What does deistic mean?
Deistic is an adjective describing anything related to deism — the belief that a supreme being created the universe but does not intervene in its workings through revelation, miracles, or providence. A deistic view of God typically portrays the deity as a rational first cause, comparable to a watchmaker who designs a mechanism and then leaves it to run on natural laws. The word is most often applied to ideas, arguments, writings, or historical figures: one might speak of deistic philosophy, a deistic conception of creation, or a thinker's deistic sympathies. It belongs to formal register and appears mainly in academic writing about religion and Enlightenment thought, when many European intellectuals embraced rational religion over revealed doctrine. Understanding deistic helps distinguish this middle position between traditional theism, which affirms divine intervention, and atheism, which denies any creator altogether.
adjectiveRelating to deism, the belief that God created the universe but does not intervene in its ongoing operation. Describes ideas, writings, or thinkers characterized by this rationalistic view of a non-interventionist creator.
- Relating to or characteristic of deism, especially the view of God as a non-intervening creator.
- (Of a writer, thinker, or work) influenced by or expressing deistic ideas.
"Jefferson's deistic convictions led him to edit the Gospels, removing every account of miracles."
"The Enlightenment's deistic outlook portrayed God as a cosmic architect rather than a miracle-worker."
"Voltaire's deistic leanings placed him at odds with both the church and the outright atheists of his day."
Many of America's Founding Fathers — including Jefferson and Franklin — held deistic views, imagining God as a watchmaker who wound up the universe and then stepped away.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of deistic
Deistic derives from 'deism', a term coined in English during the seventeenth century from the Latin 'deus', meaning god. Deism named the rationalist religious position that emerged in Europe during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and deistic arose as its adjectival form to describe the ideas and adherents associated with that movement. It shares its ultimate Latin root with words such as deity and deify.
How deistic is actually used
A formal, largely academic term found chiefly in discussions of philosophy, theology, and intellectual history. It carries no pejorative connotation, though in historical polemics it was sometimes used to imply unorthodox or heterodox religious views. The related noun 'deist' refers to a person holding such beliefs.
Easily confused with deistic
Theistic describes belief in a God who actively intervenes in the world, whereas deistic describes belief in a creator who does not.
Atheistic denies the existence of any god, while deistic affirms a creator who abstains from intervention after creating the universe.