trust |location=[[Wilmette, Illinois]] |isbn=0877430209 |url=http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/se/GPB/gpb-9.html#gr26 | page= 139}}</ref>  Though inaccessible directly, God is nevertheless seen as conscious of his creation, with a mind, will, and purpose.  Baháʼís believe that God expresses this will at all times and in many ways, including through a series of divine messengers referred to as [[Manifestation of God (Baháʼí Faith)|Manifestations of God]] or sometimes ''divine educators''.<ref name="eor">{{cite encyclopedia | last = Hutter | author-link = Manfred Hutter | first = Manfred | editor = Ed. Lindsay Jones | encyclopedia = Encyclopedia of Religion | title = Bahā'īs | edition = 2nd | year = 2005 | publisher = Macmillan Reference | volume = 2 | location = Detroit | isbn = 0028657330 | pages = 737–740 | url = https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofre0000unse_v8f2 }}</ref> In expressing God's intent, these manifestations are seen to establish religion in the world.  [[Baháʼí teachings]] state that God is too great for humans to fully comprehend, nor to create a complete and accurate image.<ref name="manifestation">{{cite journal | first = Juan | last = Cole | title = The Concept of Manifestation in the Baháʼí Writings| year = 1982 | journal = [[Baháʼí studies#Journals|Études Baháʼí Studies]] | volume = monograph 9  | pages =1–38 | url = http://bahai-library.com/cole_concept_manifestation |via=Bahá'í Library Online}}</ref>

==In Indian religions==
===Buddhism===
In [[Buddhism]], "transcendence", by definition, belongs to the mortal beings of the [[Buddhist cosmology#Formless Realm (Ārūpyadhātu)|formless realms]] of existence. However, although such beings are at 'the peak' of [[Samsara]], Buddhism considers the development of transcendence to be both temporary and a spiritual cul-de-sac which, therefore, does not eventuate a permanent cessation of Samsara. This assertion was a primary differentiator from the other [[Sramana]] teachers during [[Gautama Buddha]]'s own training and development.<ref>Ariyapariyesana Sutta – "'This Dhamma (of Alara Kalama) leads not to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to stilling, to direct knowledge, to Awakening, nor to Unbinding, but only to reappearance in the dimension of nothingness (one of the four states of formlessness).'"</ref>

Alternatively, in the various forms of Buddhism—Theravada, Mahayana (especially Pure Land and Zen) and Vajrayana—the notion of transcendence sometimes includes a [[soteriological]] application. Except for Pure Land and Vajrayana, the role played by transcendent beings is minimal and at most a temporary expedient. However some Buddhists believe that [[Nirvana]] is an eternal, transcendental state beyond name and form, so for these Buddhists, Nirvana is the main concept of transcendence. The more usual interpretation of Nirvana in Buddhism is that it is a cessation—a permanent absence of something (namely suffering), and therefore it is not in any way a state which could be considered transcendent.

Primordial enlightenment and the dharma are sometimes portrayed as transcendent, since they can surpass all samsaric obstructions.

===Hinduism===
In the [[Bhagavad Gita]], transcendence is described as a level of spiritual attainment, or a state of being open to all spiritual aspirants (the end goal of [[yoga]] practice). In this state one is no longer under the control of any materialistic desires and is aware of a higher spiritual reality.
{{quote|When the [[yogi|yogī]], by practice of yoga, disciplines his mental activities and becomes situated in transcendence — devoid of all material desires — he is said to be well established in yoga.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bhagavadgitaasitis.com/6/18/en1|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130118000234/http://bhagavadgitaasitis.com/6/18/en1|url-status=dead|title=BG 6.18|archivedate=18 January 2013}}</ref>}}

The exact nature of this transcendence is given as being "above the modes of material nature", which are known as ''[[gunas]]'' (ropes) that bind the living entity to the world of ''[[samsara]]'' (karmic cycle) in Hindu philosophy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bhagavadgitaasitis.com/14/22-25/en1|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070303001808/http://www.bhagavadgitaasitis.com/14/22-25/en1|url-status=dead|title=BG 14.22–25|archivedate=3 March 2007}}</ref>

Transcendence is described and viewed from diverse perspectives in [[Hinduism]]. Traditions such as [[Advaita Vedanta]], in transcendence, view God as the [[Nirguna Brahman]] (God without attributes) - the absolute. Other traditions such as [[Bhakti yoga]], in transcendence, view God as being with attributes ([[Saguna Brahman]]), the Absolute being a personal deity ([[Ishvara]]), such as [[Vishnu]] or [[Shiva]].

===Sikhism===
'''[[Waheguru]]''' ({{langx|pa|ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ}}, ''{{IAST|Vāhigurū}}'') is a term most often used in [[Sikhism]] to refer to God, the Supreme Being or the creator of all. It means "Wonderful Teacher" in the Punjabi language, but in this case is used to refer to the [[God in Sikhism]]. ''Wahi'' means "wonderful" (a Middle Persian borrowing) and "[[Guru]]" ({{langx|sa|गुरु}}) is a term denoting "teacher". Waheguru is also described by some{{According to whom|date=August 2014}} as an experience of ecstasy which is beyond all descriptions.

