Defining the Types of Theism

To understand the different types of theism is to understand what theism means in and of itself. Theism is a belief in at least one god without rejection of revelation. Its direct synonyms being theology (the study of religion) or theist (a person who has a theism). Theism, basically, is "religion" in its most root and basic form. It is the suffix at the end of a word in which the prefix is defining the type of theism a person holds values in.

Commonly people are aware of monotheism (one God) and polytheism (many Gods) but that is all, and until I started this article I was only aware of one other, ditheism (two Gods of equal value), however, there are over 20 types of "theisms" that I have found.

In alphabetical order the types of theisms are:

Agnosticism: While not really a "theism" in its suffix, it is still in this category because this is a doctrine that affirms to the uncertainty of all claims to ultimate knowledge or higher powers. Basically, an "I don't know" type of situation; an Agnostic is on the fence about higher deities. There may or may not be a Supreme Being but no one can prove it either way as of yet.

Allotheism: this is the belief or worship of strange Gods. However, what is strange to one person may be normal to another. To define oneself as believing in allotheism would indeed be strange, this is most likely a term applied to someone else when their Gods are not understood.

Animism: This is a belief that all natural things (objects, phenomena, and the universe itself) have souls or a spirit. It is also the belief in spiritual beings or agencies or a doctrine that the soul is the principle to health and life.

Atheism: the prefix means "non" in this case (think asexual) and means a disbelief in any supreme beings or any form of God.

Deism: this is best explained as either a belief in a God based on the evidence of reason or nature with rejection of supernatural evaluation. It may also mean a belief that God (s) exist but that they don't take part of our lives or that they created the world but are now indifferent to it.