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Tritheist


Tritheism is the belief that cosmic divinity is composed of three powerful entities. As generally conceived, three gods are envisioned as having separate domains and spheres of influence that coalesce into an omnipotent whole. In this primary respect, tritheism differs from cosmic dualism, which often posits two divine powers working in theological or spiritual opposition.

Most Christian denominations do not hold the universe as spiritually tritheistic, although some nontrinitarian denominations stray slightly from pure monotheism and the duality between God and Satan. The term has been sporadically used to spearhead heresy accusations, especially when employed against Christian sects promoting allegedly anathema conceptions of the Trinity. The most notable Christian sect that has been accused of tritheism by mainstream Christianity and alike is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which views the Trinity not in light of the orthodox Christian doctrine put forth in Nicaea proclaiming God to be one being and three persons, but rather it teaches the Trinity to be three different beings or substances united by one purpose.

The Hindu Trinity of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer have been held to constitute a Tritheistic belief system. Like the Christian Trinity, these entities are understood to interact harmoniously. However, this Hindu trinity is not conceived in a firmly doctrinal sense, but is rather posited as one of the ways in which the divine order of the universe can be understood. Ultimately, the Universal Spirit, the Param-atman, the Brahman (not to be confused with brahmin, a social class / caste), or Bhagvan is held to reign supreme as a singular entity.

Muslims, Jews and other nontrinitarians claim that the orthodox trinitarian Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit constitutes Tritheism, since these distinct "persons" are unified only by an impersonal substance ousia which does not transcend, or exist apart from, the persons.


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