Cumulatively, the name implies wonder at the Divine Light eliminating spiritual darkness. It might also imply, "Hail the Lord whose name eliminates spiritual darkness." Earlier, [[Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh]], ''Sikhan di Bhagat Mala'', gave a similar explication, also on the authority of [[Guru Nanak]]. Considering the two constituents of "Vahiguru" ("vahi" + "guru") implying the state of wondrous ecstasy and offering of homage to the Lord, the first one was brought distinctly and prominently into the devotional system by Guru Nanak, who has made use of this interjection, as in [[Majh ki Var]] (stanza 24), and [[Suhi ki Var]], [[shloka]] to pauri 10.{{citation needed|date=August 2014}}

Sikh doctrine identifies one panentheistic god ([[Ik Onkar]]) who is omnipresent and has infinite qualities, whose name is true ([[Satnam]]), is the Creator (Karta Purkh), has no fear (Nirb  hau), is not the enemy of anyone (Nirvair), is beyond time (Akaal), has no image (Murat), is beyond birth and death circulation (Ajunee), is self-existent (Sai Bhang) and possesses the grace of word guru (eternal light) we can meet him (Gurprasaad). Sikhs do not identify a gender for Ek Onkar, nor do they believe it takes a human form. In the Sikh tradition, all human beings are considered equal regardless of their religion, sex, or race. All are sons and daughters of Waheguru, the Almighty.<ref name="Heartbeat">{{cite book | title=Ek Onkar Satnam: The Heartbeat of Nanak | publisher=AuthorHouseUK | author=Taoshobuddha | date= 2012 |page=438 | isbn=978-1477214268}}</ref>

==In Secular culture==
{{See also|God is dead|Richard L. Rubenstein}}
In 1961, Christian theologian [[Gabriel Vahanian]] published ''The Death of God''. Vahanian argued that modern secular culture had lost all sense of the sacred, lacking any sacramental meaning, no transcendental purpose or sense of providence. He concluded that for the modern secular mind "God is dead", but he did not mean that God did not exist. In Vahanian's vision a transformed post-Christian and post-modern culture was needed to create a renewed experience of deity.

Paul Van Buren and William Hamilton both agreed that the concept of transcendence had lost any meaningful place in modern secular thought. According to the norms of contemporary modern secular thought, God is dead. In responding to this denial of transcendence Van Buren and Hamilton offered secular people the option of Jesus as the model human who acted in love. The encounter with the Christ of faith would be open in a church-community. {{Clarify|reason=This phrase is a little vague.|date=July 2022}}

[[Thomas J. J. Altizer]] offered a radical theology of the death of God that drew upon [[William Blake]], Hegelian thought and Nietzschean ideas. He conceived of theology as a form of poetry in which the immanence (presence) of God could be encountered in faith communities. However, he no longer accepted the possibility of affirming his belief in a transcendent God. Altizer concluded that God had incarnated in Christ and imparted his immanent spirit which remained in the world even though Jesus was dead. It is important that such ideas are understood as socio-cultural developments and not as ontological realities. As Vahanian expressed it in his book, the issue of the denial of God lies in the mind of secular man, not in reality.

Critiquing the death of God theology, Joseph Papin, the founder of the Villanova Theology Institute, noted: "Rumbles of the new theology of the 'Requiem for God," (theologians of the death of God) proved to be a totally inadequate foundation for spanning a theological river with a bridge.  The school of the theology of the "Requiem of God," not even implementing a "Requiem for Satan," will constitute only a footnote to the history of theology. . . . 'The Grave of God,' was the death rattle for the continuancy of the aforementioned school without any noticeable echo."<ref>{{Cite book|title="Post-Conciliar Perspectives," The Dynamic in Christian Thought|last=Papin|first=Joseph|publisher=Villanova University Press|year=1970|pages=3}}</ref> Professor [[Piet Schoonenberg]] (Nijmegen, Netherlands) directly critiqued Altizer concluding: "Rightly understood the transcendence of God does not exclude His immanence, but includes it."<ref>{{Cite book|title="The Transcendence of God, Part I," Transcendence and Immanence, Reconstruction in the Light of Process Thinking, Festschrift in Honor of Joseph Papin, ed. Joseph Armenti|last=Schoonenberg|first=Piet|publisher=Abbey Press|year=1972|pages=161}}</ref>  Schoonenberg went on to say: "We must take God's transcendence seriously by not imposing any limits whatsoever, not even the limits that our images or concepts of transcendence evoke. This however occurs when God's transcendence is expressed as elevated over the world to the exclusion of his presence in this world; when his independence is expressed by excluding his real relation and reaction to the world; or when we insist upon his unchangeable eternity to the exclusion of his real partnership in human history."<ref>{{Cite book|title="From Transcendence to Immanence, Part II," Wisdom and Knowledge, Essays in Honor of Joseph Papin, ed. Joseph Armenti|last=Schoonenberg|first=Piet|publisher=Villanova University Press|year=1976|pages=273}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Apophatic theology]]
* [[Incorporeal]]
* [[Out-of-body experience]]
* [[Supernatural]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Wikiquote-inline|Transcendence}}

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{{Belief systems}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transcendence (Religion)}}
[[Category:Attributes of God in Christian theology]]
[[Category:Conceptions of God]]
[[Category:Divinity]]
[[Category:Mysticism]]
[[Category:Religious belief and doctrine]]
[[Category:Spiritual evolution]]