Theocentrism: what is theocentrism and characteristics of this religious phenomenon?

Theocentrism is one of the most socially influential forms of religiosity. Let's see what it looks like.

Although, in today's age, all thinking revolves around the human being himself, this was not always the case.

In contrast to the current anthropocentrism of most societies today, there used to be theocentrism. We will now take a tour to discover the most relevant aspects of this concept and what led humanity to establish such a profound paradigm shift.

What is theocentrism?

Theocentrism is an interpretation of reality in which everything happens because of God.. As the translation of the word itself indicates, God (theo) would occupy the center of all thought about the universe itself. Therefore, everything that happens, and the way it happens, according to theocentrism, would be by the will of God. Even scientific discoveries would be attributed to divine rules, so that any event or reasoning would fit with theocentrism, since the explanation that God encompasses everything is valid in any case.

Thus, theocentrism would explain from the mere existence of the Earth, the sky and the stars (even when their approaches were wrong, as the Earth was flat) to the existence of life itself, and of course also the behavior of both animals and human beings themselves. Any event that happened, whether fortunate or tragic, was part of God's plan, of his designs, and was therefore explained by theocentrism.

Theocentrism was the reigning thought throughout the Middle Ages in Europe.Christian religion was inseparable from the very monarchies that ruled in all the countries of the Old Continent. Theocentrism was also used at this time to establish social distinctions as a matter that obeyed the will of God, so that the common people, highly influenced by religion, since their whole life revolved around it, did not show resistance to this form of distribution of society.

The 5 characteristics of theocentrism

Although we have already anticipated some of them, the truth is that there are a series of characteristics that clearly explain the background of theocentrism. We will now explore them in detail in order to understand the implications of this profound concept.

1. God the Creator

The first characteristic of theocentrism is that affirms that God is the origin of the entire universe, and is the cause that makes it move in the direction in which it does.Theocentrism, encompassing also the very behaviors of human beings. Therefore, according to theocentrism, any event will be within God's supreme plans, even if people cannot understand why.

2. Omnipresent God

God is everywhere, and dominates every aspect of the world.. Divine omnipresence is another of the characteristics attributed to theocentrism. The concept of a God at the center of everything necessarily implies that any event, however small or large, necessarily passes through the Deity. Nothing in the universe escapes the designs of the Supreme Being.

3. Faith over reason

Nothing is above faith, not even reason. Therefore, logical reason should only aim at demonstrating the validity of faith and therefore the existence of God.. We will go more deeply into this point when we speak of theocentric philosophy. Any logical reasoning would be nothing but another proof of God's will and divine laws.

4. Faith as control

Theocentrism also favors the use of faith as a method of control of society, because in such a profoundly theocentric society, political power is inseparable from the political will of God and the divine laws, political power is inseparable from religious power.In such a deeply theocentric society, political power is inseparable from religious power, so that the sacred teachings themselves become a code of values and guide people's behavior. Although it may seem surprising, this heritage continues to this day, and there are clear differences between societies depending on the religion that has historically been the majority in that territory.

5. Religious leaders

The last characteristic of theocentrism talks about the emergence of religious personalities who set themselves up as shepherds of society, guardians of the faith and the word of God. and the word of God. Their importance is equal or even greater than that of the political authority, and they occupy a special place next to the monarchs, guiding the actions of the latter, since they know that the will of the people depends to a great extent on the guidelines that they, as representatives of God on Earth, impose on the believers.

Theocentric philosophy

All the philosophical studies developed during the Middle Ages responded to the theocentric cut, as it is logical. As maximum exponent of the philosophy of this time we find Saint Thomas Aquinas, Italian theologian, with a more than prolific work.Aquinas, with a more than prolific work in which he tried to explain all existing reality through God, from a rational perspective, or what is the same, according to systematic theology. His works on metaphysics were a reference, and remained valid for several centuries.

One of the most important works of Thomas Aquinas, which shows the power of theocentrism, is his theory of the Five Ways. his theory of the Five Ways. It is a set of reasonings, apparently irrefutable, by which only one can reach the conclusion that God exists, and therefore, effectively, is the origin and the end of the whole universe. Logically, some critical voices arose later on, claiming that there were important errors in these reasonings and that they were therefore invalid.

The work of St. Thomas Aquinas was so important for the Catholicism of the time for its magnificent arguments to defend theocentrism that it came to be taken as an absolute reference in institutions such as the Inquisition and the Council of Trent. Such was the importance of his figure, that after his death he was not only canonized, but also named Doctor of the Church, a title reserved only for sanctified persons who have also proven to be masters in their areas of thought, as is the case.

Although the approaches have changed a lot since then, the importance of the works of St. Thomas Aquinas continues to this day.Some eminent philosophers even consider him to be one of the great references in the history of thought in the history of the West.

His presence in other societies and religions

Although this article is focused on the Christian theocentrism lived in the West during the Middle Ages, the truth is that it is not the only type that has existed, far from it. And the fact is that theocentrism seems to be a very common phase in the development of all societies.It has also manifested itself in places where other religions, such as Judaism or Islam, were professed. In fact, in the case of Islam, there are today certain regions where the mode of thought would be purely theocentric.

Moreover, theocentrism is not limited to monotheistic religions, for it is known that theocentrism is not limited to monotheistic religions.It is known that even in the pre-Columbian peoples of America there were cultures in which religion and its gods were the center of all thought and behavior, as was the case with the Christian theocentrism mentioned above. We can also observe this phenomenon in ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians, where the Pharaoh, religious and political leader, was considered a descendant of the Sun God.

We do not have to go so far back in time to find other examples. In Japan itself, where Shintoism is predominant, a curious episode occurred when the nation had to surrender to the United States in World War II, because such an act would mean, for the emperor, admitting that he was not a god. In view of this example, it is clear that we are dealing with an example of theocentrism in a world power in the middle of the 20th century.

Paradigm shift

The end of Christian theocentrism came with the Renaissance, with the beginning of the Modern Age, the discovery of the New World and all the changes that society underwent. The human being replaced God at the center of all explanations about the functioning of the world itself, and it was then that God was abandoned.The human being replaced God at the center of all explanations about the functioning of the world itself, and it was then that theocentrism was abandoned in favor of anthropocentrism.

It was then that every event was no longer seen as the work of God, and the causes of every phenomenon began to be investigated, scientific and rational thought began to develop more and more.This time without being conditioned to demonstrate the existence of a superior entity that fit the dictates of the Church. It was, therefore, a period of splendor and growth in everything related to knowledge about the world, in all existing areas of study.

Bibliographical references:

• Beuchot, M. (2004). Introduction to the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas. Salamanca: Editorial San Esteban.
• Hernández, M. (2014). Theocentrism, inhospitable nature and human self-affirmation: The genesis of modern lifestyle according to H. Blumenberg. Carácas: Mundo Nuevo.
• Talens, J.V. (1997). Cristocentrismo y Teocentrismo desde los orígenes de la fe cristiana. The spirit, memory and witness of Christ : apropos of the Tertio Millennio Adveniente : proceedings of the IX Symposium on Historical Theology.