Pantheism
<p ><b>Pantheism</b> is the belief that the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universe" title="Universe" >universe</a> (or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature" title="Nature" >nature</a> as the totality of everything) is identical with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divinity" title="Divinity" >divinity</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheism#cite_note-1" >[1]</a></sup> or that everything composes an all-encompassing, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immanence" title="Immanence" >immanent</a>God.<sup id="cite_ref-Edwards_2-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheism#cite_note-Edwards-2" >[2]</a></sup> Pantheists thus do not believe in a distinct <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_god" title="Personal god" >personal</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropomorphic" title="Anthropomorphic" class="mw-redirect" >anthropomorphic</a>god.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheism#cite_note-3" >[3]</a></sup> Some Eastern religions are considered to be pantheistically inclined.
Pantheism was popularised in the West as both a theology and philosophy based on the work of the 17th-century philosopher <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baruch_Spinoza" title="Baruch Spinoza" >Baruch Spinoza</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-Picton_4-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheism#cite_note-Picton-4" >[4]</a></sup><sup class="reference" >:p.7</sup> whose book <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics_(book)" title="Ethics (book)" >Ethics</a></i>was an answer to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Descartes" title="Descartes" class="mw-redirect" >Descartes</a>' famous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dualism" title="Dualism" >dualist</a> theory that the body and spirit are separate.<sup id="cite_ref-Plumptre_5-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheism#cite_note-Plumptre-5" >[5]</a></sup> Spinoza held the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monism" title="Monism" >monist</a> view that the two are the same, and monism is a fundamental part of his philosophy. He was described as a "God-intoxicated man," and used the word God to describe the unity of all substance.<sup id="cite_ref-Plumptre_5-1" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheism#cite_note-Plumptre-5" >[5]</a></sup> Although the term pantheism was not coined until after his death, Spinoza is regarded as its most celebrated advocate.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheism#cite_note-6" >[6]</a></sup></p>