deism

American  

[dee-iz-uhm] / ˈdi ɪz əm /

noun

1. belief in the existence of a God on the evidence of reason and nature only, with rejection of supernatural revelation (distinguished from theism).

2. belief in a God who created the world but has since remained indifferent to it.

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deism British  

/ ˈdeɪ-, ˈdiːɪzəm /

noun

1. belief in the existence of God based solely on natural reason, without reference to revelation Compare theism

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deism Cultural  

1. The belief that God has created the universe but remains apart from it and permits his creation to administer itself through natural laws. Deism thus rejects the supernatural aspects of religion, such as belief in revelation in the Bible (see also Bible), and stresses the importance of ethical conduct. In the eighteenth century, numerous important thinkers held deist beliefs. (See clockwork universe.)

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Other Word Forms

• deist noun
• deistic adjective
• deistically adverb

Etymology

Origin of deism

1675–85; < French déisme < Latin de ( us ) god + French -isme -ism

Compare meaning

How does deism compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• deism vs. theism

Explanation

Deism is the belief in a God who created the world but hasn’t gotten involved with people since then — as opposed to theism, whose God still takes an active role in the world. According to deism, the creator has a hands-off approach and lets people fend for themselves. Originally the word was used to mean a belief in a deity (as theism is used now), in contrast to atheism, which lacks a God at all. Deism as it is used now is associated with the Enlightenment movement of the 17th and 18th century. A person who believes in deism is a deist.

Example Sentences

“I started feeling this longing for the culture of deism of my childhood … the warm, holy feeling” of a higher power.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2021

Even some ministers approached deism, particularly in the more prestigious and well-established churches, and tried to explain Christianity by rational proof instead of spiritual conviction or biblical authority.

From Textbooks • Jan. 18, 2018

At roughly the same time, I was in the midst of a pilgrimage of faith that started as vague deism but eventually led me to evangelicalism.

From New York Times • Dec. 9, 2017

Werline: I don’t think the Founding Fathers had a form of Christianity that we would immediately recognize today because of the presence of deism.

From Salon • Oct. 8, 2016

Whilst English deism with its air of thoroughness made way among the learned, the poison of frivolous French naturalism committed its ravages among the higher circles.

From Church History, Vol. 3 of 3 by Kurtz, J. H.