as in paganism
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Recent Examples of theism
The Chinese Communists aren’t trying to extirpate every last trace of theism, thereby inviting the undivided opposition of religious believers and institutions (as the Soviets did with regard to John Paul II’s Vatican).
—
Cameron Hilditch, National Review, 21 Feb. 2021
Thoreau moves fluidly between the two, shuttling between the divine and the here-and-now, between theism and materialism.
—Longreads, 13 July 2017
Some theologians seemed to reject traditional notions of theism, even arguing that Jesus should be seen more as a human role model than an actual deity.
—Joseph Berger, New York Times, 29 June 2017
While most of the Empire was being immersed in a religion which was a synthesis of Roman institutions, Greek philosophy and Hebrew theism, a subset of the population of philosophical inclination was being drawn into a religious system descended from Hellenistic paganism.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 10 Aug. 2012
Cameron Hilditch, National Review, 21 Feb. 2021
Thoreau moves fluidly between the two, shuttling between the divine and the here-and-now, between theism and materialism.
—Longreads, 13 July 2017
Some theologians seemed to reject traditional notions of theism, even arguing that Jesus should be seen more as a human role model than an actual deity.
—Joseph Berger, New York Times, 29 June 2017
While most of the Empire was being immersed in a religion which was a synthesis of Roman institutions, Greek philosophy and Hebrew theism, a subset of the population of philosophical inclination was being drawn into a religious system descended from Hellenistic paganism.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 10 Aug. 2012
Recent Examples of Synonyms for theism
Noun
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Sitting atop one of the seven hills overlooking the city, the site is like an archaeological mosaic where fragments of paganism, Christianity and Islam from different eras and empires coexist.—
NPR,
NPR,
26 Nov. 2025
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In all of the courses, the pedagogy is an awkward pastiche of traditions, combining Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Slavic paganism, Siberian shamanism, and Asian spiritual practices, spiked with elements of Jungian and American pop psychology.—
Julia Ioffe,
New Yorker,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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George Gross, an expert on theology and the monarchy at King’s College London, highlighted the church’s continuing divergence from the Catholic Church, which forbids women from being ordained as priests, much less as serving as the religion’s global spiritual leader.—
Danica Kirka,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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If there’s a genuine, committed, energetic movement to evolve these theologies, there are huge opportunities.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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With the rise of monotheism, their existence had to be brought under the power and perfection of a single god.—
Manvir Singh,
New Yorker,
27 Oct. 2025
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For instance, according to Alawite beliefs, Ali, the son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad, is a divine manifestation of God, which challenges the idea of strict monotheism central to Sunni Islam.—
Güneş Murat Tezcür,
The Conversation,
23 July 2025
Noun
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This vague gesture in the direction of deism has no antecedent in the book, no moral or theological trajectory to make Bambi’s insight meaningful or satisfying.—
Kathryn Schulz,
The New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2022
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Those intuitions usually commended a staid deism and scorn for those whose beliefs extended any further.—
Jeffrey Collins,
WSJ,
12 Mar. 2021
Noun
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In 1809, Friedrich’s budding pantheism landed him in hot water.—
Zachary Fine,
The New Yorker,
28 June 2024
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If anyone is wondering, stoicism and pantheism are my preferred lenses through to view the world.—
Christa Allen,
Allure,
28 May 2021
Noun
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Nefertiti was the principal wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten, the ruler who upended Egypt's religious customs away from polytheism and toward Atenism.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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The Pope's polytheism places him among the people of Hell.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Legal challenges to constitutional doctrines underpinning the modern American administrative state wend their way through increasingly sympathetic courts, promising sweeping changes to the ways our most important institutions act.—
Walter Russell Mead,
The Atlantic,
24 Jan. 2026
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Raenah Birdlong, 33, who did not fire any shots, was charged under the provocative act doctrine, meaning her actions led to the death and wounding of the two men, authorities said.—
Harry Harris,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Amorim shifted from his back-three dogma against Bournemouth and Newcastle United, but reverted to his 3-4-2-1 system for the draw with Wolves, which drew criticism from Gary Neville.—
David Ornstein,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
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That’s a strong dogma that can override the screams of a baby.—
Christian Wiman,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Theism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/theism. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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