What does autotheism mean?
Autotheism denotes the belief or doctrine that one is oneself a god — effectively, self-deification or the worship of one's own divinity. Formed from Greek roots meaning 'self' and 'god', the term belongs chiefly to religious and philosophical discourse and appears only rarely in ordinary language. When applied to individuals or movements, it carries a distinctly pejorative force, suggesting overweening pride, narcissism, or delusion, as in critiques of cult leaders who demand worship. In older theological writing, autotheism had a different, more technical sense: the doctrine affirming God's self-existence, that is, God's dependence on nothing outside himself. This sense survives mainly in historical texts on the divine attributes. Related forms include autotheist, for a person holding such beliefs, and autotheistic, the corresponding adjective. The word remains useful precisely because it captures an extreme point on the spectrum of self-regard — the moment confidence curdles into claims of godhood.
nounThe belief or doctrine that one is oneself a god, or the deification and worship of oneself; historically, it has also denoted the theological doctrine of God's self-existent nature.
- The belief that one is a god, or the deification and veneration of oneself.
- In historical theology, the doctrine of God's self-existent, underived nature.
"Critics accused the cult leader of sheer autotheism, demanding worship as a living deity."
"The philosopher warned against the quiet autotheism of an age that treats the self as the ultimate authority."
"Nineteenth-century theologians debated whether autotheism properly described God's aseity or was better reserved for human self-deification."
Rarely pluralized, since the word typically refers to a single doctrine or stance; the plural would appear only when comparing distinct instances or formulations.
"Different eras have produced strikingly different autotheisms, from imperial cults to modern personality worship."
The rarest kind of believer may be the one who worships the god in the mirror — autotheism names exactly that.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of autotheism
Autotheism derives from Greek roots: autos ('self') combined with theos ('god'), via the same route that produced theism, atheism, and other words for positions about deity. English formed it by fusing these two Greek elements into a compound noun, following the pattern of related coinages such as pantheism and monotheism. It shares the autos root with words like autonomy and autobiography, and the theos root with theology and atheist.
Related word forms
How autotheism is actually used
A rare, scholarly term encountered mainly in discussions of religion, philosophy, and psychology rather than everyday speech. It carries a strongly negative connotation when applied to people, implying arrogance or delusion; its neutral theological sense (God as self-existent) is largely historical.
Easily confused with autotheism
Atheism is the disbelief in any god, whereas autotheism is the belief or claim that one is oneself divine.