Deism or Theism? Why God’s Intervention Defines the Divide

Deism is “belief in the existence of a supreme being, specifically of a creator who does not intervene in the universe” (Oxford English Dictionary).

Theism is “belief in the existence of a god or gods, especially belief in one god as creator of the universe, intervening in it and sustaining a personal relation to his creatures” (Oxford English Dictionary).

World Union of Deists

Jayson X, writing on behalf of the World Union of Deists, agrees with the first part of the definition of Deism but says, “I disagree with the part that states, ‘specifically of a creator who does not intervene in the universe.’”(1)

Look at the definitions. Deism describes a God “who does not intervene,” while Theism describes a God “who intervenes” in the universe. The single defining difference between Deism and Theism is whether God intervenes or does not intervene.

It is philosophically naïve to assume that Theism automatically means Christian Theism—it doesn’t. If it did, there would be no need to add the qualifier “Christian.” What Jayson X is describing is best understood as rational Theism, not Deism.

He seems not to grasp that a God who intervenes is, by definition, theistic. If you believe in a God who intervenes, you are a Theist. If you believe that God does not intervene, you are a Deist. It’s really that simple. One would hope the World Union of Deists would get that right.

Deists: God Does Not Intervene

Benjamin Franklin described God as the creator whose “perfect design allows [the universe] to run without intervention.”

Thomas Paine viewed God as a creator who established universal laws, arguing that such a creator would have no need to continually alter those very laws.

Matthew Tindal (“Father of English Deism”), argued: God “has given us Reason as the only rule whereby we are to judge of revealed religion,” and divine laws are “imprinted on our nature,” with no need for intervention since “the world operates by natural and self-sustaining laws of the Creator.” (2)

John Toland said, “God does not work by extraordinary means or suspend his laws; all is by necessary causes in the ordinary course of nature.” (3)

Belief in an interventionist God requires belief in the possibility—or even likelihood—of miracles. It also opens the door to the possibility of divine revelation. That is a very different worldview. Switching from Deism to Theism, therefore, opens a philosophical “can of worms.”

While some people who called themselves Deists did believe in divine intervention, such individuals are more accurately described as deistic rather than Deist. They were influenced by true Deists but continued to believe that God occasionally interferes with the natural order.

Definition Confirmation

Dr. Michael Armheim defines Deism as “belief in an impersonal creator God who does not get involved in the day-to-day affairs of the world.” (2)

Robert Griffiths writes in Philosophy Now: “Deism is belief in the existence of a creator God who does not intervene in the universe, and in particular, in the lives of people.” (3)

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Deism as “a system of thought advocating natural religion… rejecting divine intervention in the universe’s laws.”

The American Heritage Dictionary states: “A religious belief holding that God created the universe and established rationally comprehensible moral and natural laws but does not intervene in human affairs through miracles or supernatural revelation.”

StudySmarter captures the standard textbook distinction: Deism features a God who “does not interfere with the natural world,” listing it as “a non-intervening creator.” By contrast, Theism is “an involved and personal deity,” with a worldview “based on divine revelation and intervention.” (4)

A comparative theology analysis puts it even more directly: “Deism is the belief in a God who made the world but who never interrupts its operations with non-natural events. It is a theism minus miracles. God does not interfere with his creation.” (5)

Deism vs Theism

The Encyclopædia Britannica explains that “the word Deism was used by some theologians in contradistinction to Theism, the belief in an immanent God who actively intervenes in the affairs of men.”

Once again, it’s clear: if you believe in “an immanent God who actively intervenes in the affairs of men,” you are a Theist, not a Deist. You may be a rational Theist who rejects revelation, but you remain a Theist nonetheless. Calling yourself a Deist doesn’t make you one.

If Theism and Deism meant the same thing, one of the terms would be redundant. The defining mark of Deism is precisely its rejection of divine intervention. Remove that distinction, and Deism loses its entire reason to exist.

References

1. The True and False Definitions of Deism. https://www.deism.com/post/the-true-and-false-definitions-of-deism
2. Matthew Tindal, Christianity as Old as the Creation (London, 1730).
3. John Toland, Christianity Not Mysterious: or, a Treatise Shewing, That There is Nothing in the Gospel Contrary to Reason, Nor Above It (London, 1696).
4. Michael Arnheim, Is Christianity True? (Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books, 1984), 20.
5. Deism: Traditional and Contemporary – Philosophy Now. https://philosophynow.org/issues/152/Deism_Traditional_and_Contemporary
6. StudySmarter: https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/religious-studies/belief-systems/deism/
7. Comparative Theology: https://chab123.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/a-comparison-between-theism-deism-pantheism-and-polytheism-which-god-or-gods-shall-we-p/