divinity
Sign in to savethumb|Elizabeth I and the Three Goddesses (Juno (mythology)|Juno, [[Minerva, and Venus), by Isaac Oliver, ]]
Article
12 sectionsContents
- Etymology and conceptual range
- In classical antiquity
- Philosophical and theological reflections
- Transformation in early Christianity
- Mystical and medieval views
- Modern and secular use
- Contemporary usage
- Comparative and cross-cultural perspectives
- See also
- References
- Works cited
- External links
thumb|Elizabeth I and the Three Goddesses (Juno (mythology)|Juno, [[Minerva, and Venus), by Isaac Oliver, ]]
Divinity (from Latin ) refers to the quality, presence, or nature of that which is divine—a term that, before the rise of monotheism, evoked a broad and dynamic field of sacred power. In the ancient world, divinity was not limited to a single deity or abstract ideal but was recognized in multiple forms: as a radiant attribute possessed by gods, as a vital force cushioning nature, and even as a quality glimpsed in extraordinary humans, laws, or acts. The Latin and its Greek counterparts (, ) conveyed something both immanent and awe-inspiring: a presence that could be felt in thunder, justice, ecstasy, fate, or beauty.