Theology: the study of gods or religion.
I have an amateur interest in Theology; I have an equal interest in ancient spiritual texts and social science study of religion.
Apotheosis: 1. transformation into a god. 2. The perfect example.
After his assassination Abraham Lincoln underwent an apotheosis that transformed the controversial politician into a saintly father of democracy. Other examples of apotheosis have been: Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, and JFK. In the apotheosis of these figures, that which was intended to be killed, only became stronger.
Atheistic: denying the existence of god or divine power.
Monotheism: the worship of a single god.
Polytheistic: the worship many gods.
Pantheistic: 1. seeing the power of god in all the natural forces of the universe. 2. worshiping all gods of all creeds and cults.
Pan = all. Thus Pantheistic = "all gods". The pantheon is a place the romans built where all gods could be worshiped to eliminate the need for so many separate temples. I agree, what a hassle.
My personal religion might almost be considered pantheistic; I went through a phase where I read the original sacred texts of several of the major religions and found that if you look beyond the specific rituals and rules (usually created 100s of years after the religion began) they are expressions of the same essential truths.
Theocracy: 1. government by officials who are regarded as divinely inspired.
Fearing theocracy, and/or religious intolerance, the founders of the United States included a provision in the constitution demanding separation of church and state. Iran is the most well known modern example of theocracy; and such a fine example it is.
