Concepts of God/Ultimate Reality

Abstract

There is a wide diversity of beliefs among the great faith traditions of the world. For centuries, philosophers have reflected on and analyzed the variety of religious concepts and symbols among the religions, and the concept of God or Ultimate Reality has been one of the most dominant. The differing beliefs about God/Ultimate Reality are expressed in unique and divergent conceptual schemes, symbols, metaphors, and models. Within these expressions various questions arise concerning the nature and existence of this transcendent reality. Is there an objective reality to which the language corresponds or points, or are the terms and descriptions merely the reifications of the believing communities expressed in the various linguistic forms of a given culture? The next chapter will examine reasons and evidences for and against the existence of a transcendent reality. Before investigating that question, however, it is important to have in mind some idea of what one means when considering that reality. This chapter will explore several conceptions of God/Ultimate Reality. Contrary to much popular belief, it may be that a fundamental and universal concept can be found at the heart of at least several of the major religious traditions about which they can agree.