Skip to content
divinity
EntityQ1379405· pop 35· linked from 1,063 articles

thumb|Elizabeth I and the Three Goddesses (Juno (mythology)|Juno, [[Minerva, and Venus), by Isaac Oliver, ]]

~23 min read

Encyclopedic overview

12 sections
Contents
  • 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.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “divinity” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (8)