What is God?
Last updated: February 25, 2026
In New Thought: The First Cause, the Great I Am, the Absolute, the One and Only. Spirit, Creative Energy, Love, Wisdom, Intelligence, Power, Substance, Mind.
Understanding God in New Thought
In New Thought: The First Cause, the Great I Am, the Absolute, the One and Only. Spirit, Creative Energy, Love, Wisdom, Intelligence, Power, Substance, Mind. God is the only Presence and Power and has no opposite.
In New Thought, God is understood not as an anthropomorphic deity, but as an omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient spiritual principle that constitutes all reality. This perspective diverges significantly from traditional theological views, emphasizing an immanent rather than a transcendent divine. God is seen as the universal creative force, the source of all good, and the underlying intelligence of the cosmos, making humanity's connection to the divine an intrinsic aspect of existence. This understanding is central to New Thought's emphasis on individual spiritual power and the manifestation of desired realities.
What the Teachers Say
God vs. Personal God
New Thought's concept of God differs significantly from traditional religious views of a personal deity. While conventional theology often presents God as a separate being with human-like qualities, New Thought views God as impersonal principle and universal law.
| Aspect | God | Personal God |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | Impersonal principle and universal law | Personal being with individual consciousness |
| Location | Omnipresent as the substance of all things | Separate from creation, dwelling in heaven |
| Attributes | Abstract qualities like Love, Wisdom, Intelligence | Human-like emotions, preferences, and desires |
| Relationship | Operates through natural and spiritual law | Intervenes through miracles and special acts |
| Access | Available through understanding and consciousness | Approached through worship and supplication |
Etymology
The English word "God" originates from the Proto-Germanic gudán, which itself is believed to derive from the Proto-Indo-European root ghu-tó-m, meaning "that which is invoked" or "poured out." This linguistic lineage suggests an ancient connection to ritualistic offerings or invocations. Over centuries, its meaning evolved from a general term for a divine being to the specific monotheistic concept prevalent in Abrahamic religions, and further reinterpreted within New Thought to denote an impersonal, all-encompassing spiritual principle.
How to Practice This
Practically, the New Thought understanding of God informs practices such as affirmative prayer and spiritual mind treatment, where individuals consciously align their thoughts and feelings with this universal creative principle. Practitioners engage in meditation and visualization, recognizing their inherent unity with God, to manifest desired outcomes in their lives. This involves actively declaring and believing in the presence of divine good, thereby drawing upon the infinite intelligence and power believed to be inherent within all things and accessible through conscious connection.
Connection to Manifestation
God in New Thought serves as the foundational principle behind all manifestation and creative expression. Since God is understood as infinite Creative Intelligence and Divine Mind, human beings can consciously align with this divine nature to demonstrate desired conditions. The law of attraction operates as God's natural law, responding to thoughts and consciousness with mathematical precision. By recognizing themselves as expressions of God, practitioners learn to think from the divine level, thereby manifesting health, prosperity, and harmony as natural expressions of their true spiritual identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
New Thought views God as impersonal principle and universal law rather than a separate personal being. God is seen as the creative intelligence and substance within all things, operating through natural spiritual law rather than through arbitrary intervention or judgment.
Yes, but the relationship is understood differently than in traditional religion. Rather than relating to God as a separate entity, you develop intimacy with the divine nature within yourself. This involves recognizing your consciousness as an expression of Divine Mind and aligning your thoughts with spiritual principle.
Since God is understood as the only true power and presence in the universe, there can be no equal and opposite force. What appears as evil or limitation is seen as the absence or misunderstanding of good, much like darkness is simply the absence of light rather than a competing power.
Connection with God happens through understanding, meditation, and conscious alignment with divine principle. Since God is the very essence of your being, connection involves recognizing your true spiritual nature and thinking from the level of divine consciousness rather than limited human perspective.
God transcends all creation as the infinite, absolute source of all existence. Simultaneously, God is immanent as the very substance, life, and intelligence within every person and thing. This means God is both beyond the world and the essential reality of the world.
In the Source Texts (12)
>>“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him” [Genesis 1:27].<<…
…the situation, and I found, instead of making their affirmations and looking to God for success and prosperity, they had each bought a “lucky monkey.” I said: “Oh I see, you have been trusting in the lucky monkeys instead o…
…fection, without demanding any return. Its joy is in the joy of giving. Love is God in manifestation, and the strongest magnetic force in the universe. Pure, unselfish love draws to itself its own; it does not need to seek…