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Anthropopathism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anthropopathism (from Greek ἄνθρωπος anthropos, "human" and πάθος pathos, "suffering") is the attribution of human emotions, or the ascription of human feelings or passions to a non-human being, generally to a deity.[1]

By comparison, the term anthropomorphism originally referred to the attribution of human form to a non-human being, but in modern usage anthropomorphism has come to encompass both meanings.

Religion

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This is a technique prevalent in religious writings, where, for instance, human emotion is attributed to God, where he would not normally experience emotion in this sense.[2] Anthropopathism existed in the ancient Semitic religion and early Islam.[3] This technique is also used in the book of Genesis,[4]: 58  as an example of the theme of God as a personal god.[4]: 60 [verification needed]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Definition of ANTHROPOPATHISM". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  2. ^ Gavrilyuk, Paul L. (2004-03-12). The Suffering of the Impassible God: The Dialectics of Patristic Thought. Oxford University Press. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-19-153354-9.
  3. ^ Williams, Wesley (2009). "A Body Unlike Bodies: Transcendent Anthropomorphism in Ancient Semitic Tradition and Early Islam". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 129 (1): 19–44. ISSN 0003-0279. JSTOR 40593866.
  4. ^ a b Knafl, Anne K. (2014-10-23). Forming God: Divine Anthropomorphism in the Pentateuch. Penn State Press. ISBN 978-1-57506-899-2.